eating out
by gregory swim
The number 1926 sits atop the logo for Bice (pronounced “Bee’ Chay”) Ristorante.
Early in the 20th century, Beatrice Ruggeri – called “Bice”– was known around
Milan, Italy not only for her cooking skills, but also for her gracious hospitality and
warmth. 1926 is the year that, at the insistence of friends and family, she opened
Il Ristorante Da Gino e Bice, later called simply, “Bice.” The neighborhood trattoria
celebrated not only the treasures of her family recipes, but also what Italian cook-
ing maven Marcella Hazan calls “the fine art of Italian eating.”
That restaurant is the foundation of what has grown over the decades to over 40
bistros, cafés and dinner houses around the world, from Tokyo to Istanbul to New
York, Chicago and Buenos Aires. Not really a franchise operation, the company
is more a partnership with restaurateurs in each area, allowing the Ruggeris, still
guiding the organization, to assure fidelity to the food and philosophy of the origi-
nal eatery. In the 1970s, as the company was expanding around the globe, a young
Rome native, Rinaldo Colantoni, joined the firm as traveling manager to oversee
the openings of new restaurants. As often happens, while in the area for an open-
ing, he fell in love with San Diego and vowed to one day have his own restaurant
here. Fast forward to 2008 and at last he secured a location in the Gaslamp to build
his dream. Meltdowns in the banking industry caused serious delays in financing
the operation. But as Rinaldo himself puts it, an “angel” came through, and Bice
Ristorante San Diego opened in November this year—his dream fulfilled. It is a
dream well worth the wait.
Most notable when entering the Island Avenue restaurant is its high-style
modern Italian decor. Brown, gold and black furnishings play against cream white
walls in the lounge area, with patrons comfortably enjoying premium cocktails
and lively conversation in leather-trimmed barstools at the black lacquered bar,
all warmly glowing from backlighting and tall hanging pin-spots. While a host is
on duty at the entrance with a warm welcome, Rinaldo himself may come round
the corner from the dining room, offering his own greeting with a big smile and a
quick burst of Italian.
It’s just a few steps up from the bar to the main dining area. Ultra-modern Ital-
ian design continues in the elegant room. Some diners never make it to a table,
having been captivated by the formaggi e salumi bar, with perhaps over 50 fine
imported cheeses (on a given night, all but one from Italy) and a selection of cured
meats on appetizing display, with a sushi bar-style counter set to accommodate.
On most nights the bar is manned by Francesca Penoncelli, whose encyclopedic
Bice…
knowledge of cheeses is topped only by her talents as the house pastry chef.
Some customers allow her to select for them an array of meats and cheeses
TasTe The Dream
customized for their individual taste preferences; or have her prepare a sampling
of various tastes and textures that is itself a culinary tour of various regions of Italy.
Fortunately, all these are available at tables too.
The dining menu is changed weekly based on the freshest ingredients avail-
able from local providers such as Chino Farms. Executive chef, Mario Cassineri,
himself a “Milanese,” offers a savvy collection of traditional Italian dishes, as well
as his own creations based on the latest dining trends in Italy. Each is prepared
to exacting standards, but many are served in novel ways. Eggplant Parmigiana,
for instance, is offered in an individual portion prepared to order, rather than cut
from a casserole Lasagna style. Rich house-made tomato sauce and the intensely
flavored cheeses lift it from mundane to sublime.
Signature dishes include fresh pastas made from scratch in various shapes and
sizes. Bice is known for its Gnocchi, delicious little dumplings made from potato,
and is famous throughout the world for Pappardelle al Telefono, with its wide
strips of pasta bathed in tomato, basil, and cheese. An exciting original is Orzotto
all’Aragosta e Burratina, barley cooked “risotto style” with tomato and chunks of
Maine lobster, all surrounding a melting ball of Burrata cheese, with its outer shell
of mozzarella filled with an inner core of mozzarella and cream. This is comfort
selections from the Cheese Bar Trio of Tartar
66 RAGE monthly | December 2009
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