Softly open downtown at the corner of 6th and Broadway, where it joins the recently-launched Ramen Yamadaya and the forthcoming Pipirin in the base of the Samuel Fox Lofts, is BIGA, a new concept that combines fast-casual convenience with authentic, rustic Italian food.
Owner and executive chef Tae Dickey, a Culinary Institute of America grad, says his goal when developing BIGA was to align affordability and accessibility with artisan food. Dickey makes his own mozzarella, picks up heirloom tomatoes at a local farm for their signature sauce and brings in whole hogs to break down for their housemade sausage and other pork-centric dishes. The Neapolitan-style pizzas, which cook in less than two minutes in oak-fueled wood ovens, start at just $7 for a classic Margherita and top out at $11 for a pie topped with sausage, soppressata and guanciale. Its namesake biga, or starter, which adds flavor and texture to the pizza dough, hails from Italy and is 200-years-old.
The 92-seat, 3,700-square-foot space features a large open kitchen and a counter-service format for ordering from a menu that ranges from salads and soups to bruschetta and sandwiches stacked house-baked bread. Besides pizzas, their two 6-foot wood-fired ovens are also cooking up shareable plates ranging from local roasted vegetables to wild boar cannelloni and porchetta. To round out your meal, there are six taps each of beer and wine, plus desserts made in-house and gelato.
Since the week of Christmas, BIGA has been serving coffee (powered by Bird Rock Coffee Roasters) and lunch. On Thursday, December 31, they will launch dinner service, offering a slightly limited menu until the full dinner menu (shown below) is made available next week; breakfast will follow shortly. Hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for coffee and lunch and 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner.
