It’s no secret that Italian American food has its own following and is different from traditional Italian cuisine. Created by Italian immigrants who settled in America, it is said to have evolved into a new cuisine thanks to the non-availability of certain ingredients and the abundance of certain others. While Italian food is not hard to find in Bengaluru, entrepreneur Nithin Kannan has launched a new restaurant focusing on Italian-American food and authentic Neapolitan pizzas. Nithin, whose family runs a chain of Chettinad restaurants in Tamil Nadu, has roped in New York-based chef, Anthony Falco, who is known in culinary circles as the Global Pizza Man.
Located on Indiranagar’s 12th Main Road, the restaurant has an easy, informal vibe which is minimal yet chic and welcoming. We started our lunch with a few appetisers. The Potato Skin with bacon, cheese and sour cream and a sprinkling of spring onions was a great way to begin. Baked until golden brown, the combination of cream, cheese and bacon was soul satisfying. Other must-trys include Arancini — saffron risotto with a filling of buffalo mozzarella, and Fried Mozzarella — deep fried buffalo mozzarella served with marinara sauce and basil.
The pizzas are among the highlights here and come out of their large wood-fired oven. We sampled the Margherita Pizza, made with their sourdough crust and topped with marinara sauce, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil. The stringiness of the cheese is enough to deem a pizza delicious regardless of how it actually tastes, but this one did not disappoint on either count. The marinara was well balanced and flavoursome while the crust was perfectly smoky, blackened in all the right places and just what you would expect from the kitchen of a proud Italian-American who grew up in Brook-lyn. Next, we tried the Shrimp Scampi pizza — shrimp and lemon butter sauce without any cheese. The clean and subtle flavours were what made this one a hit.
We also highly recommend Italian American favourites — Eggplant Parmigiana and Spaghetti With Meatballs — elevated comfort food thanks to the freshness of the marinara sauce, the quality of the ingredients used and the careful supervision of chef Anthony. While the desserts are currently outsourced, the list does include some Italian classics, such as Vanilla Panna Cotta and Thin Tony Tiramisu.
Thin Tony positions itself as a no-nonsense Italian restaurant with unapologetically big, bold and hearty Italian flavours. That paired with the backing of a bonafide Italian-origin chef, makes it a must-visit for those who love the cuisine.
Rs.1,200++ for two. At 12th Main, Indiranagar