Apr 08 2008
Bonobo - A West End Treat
Amber and I headed to Bonobo for date night last Friday. We’d seen the restaurant as we walked from our car to Caiola’s a few months ago, and I’d read some good things about it online. We got to the restaurant a bit before 8:00 PM (we’d gone to the gym beforehand) and were able to seat ourselves immediately. The restaurant isn’t very large and our two-top was the only open table I saw, so we got a little bit lucky I think.
They were busy, but not swamped, so we had a waitress’s attention in fairly short order. The beer menu is a tad short for my tastes, but they did have a $7.00 bottle of Delirium Tremens, a few local selections, and some craft beers from away. Amber had a glass of red wine while I chose an IPA. We split a Caesar salad (sans anchovies) and their Gruyere pizza. I also asked for a slice of the pepperoni pizza just to see what a more traditional pie tasted like. Strangely, the slice came out first, followed by the salad a few minutes later. This is not a fine dining establishment, and I didn’t really specify whether the slice should be an appetizer or part of my main course, so I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised.
The pepperoni pizza was very good. As mentioned on MaineToday.com, the thin crust is excellent, and the wood firing imparts a nice chewiness. The slices of ‘roni were smaller than most pizza joints and the cheese did not overwhelm the pizza like at some other establishments. Amber liked the Caesar salad, but I found the dressing a touch too tart for my liking. The highlight, though, was the Gruyere pizza. Slices of roasted potato, spinach, and prosciutto (or was it pancetta?) with Gruyere and a garlic butter sauce made for an excellent, if non-traditional, taste experience. We were quite full with nearly half the pizza still left, so we had some leftovers for lunch on Saturday too. It re-heats quite nicely. Unfortunately, we didn’t have room to try any of the desserts.
For just over $40, including a drink each and tip, this was a great find for a casual weekend dinner. This little area of West End, with Caiola’s and Aurora Provisions, seems like quite a little hidden gem just off State Street. Within reasonable walking distance of the top-of-the-hill attractions such as the museums and galleries, I’d highly recommend stopping in for a slice (or a pie), especially if you can’t get a table at Caiola’s or one of the Congress Street places. The towny feel, the friendly if unpolished wait staff, and the excellent crust and unique toppings make this place well worth a visit.
Speaking as a 1st generation Italian-American, just a reminder that in Italy, a salad course is typically served after an opener or primo piattio (first course). In my home, salad was always served after the pasta course but before the meats and other courses. So, a salad served later is not a sign of ‘lesser dining”. If you want to learn the difference between prosciutto and pancetta, I suggest you stop and visit Micucci’s in Portland or The Cheese Iron in Scarborough and check out their deli counters.
Agreed, and in my family, when having a nice dinner, we often have the salad course second. However, we ordered a whole pizza and an extra slice with different toppings. It is odd that one slice was served as the opener, and the rest after the salad, no? It’s not like these were different types of food here. My comment was not so much on the salad being served second, but rather some of the pizza being served pre-salad and the rest post-salad.
-Jason