“I wanted a pizza place,” said pizza and pasta fanatic Demian Repucci. “I wanted a pizza place in New York City.” What he did not want was to be just another Italian restaurant on another street corner. In 2015, he opened Bruno, named after the sixteenth century Italian martyr of science, Giordano Bruno. Embracing “heretical pizza,” his intention was to reinvent tradition by reinterpreting the stereotypical Italian meal through a modern American lens. He would have to use only local and seasonal ingredients to do so as, after all, the original Italians could not import their tomatoes.
“Authentic food is a product of innovation,” Demian told us. His greatest challenge was finding domestic flour of the right grade, and his inability to do so lead to perhaps the most unique aspect of the pizza - flour made on the premises. Located in the basement, an impressive flour mill grinds organic wheat berries into fresh flour daily. Many restaurants pride themselves on using ingredients straight off the ship from Italy; the Bruno team pride themselves on serving the same masterpieces, made right on their own soil. The experience is only enhanced by the strong selection of Italian and American drinks, from organic and biodynamic wines to craft beers, including Brooklyn-based Grimm Artisanal Ales.
Having majored in architecture, Demian is also fully invested in the layout of the space. He has created an environment that celebrates a human touch, right down to the freshly ground sacks of flour and hand-stamped pizza boxes. He designed the small plates himself, decorating them with an artfully graffitied truck, the modern American interpretation of windmills and cows. The wooden stools, also custom-made, generate symmetry between seating at the bar and tables, differentiated only by height and backrests. The rest of the restaurant is marked by a mix of pure white and whitewashed hand-painted surfaces, interrupted only by a mounted work of graffiti pulled from the scaffolding. One would never guess this used to be a dry cleaners.
I was thrilled to learn that members of the Manhattan Sideways team were elated with the food at Bruno. When Demian brought them the Speck and Peach (a pizza that complements the soft-hued stone fruit with a creamy soubise, artisinal Consider Bardwell Dorset, and touches of refreshing fennel finished in white balsamic), they savored each bite, ruminating on the distinguished crust. Having dined here in the past, I can also attest to several of the other incredible pizzas, including the simple, classic Margherita, prepared to perfection. For a starter, I always order the arancini, which literally melt in my mouth every time. In the summertime, the fresh, light Market Salad is ideal. Demian has certainly found a voice for Bruno in the mature, competitive market that is Manhattan pizza.
Side note: The plates, tea cups and saucers designed by Demian and the house-made flour are also available for purchase.
