Pizzeria Bianco

Pizzeria Bianco:

Full review with pictures in blog. Text as below:

http://endoedibles.com/?p=861

Having touched down in Phoenix only 200 minutes prior and already with breakfast under my belt the next stop on my tour of The Valley would be the most famous of all my gastronomic experiences in the area and, all things being equal, probably one of the five most famous pizzerias in the...+READ Pizzeria Bianco:

Full review with pictures in blog. Text as below:

http://endoedibles.com/?p=861

Having touched down in Phoenix only 200 minutes prior and already with breakfast under my belt the next stop on my tour of The Valley would be the most famous of all my gastronomic experiences in the area and, all things being equal, probably one of the five most famous pizzerias in the United States. Opened in 1994 and garnering numerous awards since inception Chris Bianco’s eponymous Pizzeria Bianco reads like a familiar story to most gourmands today with its focus on all that is organic, local, and seasonal with an oven made by hand and a dedicated New York raised pizzaiolo, but to consider what Chris has done and how long he has been doing it in such an unlikely place is something else entirely – natural, organic, and entirely American pies in the middle of the desert since 1988 reads like exactly what it is; a work of passion. The sort of passion that inspires people to wait three hours in the desert sun to sample his pies.

With Chris’ health problems related to too many years of asthma and inhaling flour (…sand blasters get silicosis, coal miners get coal miner’s lung, but I guess we’ll just call this pneumonitis since flourosis and pizzaiolo lung haven’t yet been detailed in the literature) well publicized in recent years and some claiming the pies no longer stack up to their legendary standards plus new lunch hours to help stem the tide (and time) my arrival at Pizzeria Bianco would actually precede the lunch time opening by approximately ten minutes but with free valet readily available I opted to park my car and wait a lovely thirty minutes in the sun while browsing the area until my dining partners would arrive, three new friends who had volunteered to lend their palates and opinions to a guy from the Midwest at Phoenix’s most famous eatery.

With the doors now open and greetings exchange our party of four next made our way into Bianco – at this point half full – and were led to a cozy four-top in the back corner of the room. With tables close and ceilings high the noise level at Pizzeria Bianco is certainly something to contend with even at half capacity, but with service excellent (and provided by another Ohio native none-the-less) we were quickly greeted and presented with menus, silverware, water, and the two daily specials – a salad and an antipasto – before we were left to decide; an easy decision that led to one glass of wine, one salad, and four pizzas (from the six on the menu.)

Sitting and chatting while we awaited our food I found the people of Phoenix (both my dining pals, the service, and everyone subsequently) to be friendly and conversant much like Midwesterners and discussing everything from food to the arts to sports and local housing the first item to arrive at our table would be a loaf of the house made bread along with olive oil. Never one to turn down the bread basket and with the selection still warm I grabbed an end piece from the rustic country loaf and was instantly smitten by the intense crunch of the crust and smoky notes from the oven that laced the open fluffy interior. Excellent on its own and better with the olive oil the bread immediately made me think that regardless of how good the pizzas were I’d definitely be adding Chris’ sandwich shop down the road to my list of “must eats” for future reference.

With bread passed around and conversation freely flowing the salad and wine would arrive next and although I ordered neither I tasted both – the salad a combination of local arugula, spinach, chicory, and apples with a light vinaigrette and the wine a surprisingly fruity yet subtly dry red whose name I do not recall.

Having now sat for perhaps thirty minutes while pies entered and exited the oven being delivered to many around us the time would finally arrive to taste the oft raved pizza of team Bianco as all four of our selections arrived simultaneously covering the table and filling the air with the smells of smoke, yeast, pork, tomato, and basil. With much sharing to be done and pictures taken the next twenty or so minutes would consist of much less talking and far more eating than the previous thirty and beginning first with my selection – well – let’s just say it lived up to the hype as the ROSA with Red Onion, Parmigiano Reggiano, Rosemary, and Arizona Pistachios may just be the best “specialty pizza” I’ve ever tasted. Beginning first with the crust – an expert balancing act between the thinness of a Neapolitan like Lucali and the chewy hole structure of that at Great Lake – it was nearly perfect as the slight char from the wood oven gave each pie a lovely crunch yet pliable interior that could support the ingredients without disturbing them. Moving next to the toppings – no sauce here – just thinly sliced onions, intense salty cheese, crunchy smooth pistachios, and a touch of rosemary to pique everything else. Marvelous.

Moving next to another of Bianco’s signatures, the WISEGUY with wood Roasted Onion, House Smoked Mozzarella, and Fennel Sausage I was pleasantly surprised by the mildness of both the onions and the fennel, both present but not overwhelming, while the slight spice of the sausage floated above the pools of creamy cow’s milk mozzarella. Another well balanced pie, though I do feel it could have done with just a touch less olive oil…a small quibble, to be sure.

For the third choice, the BIANCOVERDE with Fresh Mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, Ricotta, and Arugula would be the only pizza we modified from the menu description – in this case by adding a $3 supplement of Organic 'La Quercia' Prosciutto Americano from Iowa that was every bit worth the cost. Again featuring that same pliable smoky crust but this time topping it first with the trio of cheeses before adding the arugula and prosciutto after it exited the oven this “Salad Pizza” was a valuable addition to the lineup largely because of the quality of the ingredients and the balance achieved by using each lightly. From the smooth mozzarella to the puddles of ricotta and tangy Parmigiano up through the slight bitters of the greens and the powerful saline notes of the pork everything simply clicked though for some the lack of spice was an issue – an issue easily amendable by the red pepper provided on request (try getting that at Una, Lucali, or Great Lake.)

For the final selection, that of the man who’d experienced Chris’ work longer and more frequently than the rest of us combined, there was no way I was going to miss out on the MARGHERITA while I was here and thankfully he’d ordered it (thus preventing me from ordering both it and the ROSA.) With the stars of the show well known – simply the freshest Tomato Sauce with light hints of sweetness, oregano, and garlic plus Fresh Mozzarella, and Basil – this was a no nonsense sort of pie that hit on all cylinders; tangy, creamy, aromatic, smoky, and perfect. While not the absolute greatest Margherita I’ve ever had, a top 5 member for sure and when paired with the rest of the menu, the service, and the setting a pizza definitely worthy of the fame especially considering the fact that Bianco uses all local ingredients including tomatoes from California in the making of his sauce.

Eating, sharing, talking, and then eating some more while the service checked in occasionally to see if we needed anything else our time at Bianco felt much longer than it was and when it was all said and done only four slices remained – two of the WISEGUY and two the BIANCOVERDE – all wrapped up and going home with their respective owners while I took home with me the memories of some of the best pizza I’ve ever experienced and (perhaps more importantly) the experience of meeting with some great people for outstanding pizza in a setting where people have a passion for what they are doing without all the pretense. Yeah Chris didn’t build the oven and furniture by hand like Lucali, and perhaps Pizzeria Bianco doesn’t fly all their ingredients in from Italy like Una, and sure Chris’ health prevents him from being ever present at the oven like Dom at DiFara or Nick at Great Lake but in the end the results are the same…this is some really great pizza well worth going out of your way for.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (37 Replies) (by uhockey, created October 16, 2011)

Chris Bianco was the in the San Francisco Bay Area recently and I’ve been posting about recent pizzas at home. So I thought I’d add my 2¢ to the ongoing discussion about Pizzeria Bianco. Last month I was another victim of the sloppy execution in his absence.

On a Friday night I showed up at 8pm hoping to get a single seat at the bar. I spent two hours at an outdoor table (60 degrees and no...+READ Chris Bianco was the in the San Francisco Bay Area recently and I’ve been posting about recent pizzas at home. So I thought I’d add my 2¢ to the ongoing discussion about Pizzeria Bianco. Last month I was another victim of the sloppy execution in his absence.

On a Friday night I showed up at 8pm hoping to get a single seat at the bar. I spent two hours at an outdoor table (60 degrees and no heater) at Bar Bianco waiting to be called at Pizzeria Bianco. Tried this bar bite, local goat cheese and olive oil on crostini. Didn't like the lambrusco but the crostini were fine and the olives, meaty.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/5212195375/

At 10pm, I was seated at the bar and had a clear view of the pizza oven. The hostess told me that they make more than 200 pizzas on busy nights.

I enjoyed the complimentary bread and especially the olive oil. But then it went downhill from there, and I’ve been referring to my experience here as “Three Strikes, You’re Out.”

First, a gawd-awful farmers market salad - tough and fibrous escarole, stinky sulfurous red onions, blue cheese and bread crumbs, drenched in an oily, untasty dressing with little acidity. I returned it and asked if I could have something else. Then, the second attempt was a mixed green salad – limp greens and the dressing was nearly straight acid. Guess someone forgot to stir the dressing and the later customers got the puckery vinegar fraction from the bottom of the pot.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/5212715334/

The third failure was the pizza. I wish I’d ordered the margherita instead, but I wanted to try one of the unique offerings here. I ordered one of Pizzeria Bianco's signature pizzas: Rosa, topped with Parmigiano Reggiano, local pistachios, rosemary, and shaved red onions. Finally, a pizza that's scorched as much as I want. But other than the crust, a big disappointment. I could tell just by looking at the very thick shellacking of hard cheese that this was not going to be good. The first bite of a fresh-out-of-the-oven pizza tells the whole story . . . in this case, the crust at the center of the pie was soaked through and limp, over-lacquered with tough and rubbery cheese, stinky onions, and a heavy hand with the rosemary. My favorite part was the crust around the rim that had just a thin fluttery edge of cheese. The crust did have good yeasty flavor development enhanced by the smoke of the wood fire. But it turned tough and overly chewy fast around the rim and was soggy in the middle.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/5212715328/

Because it was so late and I didn’t have much confidence in the staff to make me something more palatable after three strikes, I didn’t ask for the pie to be refired or attempt to order something else. The pizzas served to the other patrons at the counter were similarly loaded down with toppings and I figured that’s the house style. I chalked this up to a bad night or maybe they were too tired at the end of a long shift to give me my money’s worth.

I took the Pizzeria Bianco leftovers back to my hotel with me so I could photograph them the next morning in daylight. Very uneven application of toppings with a mass of pistachios on one half and hardly any on the other. Really overloaded with stiff, baked-on-hard Parmigiano cheese that weighed down the thin crust, exuded grease, and made the main flavor of this pie the nutty taste of denatured cheese. The rosemary used here had too much of an unpleasant piney, terpene aroma.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/5212715324/

In profile, the heavy hand with way too much cheese is easy to see. I'll have to remember to not order pizzas with raw onions as inevitably, the crust gets soggy fast.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/5212715316/

The scorching on Bianco’s pies was mightily impressive, taking it all the way up to the edge of charcoal on the bubbled high spots but not turning completely black.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/5212715314/

And the view of the well-scorched upskirt on the Rosa pizza. http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/5212715260/

I might go back if someone gets me a reservation at an earlier hour when I’d have the energy and fortitude to insist on better execution.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (34 Replies) (by Melanie Wong, created December 31, 2010)

nest pizzqa ever (by drewb123, created August 9, 2010)

»Pizzeria Bianco: Before and After

Dubbed as the “best pizza in America” by numerous online critics, Good Morning America as well as stated in “Slice of Heaven” with a history of the owner Chris Bianco, hand tossing every pizza every night for every customer, I had to taste for myself whether there was any difference after Chris’s departure from the kitchen due to health issues. Having been one to enjoy a Chris-tossed pizza myself...+READ Dubbed as the “best pizza in America” by numerous online critics, Good Morning America as well as stated in “Slice of Heaven” with a history of the owner Chris Bianco, hand tossing every pizza every night for every customer, I had to taste for myself whether there was any difference after Chris’s departure from the kitchen due to health issues. Having been one to enjoy a Chris-tossed pizza myself several months ago, I feel I am qualified to provide a critical review: Before and After Chris Bianco.
Upon my return to Pizzeria Bianco on Tuesday, April 6, 2010, at 4:00 pm, I discovered the line to be nearly the same as it was in the fall of 2009 on a Friday afternoon. The restaurant opens promptly at 5:00 pm, and the first 40 patrons in line are seated. After that the rest are placed on a waiting list. Once on the list, you are given a time estimate when your party can expect to be seated, so you can venture through the Heritage area where Pizzeria Bianco is located. There are a number of interesting pubs and restaurants as well as shops to explore and pass the time. There is also Bar Bianco next door which serves up some tasty microbrews and wines along with a cheese platter appetizer consisting of crostini bread, nuts, raisins and the most delicious cheese and prosciutto on the planet.
After a couple of hours enjoying Four Peaks pale ales, meeting owner Chris Bianco and sharing with him some friendly conversation about his retirement from the kitchen, my date and I were seated. For the return trip we sat at the bar as we requested first available seating. We were greeted by the bartender and promptly provided with two waters with lemon and an ice tea ($1.50). To keep our dining experience as close to the first experience, we ordered homemade mozzarella and local tomato with basil with extra virgin olive oil ($9) as a starter. The smooth and creamy mozzarella was just as wonderful in my mouth as I remembered and along with the red ripe tomato and sweet basil, the combination was perfection.
After a few minutes to properly process the starter our pizzas arrived, piping hot and crisp crust glowing with a golden brown finish. The Sonny Boy ($13) with Salami, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and gaeta olives was a taste sensation. I had forgotten what a treat the gaeta olives were to the flavor of the salami which was paper thin and added the quintessential touch to an otherwise ordinary tasting pizza. The first bite brought back the memory of the previous experience and the echoes of “Mmmmmmmmm, there is something in this mix of flavors that tops it all off” and “Oh, that must be the olives. Pure heaven”. I had nearly forgotten how amazing those olives were and this moment reignited that memory nearly 6 months previously. When we took the first bite of the Wiseguy ($14) prepared with wood roasted onion, house smoked mozzarella and fennel sausage and the addition of Roasted Crimini Mushrooms ($2), and again the memory of last fall and our first bite came flooding back. It was almost as though our taste buds were also celebrating the reunion of these ingredients in an amazing party of flavors.
After a few pictures of our meal choices, gazing into the 700+ degree oven and watching the flames dance over the coals of white oak and pecan wood and sharing great conversation with our server and those around us, we sat back and were perfectly fed bordering on a food coma. And so, with the retirement of head chef and owner Chris Bianco from the pizza paddle and blazing oven, with a glad heart I can say, if I did not have prior knowledge that Chris wasn’t making my pizza that night, I never would have known. The staff at Pizzeria Bianco, especially Horatio Hernandez who now commands the oven, has done well to continue the tasty tradition of preparing and serving, “the best pizza in America”. The experience is well worth the wait.-COLLAPSE (by Cindy S., created April 21, 2010)

I just ate there tonight, I was alone so I got a seat right away. Others were waiting 3 hours plus at 6:00 PM. I was really disapointed, the mozzarella in the salad was very chewy.
the Margarita pizza was very disapponting. The Pizza verde was a little better. I had a lot of leftovers and I shared it with a homeless guy. He was also unimpressed. The pizza at Cibo nearby was way more delicious. REPLY (34 Replies) (by burrata, created February 11, 2010)

»BESt of the best of the best

We lived in PHX way back in the 1990's. sure it is still great-- we MISS this place. so quaint- the freshest best pizza i have EVER had in 40 years. Chris Bianco always made us feel welcome- and a s a regular we once got a taste of his private reserve wine that was for himself. what great nights we had there. The pistachio pizza was excellent and a fond memory now. Chris made a fresh caprise...+READ We lived in PHX way back in the 1990's. sure it is still great-- we MISS this place. so quaint- the freshest best pizza i have EVER had in 40 years. Chris Bianco always made us feel welcome- and a s a regular we once got a taste of his private reserve wine that was for himself. what great nights we had there. The pistachio pizza was excellent and a fond memory now. Chris made a fresh caprise salad that was out of this world. Thanks Chris for the fond memories and the Green and Red wine!! I have not had pizza this good since we left AZ !!!-COLLAPSE (by josiepk, created January 31, 2010)