Pizzeria Bianco
Encyclopedia
Pizzeria Bianco is a pizza
restaurant
in Phoenix, Arizona
established in 1994 that earned very positive reviews by notable food critics. Nationally recognized for its pizzas, the restaurant's small seating capacity can lead to wait times that sometimes surprise casual patrons. The restaurant features a wood burning oven and homemade mozzarella cheese used in pizzas primarily fashioned by the owner himself.
Bianco was born in the Bronx, and grew up in Ossining, NY. He had asthma as a child, forcing him to stay inside, where he watched his aunt cook. At age 13 he began working at a local pizzeria. In 1985 he won two plane tickets anywhere in the US and whimsically chose to go to Phoenix. When he got there, he felt connected to the place, and stayed. He began making mozzarella in his apartment and selling it to Italian restaurants. Later, Guy Coscos, a specialty grocer in Phoenix offered him the opportunity to make and sell pizzas in the corner of his store. Bianco’s pizza was popular and he realized he could make pizza for a living. He went to Italy from 1993–1994 to improve his pizza making. In 1994, he returned to open Pizzeria Bianco at Town & Country Shopping Center in Phoenix. In 1996, the restaurant moved to 623 East Adams Street, the historic site of Baird Machine Shop in Heritage Square. Bianco operates Bar Bianco and Pane Bianco.
Bianco cites Alice Waters, Suzanne Goin at Lucques, Mark Ladner at Del Posto, and Mario Batali as chefs who have inspired him.
in the New York Times, “There’s no mystery to my pizza. Sicilian oregano, organic flour, San Marzano tomatoes, purified water, mozzarella I learned to make at Mike’s Deli in the Bronx, sea salt, fresh yeast cake, and a little bit of yesterday’s dough. In the end great pizza, like anything else, is all about balance. It’s that simple.”
The menu is short, generally consisting of 2 appetizers, 3 salads, and 6 pizzas. Pizzeria Bianco uses a wood burning oven. Since opening, Chris Bianco has made nearly every pizza himself, sometimes making 250 a night. He and his staff make the mozzarella fresh each morning. Bianco's dough is made by hand, and ideally he lets it ferment for 18 hours. The herbs are from a garden beside the restaurant. The vegetables are from the local farmer’s market. In January 2010, Bianco announced that he was taking some time away from pizza making for health reasons (the wood oven and flour in the air was aggravating his asthma). However, Chris Bianco’s brother Marco will continue make the dough and for the time being Horacio Hernandez, Bianco’s assistant for 15 years, will cook the pizzas. Bianco's statement on the situation is here.
Best Chef: Southwest for 2003 (the only pizza chef to have won a regional award) and the restaurant received a nearly perfect Zagat score of 29 in 2000. Pizzeria Bianco was featured in Peter Reinhart's book American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza.
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
established in 1994 that earned very positive reviews by notable food critics. Nationally recognized for its pizzas, the restaurant's small seating capacity can lead to wait times that sometimes surprise casual patrons. The restaurant features a wood burning oven and homemade mozzarella cheese used in pizzas primarily fashioned by the owner himself.
History
Pizzeria Bianco was originally opened by Chris Bianco in 1987 in a grocery store which is now AJ's Euro-Market & Deli located in central Phoenix. He moved locations once before Pizzeria Bianco found its home in Heritage Square in 1996.Bianco was born in the Bronx, and grew up in Ossining, NY. He had asthma as a child, forcing him to stay inside, where he watched his aunt cook. At age 13 he began working at a local pizzeria. In 1985 he won two plane tickets anywhere in the US and whimsically chose to go to Phoenix. When he got there, he felt connected to the place, and stayed. He began making mozzarella in his apartment and selling it to Italian restaurants. Later, Guy Coscos, a specialty grocer in Phoenix offered him the opportunity to make and sell pizzas in the corner of his store. Bianco’s pizza was popular and he realized he could make pizza for a living. He went to Italy from 1993–1994 to improve his pizza making. In 1994, he returned to open Pizzeria Bianco at Town & Country Shopping Center in Phoenix. In 1996, the restaurant moved to 623 East Adams Street, the historic site of Baird Machine Shop in Heritage Square. Bianco operates Bar Bianco and Pane Bianco.
Bianco cites Alice Waters, Suzanne Goin at Lucques, Mark Ladner at Del Posto, and Mario Batali as chefs who have inspired him.
Pizza
Bianco described his pizza to Ed LevineEd Levine
Ed Levine is a New York-based food writer and blogger, and a frequent New York Times contributor. His stories on iconic American foods such as hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream and cheesecake have appeared in many U.S...
in the New York Times, “There’s no mystery to my pizza. Sicilian oregano, organic flour, San Marzano tomatoes, purified water, mozzarella I learned to make at Mike’s Deli in the Bronx, sea salt, fresh yeast cake, and a little bit of yesterday’s dough. In the end great pizza, like anything else, is all about balance. It’s that simple.”
The menu is short, generally consisting of 2 appetizers, 3 salads, and 6 pizzas. Pizzeria Bianco uses a wood burning oven. Since opening, Chris Bianco has made nearly every pizza himself, sometimes making 250 a night. He and his staff make the mozzarella fresh each morning. Bianco's dough is made by hand, and ideally he lets it ferment for 18 hours. The herbs are from a garden beside the restaurant. The vegetables are from the local farmer’s market. In January 2010, Bianco announced that he was taking some time away from pizza making for health reasons (the wood oven and flour in the air was aggravating his asthma). However, Chris Bianco’s brother Marco will continue make the dough and for the time being Horacio Hernandez, Bianco’s assistant for 15 years, will cook the pizzas. Bianco's statement on the situation is here.
Seating
Pizzeria Bianco is a small (42 seat) establishment. The pizzeria only takes reservations for parties of 6–10. All other patrons are seated on a first come, first served basis, resulting in long lines and waits commonly up to four hours, which can frustrate newcomers. Chris Bianco has said “it is ridiculous that it’s four hours, but it’s 23 hours to fly to Australia,” saying that some good things "just take a long time." Patrons often line up starting at 3:30pm, an hour and a half before opening time. There is no take-out or delivery.Reviews
Pizzeria Bianco has been rated as the best pizza in the US by Bon Appétit, the New York Times, Vogue, and Rachel Ray, and has also been recognized by Martha Stewart, Oprah, GQ,Gourmet and was named to GAYOT.com's list of the Top 10 Pizza Restaurants in the U.S. Chef Chris Bianco won James Beard FoundationJames Beard Foundation
The James Beard Foundation is a New York-based national professional non-profit organization named in honor of James Beard that serves to promote the culinary arts by honoring chefs, wine professionals, journalists, and cookbook authors at annual award ceremonies and providing scholarships and...
Best Chef: Southwest for 2003 (the only pizza chef to have won a regional award) and the restaurant received a nearly perfect Zagat score of 29 in 2000. Pizzeria Bianco was featured in Peter Reinhart's book American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza.