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This Week News wrote Pie-maker gets his pizza hand ready again
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
By Gary Seman Jr.
Bill Yerkes is at it again. After a brief hiatus from making traditional Napoli-style pizzas, Yerkes is again ready to put a pie in your face.
Yerkes is subletting Eleni-Christina Bakery in the evenings for his latest pizza enterprise, bonoTOGO (as in “to go”) — just in time for the Gallery Hop on Saturday. Although the place’s address is 641 N. High St., the storefront actually faces Russell Street, about 60 feet west of the main drag.
What a great idea- bakery during the morning/afternoon and pizza joint in the evening. Menus for this place were taped above the mailboxes where I live last night. Selection and prices look great. I hope it works out for them.
I stand corrected: they did not run out of food last night. The Times regrets the error.
Just had my first taste of bonotogo, and all your raves are dead-on. First, the atmosphere is really inviting; the owners were there sitting outside and greeted me when I walked up, then sat with me while I watched him make my pizza and they shared with me their past pizza endeavors (150 pizza shops in Baltimore, then a hole-in-the-wall in between Delaware and Sunbury, Ohio). All the decor came from Goodwill, including a really cool vintage-style lamp.
My pizza was ready in 10 min and decided to take it “togo.” 8 minutes later, I’m at home, devouring my first amazing slice of Bianca pizza. The crust tastes a lot like wood-fired; it is bubbly, and crispy and chewy. Kosher salt was sprinkled on the crust, then topped with really good olive oil and fresh slices of garlic. The cheeses, one was gorgonzola, the other i can’t remember, were really fresh, salty and savory. you could tell they were really good quality. The pizza also has some cherry tomatoes and spinach. WOW. I am hooked.
I am only eating half of it, to try and save the rest for lunch tomorrow. . . it is really hard not to go back and eat the rest, but I must resist. . .
The owners were really excited to hear all the good buzz from CU, and told me that they did not run out of pizza the other day. However, they did run out of menus today, so I think they’re doing well! I am already excited to go back and try another one!
We were ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ tonight.
Excellent pizza. We ate all three (Puttana, Bianco, San Giorgo) before going to the Happy Hour. Details are redundant – just go and experience a more artisinal bent of pizza. His old shop up in the hinterlands of Delaware was a favorite of a pizza-freak/cycling bud of mine.
A dangerously easy bike jaunt from us and totally reminds me of some neighborhood joints elsewhere which generate lines and the incident chatter / friend-making.
A.
I want.
I have got to get a second job in order to eat at all these places you all talk about.
I tried the pizza tonight for the first time as well. Don’t have to rehash what others have said, other than to say that I agree. I thought it was delicious, and it survived the walk across Goodale Park with me without losing any heat or tastiness. The guys working the counter were really friendly, and that also means a lot to me when I’m getting a pizza.
For the record I also really like Fabians. But it’s great to have two delicious, unique, pizza options right in the Short North.
Definitely recommend that anyone try it. 3 pizzas for $20 is a good deal, and they have some interesting pizzas they’ll do. Also, you can’t beat the atmosphere or the independent pizza shop vibe.
Walker, I’d say give it another shot. This time you can come over and eat it at my house, which is closer. :D
We ate here again last night. The owner and cook kept screaming at the waitress, in a good way. Very entertaining, and the pizza is so good. I’m not sure if it’s going to be around longer than a month, anyone know this?
They’re going to do very well at Comfest.
There are now decoratons on the tables. Last night there was a very bad repro of The Thinker, a mouse that reminded me of Topo Gigio and the big table had an old Avon Eiffel Tower perfume bottle and a Magic 8-Ball.
I love this place.
Heh, thanks. We’ll definitely be giving it another shot. Perhaps we just had some that were “off” or maybe our expectations weren’t accurate for what it was. ;)
Ate there last night. VERY GOOD! I am going to be a weekly regular.
As did we — even had the pleasure of meeting these two. I eagerly (or perhaps I should say anxiously?) await Zach’s new thread on “BonoTOGO — the new Pizza Hut?”
(Bill, Carlos, and Peggy, in case you’re out there — this is a joke — see this thread for the reference….)
went again last night after work (love that they’re open till midnight most days); had the 5 cheese at the recommendation of someone on my website, topped with artichoke hearts at the recommendation of the owner – good quality cheeses, they didn’t all blend together, also had another puttana (capers, olives, hot peppers), and the #2 with pepperoni and sausage. Great sausage. Get there if you haven’t yet!
Cyclist Restaurant Review:
BONO TOGO
W. Russel St. Short North.
June 19th ,2008 Dusk
I went on a date last night to this new pizzeria that is located inside Elena Christina’s bakery on W. Russel St in the visitor’s part of the Short North. I walked there with my date, LaChewla, and it was dusk as we approached. Flowers filled the air with their fragrance, and junebugs twinkled around us. Lovers and friends drinking wine on their stoops along Park St. Its was magical, and we still had not made it to the pizzeria yet!
So we make it there and viola!… outdoor seating. I was already sold. The tables had little sculptures on them and one had an ashtray… +1 for accommodating smokers. We walked inside the place and voila! We were greeted and welcomed by Bear of CU. My date asks for a menu and the boss emotionally retorts.. “ahh I made 50 copies today and people took all but that one!†My date responded, “I’ll give it back, we want to eat here.†Well after we got done with that boring conversation… we checked out the menu.
The menu is very veggie friendly with most of the 20 pizza being vegetarian and few vegan ones too. But you can request any kind of topping you want too. We got the threeway for $20. We ordered the Funghi, Cippollini, and Biancha which makes me think of Bianchi which is a good brand of bicycles. But anyway… The clerk said it would take 15 minutes. We sat outside and me and my date got some water to drink. The place has that charming small town feel that Americans pay lots of money for all while getting money through the process of destroying town. While waiting for our pizzas we got in a little tiff about her blocking the sidewalk. Me being a sidewalk advocate asked her to place her chair in a position as to not impede the sidewalk. She responded and eventually moved and called me a dickhead. Then, voila, our pizza arrived!!!
I jumped right into the Cippolini. It was great, onionly, leeky, garlicy, and other things that make for bad kissing. The pies are about a foot across. And a mile in taste. Maybe a nautical mile! Speaking of nautical stuff.. the biancha was a white cheese pizza with a great sea salty taste and spinach and tomatoes. WOW!
The funghi was excellent as well, but it could use more fungi. I must admit that I was so hungry and eager to eat these pizzas that I burnt the top of my mouth. Oh well. I ate probably 75% of the three pizzas and my date ate the rest. They were all awesome and I wanted to order three more, but can’t afford to. The lady in charge, Peggy (?), was pretty awesome too telling the history of their business Voila!
It about time that the Short North steps up it dining options to compete with more diversified and exciting areas like Greater Washington Beach. It’s the best new restaurant since Northstar Café. I am proud to live so close to BONOTOGO, and I give it the Cyclist approval rating of A-. I’ll be back. Support this place dawg!
Most emphatic agreement. Elena said the exact same thing last night after one bite.
They also use cheese which tastes like cheese! A big plus.
If only they cut the pizza into squares …
A.
Hey Cyclist? the question lingering in my mind, and probably in the mind of the rest of the girls, is did you apologize for being a dickhead? whether or not you were being a dickhead is, of course, immaterial. As long as you kissed and made up.
We ate here Friday night, sooo good. We had the Margherita, San Giorgio (Pepperoni and sausage), and the Bianca. The only one I’m ok with switching out is the Margherita. There was nothing wrong with it, just didn’t leave me with that “can’t live without this pizza” feeling like the other 2 did. Looking forward to the Cherry Bomb, Funghi, and 5 Cheese.
As we were leaving we went inside to pay Bill because Peggy was busy with customers and he gave us back our tip!! No way, I left it on the counter and ran out :) I fully intend for BonoTOGO to be a weekly staple in this house!
Anyone else bummed they have to wait until Wednesday!?!
PS – Anyone try the crepes Saturday or Sunday? Oh man, crepes in the neighborhood! Crepes!!
Anyone else bummed they have to wait until Wednesday!?!
yes because I wanted to try it tonight
Tell me more about these crepes.
As we were leaving we went inside to pay Bill because Peggy was busy with customers and he gave us back our tip!! No way, I left it on the counter and ran out :) I fully intend for BonoTOGO to be a weekly staple in this house!
Anyone else bummed they have to wait until Wednesday!?!
PS – Anyone try the crepes Saturday or Sunday? Oh man, crepes in the neighborhood! Crepes!!
I am now mad at you for telling me all the delights of this pizza last evening and then telling me today that I can’t have it until Wednesday!
Meanie.
Kirbs and Luke are pretty miffed too. ;)
I really want to try the one with anchovies. I lurve anchovies.
Everyone I know (myself included) raves about the pizza. Easily the best in the SN. Only problem is that not one person I’ve spoken to can remember the name of the place.
better than Rossi?
What’s up with the Wednesday thing? Are they closed Mon/Tues?