By Dr. Ink
SDUN Columnist
We came for Tuscan wine and basil mojitos, though we ended up practically drinking the Gorgonzola sauce as well.
Festooned in vintage Italian bric-a-brac, Buonissimo 2 in Hillcrest has everything going for it in terms of ambience, alcohol and food. Between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. daily, the happy hour affords visitors a menu tailored exclusively to reduced-price consumables. Forget having to squint at sloppy chalkboards or memorize the bargains scattered across main menus. The choices here are neatly categorized on a single sheet by wine, cocktails and “dishes,” which equate to decent servings of luscious gnocchi, assorted bruschetta and a smattering of other Italian delights that reward the belly for eating a light lunch.
Wines by the glass range from $4 to $5.50, served in short, peasant-style glasses. The usual Italian varietals arise: Lambrusco, Chianti, Sangiovese and a terrific Super Tuscan red blend by Centine ($5.50). When you hear seasoned winos utter adjectives like “cherries,” “tart plums” and “young blackberries” to describe certain labels, they might collectively be talking about this one.
And oh how cheerfully it paired with medallions of airy polenta drizzled in the restaurant’s signature Gorgonzola sauce ($4.50).
“We use cheese from Italy,” said manager Marco Zannoni after we ordered a side of the mildly tangy sauce from our suspenders-clad waiter. Had it arrived in shot glasses, Dr. Ink would have done the unspeakable. We instead swiped a couple orders of pillowy gnocchi through the stuff before discretely capturing the leftovers with our forks.
Nearly a dozen sprightly cocktails round out the drink list, each priced at $5. The “basilito” is a rendition of the mojito, using muddled basil instead of mint in a potion of rum, crushed lime, brown sugar and soda water. If you drizzled it over tomatoes and mozzarella, you’d have caprese.
“A little too herby for my taste,” blurted my drinking pal as a tall, statuesque Greek vocalist named Jonathan seduced patrons with songs by Billie Holiday, Sinatra and other lounge classics from his “band in a box.”
The singer appears for happy hour on Wednesdays, on the pretty back patio adorned with easy-to-forgive plastic grapes, burgundy-colored umbrellas and rustic plank flooring. During happy hour, the space feels more like a communal drinking ground than it does a restaurant, which is why everyone chooses to hang there.
Tables are dressed with raised boards as placemats, plus little wooden Pinocchios sitting against cruets of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. (Lie to your dietician about how much wine and gnocchi you consumed in two hours, and that cute table toy might curse you with a beak that’ll leave everyone cross-eyed.) The theme further screams “rural Italy” as complimentary bread arrives in metal pasta colanders resembling those that every Italian grandmother keeps parked alongside her kitchen sink. This is, after all, the sister restaurant of the original Buonissimo, which still thrives in Torino, Italy, since its founding in 1968.
As the wine flows, so does a host of other cocktails that include peach schnapps Bellinis, Italian margaritas kissed with Amaretto, dark-rum “Cuban Libres” mixed with Coke and lime juice, and the “Speciale” made with rye whisky, apricot brandy and lemon juice.
Lucky for us, the only thing missing in this Italian-style happy hour is a Roman fountain that could’ve led to a frolicking dip with embarrassing consequences.
Buonissimo 2
1027 University Ave.
Hillcrest
704-1067
ristorantebuonissimo2.com
RATINGS:
Drinks: 4
Nearly a dozen well-structured Italian wines are balanced by an equal number of refreshing cocktails using light and dark liquors, citrus, brown sugar and herbs. Mimosas and Bellinis add fizz to the lineup.
Food: 5
The happy-hour fare shows off the kitchen’s fine ability in preserving treasured recipes from Italy’s most notable food regions. The polenta with made-to-order gorgonzola sauce is a must. Ditto for any of the gnocchi options.
Value: 5
Bread, balsamic vinegar and good-quality olive oil are complimentary. Wines by the glass range from $4 to $5.50, a giveaway considering their fine Italian pedigrees, such as the Super Tuscan red blend called Centine; the richer and fruitier Lambrusco from the Emilia region and a refreshing pinot grigio from Veneto.
Service: 5
Full wait service is provided by cheerful waiters outfitted in white shirts and suspenders striped with the colors of the Italian flag. Drinks arrive quickly, water refills are frequent and plate ware is refreshed in a timely, efficient manner.
Duration: 3
Two hours a day on Buonissimo 2’s lovely open patio leaves you longing for more, particularly as summer descends. Arrive at five to enjoy every minute of this Italian-style wind down.
