Day 24: Bollini's Pizzeria Napolitana Redux (Tasting Menu) - Monterey Park

Six months ago, I began a love affair with Bollini's Pizzeria Napolitana in Monterey Park. It started when I found out owner Christiano Bollini was trained at Le Cordon Bleu and spent three years in Italy perfecting his craft. My love only grew stronger after eating many, many perfectly crispy, chewy, ultra-thin crust pizzas. It's not just the pizzas that keep me coming back. I know I've said that Chris, the two other pizza-makers both named Jesse M., and Bernard the waiter, are always friendly and welcoming, but it really is true. Not only do they always ask how I'm doing, but they ask how lil' sis is doing too (this when she's not around but in school). Since Chris opened his restaurant a few blocks away from the neighborhood where he grew up, he can be found chatting with parents about which school their kids go to and whether they had the same teacher. By virtue of its location, there are just as many Asian customers as there are Italian. From the regulars who drop by for a slice or a pizza to-go to the new customers who stop in out of curiosity, Chris chats with each one as if they're old friends. While I've mainly stuck to the pizzas, last month Chris offered to do a tasting menu for me. I was curious to try because, while the menu lists dinner specials Wednesday through Saturday, we've also chatted about the tasting menus he's done for various groups. I invited cousin Q to join me for lunch. The complimentary pizza bread with pesto. Arugula salad with fresh corn, smoked bacon, sauteed mushrooms, teardrop tomatoes, goat cheese, and red wine vinaigrette for $7.50. Here's the back view so you can see all the components of the salad. The baby arugula was just perfect, not too bitter, but just enough to contrast with the sweet corn, bacon, and goat cheese. This was just too much food though and I had half of it boxed to bring home. And this was only the first course! Crab-stuffed mushrooms $6. No fillers, just pure lump crab meat piled on top. Just as good as I remembered. And since cousin Q doesn't eat seafood, I happily ate every last morsel. Braised pork on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes with goat cheese sprinkled on top. The pork was a little bit salty but so incredibly tender that I didn't even need to use a knife. The mashed potatoes were so smooth and creamy, I ate every last bit of that as well. I was stuffed at this point but out came Bollini's pasta bolognese, $12.50. Now, I've never been impressed with bolognese before so I didn't think much of it when Chris said he'd do a pasta dish for me. But. Oh. My. God. Best bolognese ever! And no wonder because his grandmother is from Bologna. The recipe has been in his family for nearly 200 years. It takes two hours to prep and three hours to cook. His grandmother taught his dad, who passed the recipe on to Chris, who'll one day teach his sons. The meal ended with chocolate-lined cannoli with sweet ricotta and orange peels. Oh yum! He offered to make a pizza for me too but there was no way I could fit in anything else. I was already taking half of the food home as it was. I went up to the register to pay for lunch, but Chris wouldn't let me. I tried to insist, but he wanted to thank me for my previous write-up. I didn't want to dampen his nice gesture so I accepted. So in the interests of full disclosure, the above meal was comped. I did leave a nice tip though. And I've paid for every other meal. And well, it's not like I wouldn't have gushed about the food anyway, because I've already done so before. But I really do think the care he puts into his restaurant really shows in the food. And hey, I'm not completely biased, I did say the braised pork was a tad salty didn't I? :P Anyway, days later when lil' sis was home, we were back again. While waiting for our pizza, lil' sis went to the bathroom and let out a little squeal. So I had to go see the bathroom for myself. Can you see the nude lady in the window? Pizza-maker Jesse M. had told lil' sis long ago that he would design a pizza just for her. So on this particular day, we held him to it. The only thing I said was that she didn't care too much for anchovies on her pizza. He came up with a half white and half red sauce, bell peppers, two kinds of sausage, mushrooms, and well, I don't want to reveal everything because this is the lil' sis special reserved just for her. She liked both sides so much that she couldn't decide which she liked more. There was absolute silence, with occasional yummy noises. Lil' sis is real happy, I told Jesse. Oh? Is she having a nice day, he asked? It's because of your pizza that she's so happy, I said. I think I could feel him blushing from across the room. Look at that super thin crust. In my previous post about describing all the requirements of an authentic Neapolitan-style pizza, I didn't want to imply that Bollini's is actually certified. Because even though his pizza fits many of the requirements - wood-fired oven heated above 800 degrees, extra virgin olive oil, fresh mozzarella, and super thin crust, well, frankly, that's not Chris's style. When I suggested he link up his website with all the nice reviews Bollini's has been getting from various food blogs, not just mine, as well as Chowhound and Yelp, Chris said he didn't want to boast. He said he believes in creating a quality product and letting that speak for itself. If you watch them at work, you'll see that each sausage or mushroom is carefully sliced when ordered. Each ingredient is carefully arranged on the pizza. The toppings are always of highest quality. Fresh dough is made twice a day. Another visit. I know, I eat here way too often. Here's both Jesse M.'s making my half Nonna (sauce, mozzarella, fontina, sweet fennel sausage, mushrooms, herbs, basil, and parmesan) and half Steak Special (horseradish sauce, onions, gorgonzola, mozzarella, herbs, marinated steak, arugula, and black pepper). And so I don't neglect him too, here's Bernard, the waiter, wiping plates. Mmm. The arugula was a bit wilted by the time I got it home but still so good. My favorite pizzas though are still the Porco (sauce, mozzarella, sweet fennel sausage, three pepper sausage, bacon, tomatoes, onions, basil, and parmesan) and the Rocco (sauce, cheese, pepperoni, and basil). Before I left, the guys all signed a recent write-up in Metromix. "You are in part to blame for us being noticed. We [heart] you!" Aww, aren't they too sweet? Wait, shouldn't they have autographed my initial blog post? But I wouldn't want to correct their impression that other people have been finding Bollini's because of me. ;) Hehe, OK, I know some of my readers have tried Bollini's because of me but I don't think I have that much clout, or do I? :P And yet another visit two days later, while lil' sis was home. Half Salsiccia 3 (Sauce, mozzarella, three pepper sausage, red and green peppers, Italian peppers, and goat cheese finished with basil.) and half Cal Bianco (Parmesan sauce, smoked chicken, garlic, herbs, olive oil and basil.), 16" large, $13.50. In case you missed it, my first post about Bollini's Pizzeria Napolitana in Monterey Park. Oh, yeah, and because I was thwarted twice in the past month when I had a hankering for Bollini's, if you're coming from far away, I'd suggest calling first. Since ingredients are freshly made each day, and the dough is made twice a day, if they run out, they do sometimes close early. Bollini's Pizzeria Napolitana 2315 S. Garfield Ave. Monterey Park, CA 91754 323-722-7600 Open Monday to Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Sundays Only pizzas served on Mondays. That's the day Chris handles paperwork and he's the only one who makes the pastas and other dishes. ***** 1 year ago today, I met Henry Chan of Henry Chan's Food Videos at Saigon Bistro.

French Bread Pizza

I'm pretty susceptible to food cravings. So after seeing various pizzas on Tastespotting and then the pizza Nikki Polani made, I had to have one right away.

I've been trying to avoid eating out, and have been using the opportunity to clean out my fridge and cupboards. I didn't want to go outside, rarely order delivery, didn't want to wait hours for pizza dough to rise, but I did have a wedge of French bread leftover...

Actually, when I was a kid, I used to do this with a regular slice of bread, ketchup, a sliced hot dog, and a slice of American cheese. Pretty ghetto, huh? Admit it, do any of you do that?

Again, this is one of those, do you really need a recipe for this? I almost always have tomato sauce in my cupboards. There was cheddar cheese in the fridge. The only acceptable meat was bacon. And my olive jar had been sitting in the fridge for a while.

Bollini's Pizzeria Napolitana - Monterey Park (Closed)

Ah, Dear readers, Do you remember the first time I fell in love...? ...With crispy, super-thin crust pizza at Lanesplitter Pizza and Pub - Berkeley? Afterall, Lanesplitter, you have a fabulous pizza guy who spun a stretchy piece of dough into a 19-inch marvel.

But, *Sniffle* *Whine*, you're just soooo verrrrrry faaaar awaaaaay.

I truly did think my love would last. Well, at least until my next trip up to the Bay Area. Except that it's been nine months and I haven't been able to return. And in the meantime, someone else has taken your place. I guess distance really does make the heart grow distant. :( (Forget that nonsense about the heart growing fonder, trust me, it doesn't.)

There, there. It'll be OK.

Afterall, it took quite a lot to replace you. You see, my new pizza love is educated. From the best culinary school in America. And spent years abroad in Italy even! And it's got heart - friendliness, a sense of community, and great customer service (for the most part). And well, I'll just go right out and say it, it tastes better too. And the clincher, it's far, far, far closer to my house.

Bollini's Pizzeria Napolitana opened in Monterey Park only a month-and-a-half ago but it's already garnered a buzz among Chowhounders who make the trek out from North Hollywood and Marina del Rey. I first heard about it from Pleasure Palate who uploaded photos to Biggest Menu. While I made a mental note and added Bollini's to my "restaurants to try" list, I wasn't compelled to check it out immediately. What moved it to the top of my list? UnHipLA's post which mentioned that owner, Christiano Bollini, had been trained at Le Cordon Bleu. A Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef within minutes of my house?! I was so there.

Bollini's occupies a narrow storefront in an aging strip mall on Garfield Avenue just off the 60 freeway in Monterey Park. (Look for the discount dollar store.) Even armed with the address, I bypassed it my first time around. My first visit was actually in the day time, but I didn't take a photo of the outside until that night. Yes, I went back twice in one day. You'll find out why in a bit.

Pizza with Squash Blossoms and Prosciutto

Had enough of squash blossoms yet? :) This recipe isn't from that same colander chock full of squash blossoms that my uncle gave me, but I thought I'd post it before they're completely gone from the garden or farmers' markets. I actually didn't make this pizza dough. I have a recipe but it takes several hours for the dough to rise so I cheated a bit. I bought a 1-lb lump of fresh pizza dough from Claro's Italian Market in San Gabriel. It cost me about $1. And I splurged and bought 4 very thin slivers of the fancy prosciutto. $2.75 for those 4 little slices! Ouch! Squash Blossom and Prosciutto Pizza You'll need: About 1-lb of fresh pizza dough However much prosciutto you can afford Half a dozen squash blossoms or so A few drizzles of olive oil 1 8-oz can of tomato sauce A few dabs of ricotta cheese or cottage cheese Stretch out your pizza dough and brush some olive oil on top. Really? Do you need directions? OK, add tomato sauce and spread evenly. Layer some prosciutto slices. Add a few dabs of ricotta or cottage cheese. Artfully arrange squash blossoms on top like so. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden. And you'll get this. Surprisingly enough, even though they look dry, the squash blossoms were still nicely tender. Enjoy! My squash blossoms recipes: Bong Bi Nhoi Tom Chien (Vietnamese Shrimp-Stuffed Deep-fried Squash Blossoms) Crostinis with Arugula Pesto, Bruschetta al Pomodoro, and Squash Blossom Ricotta Deep-fried Squash Blossoms Deep-fried Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Basil and Cottage Cheese Ravioli with Basil, Squash Blossoms, and Ricotta Sauteed Squash Blossoms Squash Blossom Omelet Squash Blossom and Prosciutto Pizza Squash Blossom Quesadilla

Claro's Italian Market - San Gabriel

I mentioned before that Norwegian cousin had asked about cannoli as one of the foods she wanted to try while she was in America. So on her last night in town, I brought home a box of the size small cannoli from Claro's Italian Market in San Gabriel.

"It's not pasta?" she asked.

Nope. They're pastry shells filled with slightly sweetened ricotta cheese and sprinkled with pistachios.

Viva! Las Vegas! and the Bellagio Buffet

It's been almost six years since I've been to Vegas, eight years since Norwegian cousin has been here, and first time for her friend. I almost always have lots of fun, even though I never gamble. Well, once I spent $10 on the slots. I won $6 and should have cashed out! Hmph. Really, I hate losing money.

Since it was Norwegian friend's first time to Vegas, I started the tour off at my favorite hotel - The Venetian.

Okonomiyaki (Japanese "As You Like" Savory Pancake)

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Celebrate Your Inner... Japanese(?) with Okonomiyaki.



Huh? What? Psst! St. Paddy's Day is Irish! Dye the Chicago River green. U2. The Corrs. William Butler Yeats. Oscar Wilde. James Joyce. Pierce Brosnan. Corned beef and cabbage. Irish soda bread. Irish tea. Guinness. Get it?

No, no. I'm not confused.

Four years ago I was in Dublin. Not Dublin, California, but Dublin, Ireland. See? Ireland. I know whence I speak.

My hotel was The Townhouse, two converted townhouses that were the former homes of poets, Dion Boucicault (1829?-1890) and Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904). Each room was named after one of their poems. The lobby featured news clippings, playbills, and photographs of each poet. I had long forgotten the name of the first poet, but Hearn stayed with me. Hearn is better known as Koizumi Yokumo. This Irishman's writings about Japanese legends and ghost stories, at a time when Japan was pushing for modernity, helped introduce Japan to the Western world and preserve a part of Japan's past.

So on this very Irish, actually Irish-American holiday, I offer you my recipe for okonomiyaki, a Japanese savory pancake. Okonomi (as you like) can be made of whatever ingredients you want to yaki (grill). Since I added noodles to mine, I guess it's technically the more Hiroshima-style modanyaki.

Lanesplitter Pizza and Pub - Berkeley

While I certainly like pizza, I rarely get impressed. I like Chicago-style deep-dish stuffed spinach pizza. I like thick pan-pizza with loads of toppings. I like frou-frou gourmet pizzas with goat cheese and salmon. I like cheap grocery store frozen pizzas. I like New York-style thin pizza. But I am in looooove with Lanesplitter Pub and Pizza's super-thin New York-style pizzas.


I'm not sure how long our wait was but this is the whole length of the restaurant. We had 10 people in our party so it was quite a while. I'm not much of a drinker anymore but you can see the list of beers on the chalkboard. Grab a beer, or two, trust me, it'll be worth the wait.

Or entertain yourselves by watching the pizzas getting tossed. When I saw the pizza dough spinning in the air, I rushed over to the counter with my camera. But he was done and spreading on the toppings. I was like a kid with my face pressed up to a candy shop window, patiently standing there with my chin on the counter and camera poised to take snaps of the next round.

"Can I help you?" the other pizza guy asked.

 "I'm just waiting for him to toss pizza again," I said while gesturing to my camera so he understood. Pizza tosser guy smiled. And I think he showed off just a little just for me. :)

Claro's Italian Market - Upland

Stopped off at Claro's Italian Market today to buy fresh pizza dough. Only $3. The dough was so light and springy. Baked up soooo nicely.