Following up on last week’s chatter that Top Chef winner and Gorbals guru Ilan Hall is hanging around Urbano Pizza Bar these days, the restaurant sends word to Grub Street that confirms his regular presence here. Apparently, Hall struck up a strong friendship with Urbano owners and Downtown neighbors Will Shamlian and Michael Leko over the past year and was recently invited into Urbano to build upon their pizza selection and wood-fired dishes. When can you catch the chef cooking here?
Hall is currently working at Urbano nightly and expects to be there over the next few months, and also has a hand in selecting the music, trying out new recipes, and taking photos with fans and tweeting about the going-ons here each night. Last Thursday night, Hall invented his own pizza bagel donuts with ricotta and Nutella, while the restaurant plans to add new happy hours this week with three-dollar, daily-changing apps from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. The restaurant also serves pizza by the slice during lunchtime. See the restaurant’s full menu below, including new Hall-created dishes like charred corn with balsamic butter, a pizza with Applewood bacon, pumpkin, and goat cheese, and Willeko’s lasagna. We even put a little star next to Hall’s new offerings.
Urbano Pizza Bar
630 W. 6th St. Downtown.
213-614-1900
STARTERS
MARKET SALAD $6
Assorted lettuce, green beans, cherry tomatoes, red onion, croutons and a red wine vinaigrette.
WOOD FIRED ARTICHOKE $10
with garlic butter and lemon herb aioli.
MIXED HEIRLOOM TOMATOES & BURRATA $9
with arugula, grilled garlic bread, basil pesto.
WILD ARUGULA SALAD $7
with shaved parmigano reggiano, extra virgin olive oil, and lemon juice.
GRILLED LITTLE GEM $8****
with Parmigano Reggiano, and anchovy dressing.
MOZZARELLA TRIO $9
- Burrata with roasted tomato and basil pesto.
- Smoked mozzarella with grilled radicchio and crushed tomato.
- Fresh mozzarella with cherry tomato, and basil oil.
WOOD-FIRED
Charred corn with balsamic butter $7**********
Fingerling potatoes with soffrito $7**********
Broccoli with balsamic, garlic and chilli pepper flakes $6 **********
Willeko’s lasagna $9 ************
Meatballs with warm pizza bread $8 ***************
Baby Caponata- eggplant, zucchini & vinegared golden raisins $8 **********
PIZZAS
POMODORO $9
Crushed tomato, garlic, and oregano (no cheese).
MARGHERITA $12
Fresh mozzarella, hand-crushed tomato, and petit basil.
TESTA VERDE $13**********
Baby spinach and herbed ricotta with Irish Cheddar.
SCIMMIETTA $14************
Applewood smoked bacon with pumpkin and goat cheese.
CARCIOFI $13
Smoked mozzarella, marinated artichokes, crushed tomato, and rosemary.
FUNGHI $13
Wood roasted wild mushrooms with burrata, red onion, crushed tomato and thyme.
SELVATICA $14
Burrata, slow-roasted tomatoes, basil pesto, and pine nuts.
QUATTRO FORMAGGI $14
Fresh mozzarella, fontina, gorgonzola, parmigano reggiano, and castelvatrano olives.
SOPRESSATA $13
Salami, mozzarella, Fresno chili, crushed tomato, and scallions.
SALSICCIA $13
Fennel sausage, mozzarella, caramelized red onions, crushed tomato.
VONGOLE $16
Manila clams, mozzarella, garlic, and parsley.
SIDES
LA QUERCIA PROSCIUTTO AMERICANO $4
LA QUERCIA SPECK AMERICANO $4
LA QUERCIA COPPA PICCANTE AMERICANA $4
SOPRESSATA $4
ARTISAN TABLE BREAD $3
CRUSHED TOMATO SAUCE
