A Taste of Austin: Bufalina

Bufalina 

Meal: Dinner

Type of food: Pizza (Neapolitan Style)

Who to bring: Date Night, Group of Friends

Food: Ambiance:Service:  Price:

 

You know those people who enjoy eating cold pizza for breakfast? Maybe you’re one of them. Call me crazy, but I’ve never really understood its allure. Until this very moment. As I write, I am unabashedly finishing off the only piece of cold, chewy, margherita pizza that remains from last night’s feast at Bufalina, the newly opened Neapolitan pizza restaurant off of E Cesar Chavez. And I wish I had more.  Over two years in the making, Bufalina finally opened its doors to the Italian-hungry masses, and it seems the city as a whole couldn’t be more pleased. And, as a girl who is seldom satisfied with her pizza options outside of Italy and New York, I am in absolute agreement with this notion.  So, many of you might be wondering what sets Bufalina apart from other similar pizza places in Austin. Allow me to explain…

Bufalina is not about “building your own pie” or including pizza as one of many Italian entree options. Owner and pizzaiolo Steven Dilley’s vision and passion is for authentic, Neapolitan-style pizza, and that becomes more evident with every bite you take.  Doughy and slightly undercooked in the middle, and spotted with crisp, burnt magic on the outside, the crust in and of itself is reason to go. But it gets better. 

Part-owner and manager Todd and our lovely waitress Erin assured us that we could not go wrong with any of the pizza options. These 2 were both extremely attentive to our every question and need, and genuinely amicable to boot. Even with a house full of loud (but happy) customers, our water and wine glasses were always full and our pizzas came out from the gastrotechnological piece of art/wood-burning oven/spacecraft in a very timely fashion. They take their pizzas very seriously, and I love them for it.

The pizzas we opted for were the Margherita ($12) and the Fresca ($15). The Margherita was absolutely divine: white nuggets of bubbly mozzarella nestled atop a perfectly thin layer of San Marzano tomato sauce and finished with a few sprigs of basil. Really, what more does one need? The Fresca had a little more going on but in a way that is almost too good for words. It featured prosciutto piccante, spicy arugula, cherry tomatoes, insanely rich olive oil you could actually make out through all of the other flavors, and nutty parmiggano reggiano shavings. When customers continually declare, “Ok, this is really my last piece” and proceed to grab another, and another, and another…you know you’ve made it big.

We forewent any starters because, who needs a salad when there is arugula on top of your pizza? I, for one, thought it to be a perfectly cogent argument, but I also do love a good bibb salad. There’s always next time! As for the wine, we ordered the 2011 chermette vissoux beaujolais cuvee traditionelle.  It was light, vibrant, and a perfect accompaniment to our pies. We rounded off our experience with a slice of olive oil cake with a hint of tarragon, served with a generous heap of homemade whipped cream. Amazing.

Overall, my experience at Bufalina was excellent. The only qualms I have are with the decor (though I know it isn’t complete), the noise level, and the price. I would definitely say it is reasonable, but for what we ordered, I expected it to be a bit less. Needless to say, this certainly won’t stop me from returning! Until next time, Bufalina. Keep up the good work.