Like any place on opening night, it was little crazy inside. No matter, we placed a take-out order and then walked around to a couple of the nearby galleries before returning to grab our pizzas. Both 13-inch thin crust pies were absolutely delicious. (So good in fact, we wished we’d followed the advice on the menu and ordered one apiece.) To make up for it, Adam and I returned the next night to sample the pizza a second time.
Because Bonobo was still waiting on its liquor license (it is in hand now), we had the pleasure of trying the watermelon lemonade. This cooling concoction was both sweet and refreshing. We followed the unique drinks with a couple green salads ($4). This is a wonderful mix of greens, lightly pickled cucumbers and a tangy vinaigrette.
For the main attraction I selected the Greek ($14), which is topped with spinach, kalamata olives, tomatoes, basil and feta (not being a cheese fan, I asked them to leave this off). Adam chose the day’s special. Called the Yucatan ($16), his came with spicy chicken habanero sausage, roasted red peppers, sweet mango slices, tomatoes and cheddar cheese.
Every bite was a smoke tickled pleasure. The sauce and toppings were as flavorful as we’d hoped, and the crust was both chewy and crisp.
Even though the crust was one of the best I’ve had locally, owner Oliver Outerbridge (who used to own the Spring Street Cafe in Belfast and Oliver’s on Isleboro) says he wasn’t entirely happy with it and reports that he has now tweaked the dough to make it even better. A third tasting revealed it is now even crispier.
Other changes from opening weekend include the addition of a take-out window selling slices and Maple’s Organic ice cream cones.
With a leafy mural painted by Field gallery owners Friederike Hamann and Colin Sullivan-Stevens as one of the highlights, the interior feels both upscale and unpretentious. And the bar seating in front of the wood-fired oven is sure to make a much sought after gathering spot when the weather turns cooler. Even without all these fancy touches, the best part is that the pizza is light years ahead of what used to be served up from that spot.
Bonobo is located at the corner of Pine and Brackett streets in Portland. It is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day except Sunday. They don’t take reservations but will put your name on the list if all the tables are full. FMI call 347-8267.