Bonci
Rossa – Scrambled Egg, Prosciutto Cotto, Artichoke, Tomatoes / Crostino – Ragu, All Beef Meatball, Mozzarella, Tomato Sauce / Cacio Pepe – Onions, Provolone, Pecorino, Black Pepper
Sea Salt Caramello Gelato
Crema Pistacchio Gelato
With the rest of the world opening Restaurants in Los Angeles it initially seemed strange that Roman Pizzaiolo Gabriele Bonci would choose Chicago for the first American outpost of his eponymous Pizzeria, but as an early lunch on July 4th proved the Windy City loves Pizza…and in this case one certainly isn’t talking about Deep Dish or Bar Pie.
Now approaching one year serving the West Loop with a second location recently opened in Wicker Park, a style of pizza known as “Al Taglio” that is cut with scissors and sold by weight offering an innovative way to sample broadly whether dining solo or as a group, guests entering Bonci are encouraged to first grab a deli-style number and then peruse the line-up – some sixteen or more rectangles on this particular day topped in a vast array of Sauces, Produce and Proteins.
Pleasant in terms of service though fairly uncomfortable on a hot and humid day with several ovens running behind the bar, complimentary Still or Sparkling Water thankfully chilled next to a small freezer full of Gelato, it was after several minutes indecision that three styles of Pizza were cut and placed on a sheet to heat, the cost of $16 for just over a pound certainly not “cheap” though neither are the locally sourced and often-organic Ingredients.
Embracing ideals of “quality without compromise” and being “simply natural,” the fact that Gelato “hand packed locally using only the finest and freshest ingredients” contains Corn Syrup at the top of its label plus several stabilizers below seemingly a bit contradictory, it was immediately upon delivery that a look at Bonci’s Dough told a story of lengthy fermentation and more than one type of Flour, the crisp base giving way to an airy crumb stretchy with gluten and light in Olive Oil.
Not an easy place to choose one “best” option, though Potato is apparently quite popular according to Staff, it was instead meaty Ragu beneath good Mozzarella that started things off, the flavors coming together like a good Sunday Gravy while Cacio Pepe unfortunately got a little too saline in parts, the “Rosa” with imported Prosciutto thankfully doing no such thing and offering not only great flavor but interesting texture thanks to the fluffy Scrambled Eggs.
Unable to resist Gelato, the $7/each Containers priced higher than Artisan Shops such as Cones or Jeni’s by weight despite the aforementioned ingredients, suffice it to say that a visit to Bonci should probably stick to Pizza with Dessert obtained elsewhere as the texture was not as creamy as many shops stateside let alone in Italy while the Sea Salt Caramello was just sweet on sweet, the Crema Pistacchio a bit better thanks to some toasty notes and bits of chopped Nuts.
www.bonciusa.com
