Truly Bizarre

I’ve probably passed by Bizarro Italian Café a hundred times, but last weekend was the first time I actually noticed the 23-year-old restaurant, located on Stone Way and 46^th.

From just the entryway, my boyfriend and I were able to take in the entirety of the lively, intimate interior: chefs whipped through the kitchen, tending to an array of saucepans; mouthwatering scents burst into the dining area as the cooks passed piping hot pastas, blanketed in rich cream sauces, through the hand-off counter to wait staff; and, laughter and energized voices bounced off the restaurant’s vibrant red walls.

There wasn’t an empty table in the house; about 30 people were squeezed into the limited space. A decorative chalkboard hangs from one of the walls: “Nobody’s ‘Fine’ with water.”  Like the rest of Bizarro’s décor, this is indicative of the non-chain appeal of this place, with its bluntness, confidence and commitment to epicures everywhere. It’s clearly not the kind of restaurant where one orders in the same fashion one might a heavily customized beverage at Starbucks or Tully’s.

Bizarro’s obviously caters to a particular type of eccentric, free-spirited patron. If you and your partner readily embrace such quirkiness, the intimacy and relaxed atmosphere of this restaurant serves as an excellent date spot or as an ideal location for a group of friends. You can’t avoid noticing the décor, as it’s literally suspended overhead.

Ceiling art ranges from a chandelier with giant fake, hairy tarantula legs dangling from the end, to a vintage bicycle and a suspended glass window. Awkward, family portrait-style photographs of the wait staff adorned the wall beside our table, as well as in the restrooms.

Other than the food, our waitress made the evening. Playful and enthusiastic, she offered thorough descriptions of the various dishes, along with recommendations. With some liquid courage, my boyfriend asked the waitress at one point about the ubiquitous staff portraits, “Are these serious?” “Seriously ridiculous,” she said.

To start, we ordered a half-carafe of the house Cabernet Sauvignon ($15), which filled about four, full tumbler glasses (these were offered in lieu of wine glasses). It tasted great to us, but then again we’re hardly wine connoisseurs.

Right away, our waitress brought out complimentary soft, airy ciabatta, accompanied by a dipping sauce, containing olive oil, balsamic vinegar, freshly minced garlic and (what appeared to be) finely diced pine nuts. While it was delicious going down, the sauce had an intense and long-lasting aftertaste. Use it sparingly, unless you’re a particularly massive garlic fan.

For an appetizer, we picked the Arancini ($8.95), a traditional Italian dish. It consists of two generously portioned tomato risotto balls, encased in mozzarella cheese, deep-fried in a flavorful breading layer, all atop a rich marinara sauce with a heavy-handed helping of shaved parmesan. The dish was outstanding and easily one of the best courses of our meal–the only criticism being the abundance of parmesan on top of the marinara, seeing how the dish itself was already quite cheesy.

Small side salads were included with both our entrees, which contained fresh greens, radishes, carrots and a zesty vinaigrette.

In search of comfort food in the bitter 30-degree weather, my boyfriend chose the lasagna ($15.95) for his main course. Like all Bizarro’s pasta entrees, his was carefully handcrafted. He described the lasagna as having a pleasantly crisp top and a light, sweet marinara sauce. He noted that his dish was served piping hot, as if it were pulled straight from the oven.

Lured by the menu description, I ordered the Autumn Ravioli ($16.95). The handmade ravioli, stuffed with a slightly sweetened pumpkin filling, rose just above the surface of a rich sage, butter sauce containing sautéed apples and spicy candied pecans. I prefer spicy dishes and was surprised to find that the entire dish soaked up a great deal of heat from just the pecan topping; they absolutely made the dish. The ravioli had a perfect firmness and texture, and the butter sauce served as an excellent compliment to the creaminess of the filling without detracting from the pumpkin’s flavor.

For dessert, we tried Bizarro’s Bananas Foster ($7.95). We were presented with two separate bowls: one containing a generous scoop of vanilla bean gelato, the other filled with thickly sliced bananas, sautéed in brown sugar and butter and topped off with orange Curacao liqueur. The gelato’s coolness served as a refreshing contrast to the heavy cream and tomato-based sauces we had eaten earlier. It made for a brief illusion of something healthy in our gut-busting four-course meal, as we managed at least a few bites of fruit.