L'Oca d'Oro owners open Bambino pizzeria this week. What to know about the menu and more.

L’Oca d’Oro founders and founding members of the hospitality nonprofit Good Work Austin, Adam Orman and Fiore Tedesco, spent the bulk of the pandemic feeding their community, leading the conversation about equitable work environments, and evolving their business to not just survive but thrive (their restaurant was #1 in the 2022 Austin360 Dining Guide). Now it’s time to have a little fun. 

The partners are opening East Austin pizzeria Bambino on Thursday, bringing to fruition an idea that was announced publicly in these pages for the first time in December 2022. 

“L’Oca was a perfect first concept for us to try out so many of the things we wanted  to do in the kitchen and behind the bar. Now, we get to do it again at Bambino, with greater knowledge, and also fewer restrictions because of the playfulness of the  concept,” Orman said in a release. 

Here’s what you need to know. 

The inspiration

Orman is originally from Pennsylvania and Tedesco, whose family has roots near Naples, Italy, is from eastern New York state. Bambino is "a neighborhood pizza joint inspired by the places we both grew up with in the Northeast," Orman told the Statesman when the project was first announced at the end of 2022.

The menu

The Bambino partners call their menu a complementary mix of high-low components, with seafood conserva and antipasti like roasted beets and pistachio brittle leading into a roster of pizzas made with fresh mozzarella pulled in house (one of the chef's passions). Desserts are inspired by Tedesco’s childhood and include Italian-style soft serve gelati and pecan shortbread cookies. 

Tedesco worked through 12 iterations of the pizza, as he tweaked fermentation, hydration and temperature. Pizza selections include a “Rosso” made with tomato, garlic, olive oil, and  oregano; the “Coppa Cabana” (house coppa, orange marmalade, mozz, and oregano); and “No, You Da Bomb,” with chile bomba, garlic breadcrumbs, and double Parmesan; and the “Mi Scusi,” made with tomato, mozzarella, smoked scamorza, and Parmesan on a sesame seed crust.  

“The pizzeria and its menu represent a culmination of Fiore’s life in food, from his start as a pre-teen shaping rolls at a cousin’s bakery through to a career in fine dining – all  accompanied by 30 years of making fresh mozzarella and fostering a fidelity to excellence,” the owners said. 

And for the little ones?

Bambini have their own menu choices that include cauliflower nuggets; chicken fingers served with house-made ranch and marinara; and soft serve gelato. There’s also an outdoor play area planned for a later date.

Drinks 

Bambino serves liquor, beer and wine, with cocktails like a “Cherry Coke” Manhattan, a martini garnished with a Parmesan-stuffed olive, and a Frozen Blood Orange Negroni. 

Vibes and service style

“Bambino weaves together the spirit of the '80s with a grown-up sensibility, arguably bringing to life 10-year-old Fiore’s vision of a pizzeria with reverence for the integrity of the dough and  ingredient sourcing overall,” according to the owners. 

Guests order at the bar and then grab a table, with continued drink and dessert service handled by servers on the floor or via tabletop QR codes. Door Dash will handle delivery within a five-mile radius. 

The space

Designed by the sleek but warm modernists at Austin-based Chioco Design LLC (Better Half, Perla’s), the interior includes 17 bar seats as well as 25 at tables, and 60 seats outside. 

Building community 

L’Oca d’Oro has featured rotating guest chefs as part of its Pasta Paisanos fundraising dinners, and Bambino will pick up on that tradition by welcoming guest chefs for a monthly pizza collaboration, with a percentage of the proceeds donated to a non-profit. 

A service charge will be included on all checks as Bambino’s way of ensuring a living wage for all employees, who also received direct primary care health memberships, predictive scheduling, paid time off, and subsidized mental health benefits.  

Location

979 Springdale Road (just south of Airport Boulevard). Find them online at bambinoaustin.com and on Instagram @bambinoatx.  

Hours

Bambino will serve lunch and dinner 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.