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| - Go eat here now! Perfectly blended flavors from local, organic, personally grown ingredients. We had a wonderful lunch, and then an amazing chat with the owner.
My husband and I wandered in for a later lunch yesterday, no idea that this was *the* Pizzeria Bianco. And so close to the Trader Joe's and new Whole Foods that we frequent. We sat outside, and the courtyard is lovely.
A short but carefully chosen menu is all you need. Since I was wary (I didn't know where I was!), I kept it safe with just a caprese salad (handmade mozzarella, tomato, basil and olive oil) with a glass of sparkling water. My husband ordered the 'chicken salad' with fingerling potatoes and Maya's vegetables. This chicken salad will change your entire mind about what chicken salad should be. Not a big gloppy mess of mayo and old chicken - the chicken was amazing real chicken, little cubes of apple, subtle herbs mixed in.
When we were sitting and chatting after dinner, just getting the bill, not anxious to leave after such a lovely lunch in a sun-dappled spot, the waiter was joking with us about whether we liked everything (since we cleaned our plates). As we were raving about the food - he motioned at a chef in an apron and said, "this is Chris, it's his place." That's Chris Bianco.
I had heard about his pizza's. And I had heard about Bianco's passion for perfect ingredients (on a tour we took of the Queen Creek Olive Mill where they described how he had only certain olives crushed to make his own olive oil for his restaurants). But in person it was even more.
Chris Bianco is a man with a real passion for making wonderful honest food. He knows where each of his ingredients are coming from, and is always looking to improve. He shared the story of this location (a real place of the heart for him), and his efforts to get the best ingredients. He refused to take the credit for the amazing chicken salad, saying that he just put ingredients together, the real star was this well fed / well grown chicken, and he put much of the credit for flavor on the chicken farmer (I'm sorry I forgot the name! but just go here to eat, you'll get some!).
Every restaurant wants to be able to tell you some story to impress you with their local this or specially-imported that, but every detail here that won't even show up on the menu is looked after. To give you one example, we caught Mr. Bianco just after he'd been having a long discussion about where to get salt - sea salt from Glendale AZ even. But believe me, he can tell you why he gets the Prosciutto he gets from; where, why he's growing tomatoes in California and basil on the back porch of this very restaurant.
This location is where Chris Bianco comes to cook and create. The dining room in the back is filled with personal items. Many paintings on the wall are done by his father Leonard Bianco, the large table was specially made, and the rug under it came from his childhood home. A real place of his heart.
The passion and heart shows in the food.
I missed out on the wine this time, but I was told they were carefully picked and a good price for what you're getting. I will definitely be having one next time. And while the chicken salad is now on the must have list, I guess we will have to finally try one of those pizzas too! :)
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