OK, this "time flies" thing is really starting to flip me out. When I was five, an additional 15 minutes in the car on the way to grandma's house was the most agonizing period time I could imagine anyone enduring. Now multiple hours evaporate every time I blink my eyes. I was certain that we'd blogged about the pending move of the Lombardi's Taverna Pizzeria, like, a couple of months ago at the most. Turns out is was more like last year.
See also: Lombardi Restaurant Empire Moves Taverna Pizzeria
At any rate, the employees are done lifting boxes and they're back to sharpening knives. The new location opened earlier this week on Knox Street, right next to sister restaurant Toulouse. Now you can park the car and have your choice of pizza or steak frittes within a few steps of each other.
You might miss that quaint, little house with a front porch on Armstrong Avenue. Of all the Lombardi spaces it had the most charm. Of course, when words like "charming" or "cozy" are used to describe real estate, they usually just mean small. And if you ever had a drink at the bar while waiting for a table, "cramped" might have been a more suitable adjective.
"Tight-knit" is another good one, which is how the 54-seat dining room at the new spot is billed. There's no front porch, but there's a patio and it's climate controlled. And most importantly they've expanded the bar. Fans who love Taverna's pizza could probably see themselves spending some time there. But hopefully not too much -- that stuff is precious.
Taverna Pizzeria and Risotteria, 3312 Knox Street, tavernabylombardi.com, 214-520-9933
