Indulge

We pulled in in the nick of time, snagging the last parking spot next to the quaint Italian restaurant. A line had already formed as families and friends dressed in snazzy outfits anticipated putting their name on the waiting list at 5 p.m. My friend, Anthony, was kind enough to hold my purse while I pranced around to the back of the building where four resident cats were playing. The waiting time flew by with plenty of other people in line to watch and a camera in my hands.

At 5 p.m. sharp the doors to the brick building opened and the hostesses began scribbling down names. As we came to the front of the line the hostess wrote down my name: "Brooke, party of two," and told us it would be about a two-hour wait. Anthony and I went to the sister building where dimmed lights created a comfortable ambiance where two friends could catch up over the past six months. A bar and appetizers were housed in this building, which we made ample use of.

While munching on olives, feta cheese spread bread, and a cheese plate embellished with raisins, roasted almonds and grapples, the hostess came in and told us our table was ready, only an hour after we had sat down. Thrilled that our waiting time was unexpectedly short, we shoved the remaining appetizers into our mouths and went to the restaurant building to sit at a table with a perfect view of the wood-fire oven where the world-class pizzas were cooked.

I ordered the "Rosa" pizza that was topped with red onion, parmigiano reggiano, rosemary and AZ pistachios. Anthony got the other pizza I had been eyeing: the "Biancoverde" topped with fresh mozzarella, parmigiano reggiano, ricotta and arugula. Never before have I described a pizza as "juicy," but these ones were. They melted in our mouths, making us smile with cheesy delight.

Pizzeria Bianco was a wonderful place to indulge in mouthwatering food and meaningful conversation. The experience was one I would gladly repeat, so long as I'm not subject to the common four-hour wait at the notorious pizzeria.