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| - I've been bouncing back and forth between 3 and 4 stars for this place based on my first experience at Pane. In the end, I settled on three though its probably closer to 3.5 stars. There's plenty to like about this spot, though I wouldn't say it has the wow factor. Though in the interest of full disclosure you should know that Pizzeria Bianco doesn't have a wow factor for me either. If you're a big Pizzeria Bianco fan, you'll probably love this place. If you're sorta meh about Pizzeria Bianco as I am, you'll probably have some of the same gripes as I do about Pane.
I've been to Pizzeria Bianco a number of times, but I've never tried Pane despite driving past it thousands of times over the years. Finally on a Wednesday mid afternoon I made the journey here. My timing was perfect as I arrived right in between the end of the lunch rush and prior to the dinner brigade. However despite my good timing, finding a parking spot was still a chore as I had to park about two blocks away. I couldn't even imagine how brutal parking would be when its busy (especially since Lux, another wildly popular establishment, is right next door). I got a little confused walking inside as you've got two entrances. The left door gets you into the restaurant while the right door gets you to the take out counter. You guessed it, walked into the wrong door. No matter, as I detoured straight to the bar area.
The aesthetics here are somewhat hard to describe, though the numerous Yelp photos of the interior pretty much paint an accurate picture. A small place with a hipster vibe, though perhaps with a hint of elegance in the decor. Not unlike the setup you'd find at Chris Bianco's other establishments, though I'd say this one is a little more laid back. The bar area is pretty small, though they had a decent number of craft beers and wines to choose from. They also feature a number of daily dish specials in addition to the regular menu they advertise (including a number of dessert options).
For starters I went with the Four Peaks Sunbru for my beverage of choice as it was on tap for the day. For my main dish, it seemed like the Sopressata sandwich with provolone and red peppers is a huge hit based on Yelper reviews so I went with that. The sandwich comes with what I suppose is a side salad, though its so small it could basically be a garnish. First off, no complaints about the foccacia bread. Cooked perfectly for the right amount of crunch while soft on the inside. But the sandwich itself was a little disappointing to be honest. The seasoning of the red peppers was such that it basically overpowered the texture of the meat and the cheese, to the point where the red pepper was pretty much all I could taste. Perhaps swapping provolone for mozzarella would've mellowed out the red peppers just enough to balance it out. The portion size was about right and the side salad (what little there was) was good so the dish wasn't a total disappointment. For dessert, I asked for a piece of their tres leches cake, but they had just run out. So instead I went with their flourless chocolate cake (which I've had before at Pizzeria Bianco). Just as I expected, it was outstanding. Super moist and decadent with a light vanilla creme sauce as an accompaniment. Every bit as good as the one they serve at Pizzeria Bianco and a perfect cap on any meal.
Total cost for the beer, sandwich, cake, tax and tip came to about $28. Pretty pricey (especially the sandwich), though to Chris Bianco's credit he and his staff do take great pains to source their ingredients locally which I appreciate. Still, the markup seems a little steep. Much like Sam Fox, Chris Bianco's strong brand identity probably drives the prices higher. So like I said, if you think everything Chris Bianco touches turns to gold, you'll love this place. And better still, they also serve Chris's famous pizzas at Pane as well. I'd come back if asked by a friend or family member, but overall I feel like Chris Bianco's original pizzeria in Heritage Square is still a preferable experience to his CenPho concept.
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