Bonus Slice: Pizzeria Bianco – Tucson

So if you are up on your pizza game, you might be asking yourself, “why is Pizzeria Bianco just a bonus slice and not its own feature?”

Good question. The answer is three-fold.

1. 52 Weeks of Pizza is all about pizza I have never tried. I’ve eaten at Bianco several times and enjoyed it everytime.
2. This particular Bianco pie was not enjoyed in its natural habitat (read: it was carry-out)
3. I already had this week’s pizza spot picked out.

So for these reasons, this tasty establishment has to wait in the wings with a Bonus Slice post…for now.

This pizza came into my possession because of a very nice co-worker who bought it for me as a token of her appreciation. Take notes everyone, if you want to show people you really care, buy them pizza.

Now nothing tops a fresh Bianco pie enjoyed on site, but I’m a busy gal, and wasn’t able to enjoy my gift pizza in person. Luckily Pizzeria Bianco is prepared to handle such situations where patrons can’t dine in. They par cooked this pie and threw the basil on the side, so that when it reached its final destination it could be easily reheated.

 

 

After about 8 minutes at 450 directly on the rack, this pie had come back to life, warm, bubbly and tan. I was worried the crust might be too thin to support itself, but I got lucky and it held up nicely.

 

Overall thoughts: I loved getting a gift pizza. It made my day (and actually the next day too, when I actually ate it), but it’s clear that Pizzeria Bianco is meant to be enjoyed fresh. Take the time to dine in. Treat yourself to the cheese plate and the meat plate, a glass of wine or beer. Enjoy people watching downtown through the giant windows at the Tucson location. It’s a much better pizza eating experience.

Crust (reheated): chewy(reheated), but crisp. Excellent vehicle for the toppings and sauce. Sturdy enough to stand the reheat direct on the rack.

Sauce: My favorite part of a Bianco pizza. Their canned tomatoes are available for purchase at the local downtown grocery store Johnny Gibsons, and it’s the best. Already mixed with basil, perfect as a pizza sauce, excellent on pasta. Perfect for simmering meatballs. Stock up.

Toppings:  Margherita pizza is so simple and satisfying. Not sure why I don’t order it more often. The cheese and basil on this pie were on. Point. The cheese reheated nicely and had a nice balance of savory and salty qualities.

Reheated Margherita Pizza ($15): 🍕🍕🍕🍕 out of 5