Il Bambino — Creative Paninis that Pack a Punch
First visit: September 2019
Price: Affordable
Cuisine: Western, Italian, paninis
Vibe: Neighborhoody, homey, relaxing
Address: 34-08 31st Ave, Astoria, NY
Veg options: Many vegetarian options; limited vegan options
COVID-19 delivery: Yes!
The storefront
Il Bambino is the sort of place that I never would have wanted to try had I not stumbled upon it by accident. I'd always thought of paninis in the US as very mediocre, wannabe Italian food— the type of thing that you would get catered for an office luncheon if you wanted to present something a tad fancier than a Subway sandwich but were too cheap to order from the gourmet family-owned deli down the street. However, the day I discovered Il Bambino low-key turned out to be one of the best food days of my life.
Patrick and I were on our way to try out Mom's Kitchen and Bar after a fun but exhausting kickboxing class in Astoria when, as if on purpose, my shoelace came untied. As I was fixing my shoe situation, I noticed that there was a cute looking cafe right next to us with an image of a pig painted on a window that sat below a cheery striped awning. We weren't super committed to Mom's, so we decided to check out this new place after scrolling through some glowing Yelp reviews. The second we walked in, we were greeted warmly by the staff and were seated immediately. It was relatively early, about 11:00am, so there was a fair amount of seating still available (by the time we finished eating though, the restaurant was packed). We ended up sitting at a table against a wall decorated with tattered handwritten recipes on college-ruled paper.
The entryway
It was a Saturday, so we were handed the special brunch menu, which is only available on weekends (including Fridays) and Holidays. The menu was relatively simple, yet had a lot of variety. I immediately noticed the quirky menu item names, many of which gave a nod to the humble pig in some way or another (very appropriate for a place with a pig on its window and paintings of pigs displayed throughout the dining space): The Shrine to Swine, Weekend at Béarnaise, My Boyfriend is a Pig, etc.
The interior
We ended up ordering three paninis and one crostini (wayyy too much food) and were absolutely blown away at the flavors. These paninis were unlike anything I had ever tasted before: the homemade aiolis and sauces were so fragrant and flavorful that it felt like I was eating at a fancy Michelin-starred restaurant rather than a neighborhood sandwich spot. We decided right then and there that this was going to be our new weekend morning post-workout spot. Since that first Sunday in September, we've been back almost every weekend— even trudging through hail and snow some weekends to get there. We usually take a megaformer pilates class at a studio called Form50 (10/10 would recommend) in Astoria on Sunday mornings, and we almost always make a stop at Il Bambino before training back to Manhattan. After a few months of trying nearly everything on the menu, I came up with a list of my absolute favorites:
1. Wake and Bake ($13)
Left: Wake and Bake
Right: Filthy Sombrero
Berkshire smoked ham, scrambled eggs, Tuscan cheese spread, cracked pepper aioli
Two words: cracked pepper. Il Bambino's cracked pepper aioli is out of this world. It's spicy without being overwhelming, and it is unbelievably fragrant. We've tried a few different paninis with the cracked pepper aioli, and they've all tasted spectacular. Our favorite is the Wake and Bake, which we’ve had two ways: with mozzarella (our preferred cheese) and with Tuscan cheese spread (the original cheese). Although I typically prefer mozzarella, I have to say that the Tuscan cheese spread is the way to go with this one. The creaminess and milkiness of the spread really complements the spiciness of the cracked pepper. The eggs are lightly scrambled to a perfect gooeyness that helps hold the bread together. I used to hate scrambled eggs because of how dry they typically are, but Il Bambino's eggs are so creamy and delicate that they melt in your mouth alongside their cheeses. The Berkshire ham is smoky but light, not overwhelmingly salty like some hams can be. I'd never thought that I'd ever crave a panini, but the Wake and Bake is one that I find myself regularly thinking about.
2. Pig in Japan ($13)
Back: Pig in Japan
Prosciutto, scrambled eggs, rosemary aioli, scallions, mozzarella
I love Japan, I love rosemary, and I love prosciutto. This panini is basically all of my favorite things sandwiched between two deliciously crispy pieces of bread. In most dishes, rosemary is just a supporting actor / actress but, in the Pig in Japan, the rosemary is the star of the show. As with their other aiolis, the rosemary aioli hits you in the face like a truck, but in a way that makes you say "oh yes, hit me again". The eggs in this panini are as soft and gooey as always, and the prosciutto is the gentle, meaty blanket that wraps everything together. The scallions sprinkled throughout add some additional textural interest and a freshness that helps break up the heartiness of the dish.
3. The Speck ($12)
Front: The Speck
Speck, apricot butter, crisp apple, goat cheese (sub mozzarella), rosemary oil
In addition to savory paninis, Il Bambino also has a large selection of sweet paninis. The first one we ever tried was the We Got Nuttin, which is your basic nutella panini with strawberries and banana. It was very good, but nothing special. However, the Speck is one that is definitely noteworthy. Think of the Speck as a charcuterie board in panini form. Speck is a cut of meat that has a slightly smokier and sweeter flavor profile than prosciutto and pairs so well with the sweet and sour notes of the apricot butter. Patrick and I don't really like goat cheese, so we elected to swap it out with mozzarella. The apples add an additional layer of sweetness and a refreshing, crisp texture, and the rosemary oil is a dialed down version of the rosemary aioli and ties everything together. I'd recommend ordering a sweet panini in addition to a savory panini to get the full Il Bambino experience. Some other sweet panini's that we've tried and would recommend are the Filthy Sombrero with dulche de leche, granny smith apples, goat cheese (sub mozzarella), rosemary oil) and the Prosciutto with gorgonzola dolce (sub mozzarella) and fig spread.
Other honorable mentions:
The Love Handles
The Love Handles - Scrambled eggs, chorizo, dirty chips, Tuscan cheese spread, spicy mayo. The dirty chips are soooo good. This is definitely a heavier panini, so I would recommend this if you are very hungry and in the mood for something very hearty.
Notorious P.I.G. - Smoked bacon, scrambled eggs, aged cheddar, truffle spread. One of the first paninis we tried here. Really good truffle flavor.
Butternut squash soup - This is one of the specials, so they don't have this on their menu every day. Served with homemade garlic bread, the soup is super creamy and naturally sweet. Honestly one of the best butternut squash soups I've had.
Cookie buttah latte - I was hesitant to try this one, since flavored lattes are typically super sweet and artificial tasting. However, they actually make their own cookie butter here, so I decided to give it a chance. And oh, am I glad I did. This latte is heavenly: sweet yet delicate, creamy yet light. Would definitely recommend this as a mid-morning pick-me-up.
Il Bambino is my of my favorite places in New York- not just because the food is spectacular and affordable, but because the staff and owners are so warm and welcoming. Every time I go, I feel like I'm going to a friends' grandma's home. The fact that we're willing to go out of our way to Astoria for this place says a lot about how awesome it is. I still want to try their baked goods— they have a cornflake cookie that looks divine, as well as a large assortment of other sweets.
Tips:
Come on a weekend so you can try their special brunch paninis
Get a soup or latte to go with your meal
They have a ton of vegetarian options (e.g. a delicious looking mushroom panini), and you can make any of their paninis vegetarian upon request!
The food sometimes takes a while to come out, but be patient! Each panini is made to order, and the wait is definitely worth it
I've tried their salads and crostinis, which are alright, but definitely don't expect them to be as good as the paninis
In summary:
Hangry Alice rating: 5/5
Must-get dishes: Wake and Bake, Pig in Japan, The Speck with Mozzarella, The Love Handles, The Notorious P.I.G.
Skip: Salads, crostinis