Going to a new restaurant during it’s first few weeks of operations is a gamble – I have had some impressive experiences, and a couple not-so-wonderful first impressions.  So when we decided to go to Bambino for Keith’s birthday dinner, we knew we were taking a chance.  We left our expectations low and went in with open minds.  It turns out that we were pleasantly surprised with our experience, and we look forward to making this a staple downtown restaurant.

Bambino is on Franklin St. in the old “Duo” building.  It’s been vacant about three years, and when I heard it was opening again, I was excited to welcome a new restaurant to the theater district.  When I heard the name of the restaurant, I did a bit of an eye-roll, but I decided not to let a poor name-choice cloud my judgement.  We arrived about an hour before our reservation time to have some celebratory birthday drinks at the bar – there were some local and regional beers as well as a few interesting cocktails on the drink menu.  We were surprised and pleased that the place was already quite busy, but the bar staff was attentive and we were served quickly. 

The atmosphere is “industrial-chic” with a bar and some high tables downstairs, and an upper level with restaurant seating.  The upper level looks over the lower level, and there is also a nice rooftop patio (which we would have loved to enjoyed if it wasn’t raining).  The place gives off a polished urban vibe, although it is a bit crowded, especially the upper seating area (you have to squeeze between tables to get around).  When we got to our table, we were greeted by an incredibly enthusiastic and knowledgable waitress.  She seemed to be really excited to guide us through our first ”Bambino experience” and her attitude made me really excited about the upcoming meal.  While glancing through the menu we were brought a platter of crusty bread, hot, and straight from the oven.  Impress me from the first bite of bread?  My expectations have risen!

The menu at Bambino is not huge, but all of the ingredients are fresh and the items, for the most part, are prepared healthfully.  I only noticed one fried item (calamari).  The menu featured a wide variety of wood-fired pizzas, a couple of salads, and a handful of meat and pasta based entrees.  Keith and I started with the oven-baked chicken wings – they were nicely marinated, juicy, and delicious (if a bit messy).

When it was time to decide on our entrees, those pizzas screamed for attention.  Keith, Ryan, and I each chose a pizza (I chose the mushroom while Keith and Ryan both went with the standard cheese and pepperoni), while Carly went with a risotto special.  When they came out, I didn’t expect to be as impressed as I was – I mean, it’s PIZZA afterall.  But, I was impressed.  The flavors were delicious and fresh.  Then I stole a bite of Carly’s risotto (flavored with mushrooms and balsamic) and almost fell out of my chair.  De-lish.

After finishing our meals, but not quite ready to end the night, we ordered espressos and canoli.  Upon my first bite of canoli, my expectations were again exceeded.

All four of us agreed that we had a great experience at Bambino – friendly service, reasonable prices (about $150 for a group of four, and we ordered appetizers, entrees, wine, coffees, and dessert), a cool vibe, and amazing food? We will definitely be back to try more of the tempting items on the menu!

OVERALL RATINGS

Price: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Variety: 4/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
Taste: 5/5