The Samuel Fox Lofts building is shaping up to be a serious food hub, with new restaurant tenants that include Ramen Yamadaya's second noodle shop (which has been delayed) and an authentic carne asada concept out of Guadalajara.
Also promising authenticity is BIGA, which intends to bring Neapolitan-style pizza at a fast-casual price to its ground floor space at 531 Broadway. Owner Tae Dickey shared some renderings of the restaurant, which is being designed by local firm Point of Departure Architecture (Cafe 21, Table 926) and will likely open in August or September.
BIGA will differentiate itself from the assembly-line pizzerias currently saturating the market by baking its pies in a two true wood-fired ovens, which will run at 900 degrees and cook the pizzas in 90 seconds. The restaurant is named for a pre-fermented mother dough, which lends structure and flavor; the pizza dough here will be hand-streched for every pie, with 10 to 12 curated pizza varieties and 30 toppings to custom build your own, including seasonal and local ingredients. Inside a glass-enclosed demonstration room, chefs will pull fresh mozzarella and pluck basil from a 12 by 5-foot-long living wall.
In addition, the 90-sat all-day eatery will serve an Italian-influenced breakfast, plus focaccia sandwiches, salads, bruschetta and wood-fired vegetables. Dickey plans to eventually expand the menu to include fresh pasta and more dinner options. Another main element is a third wave coffee bar, fueled by a local roaster, that will also dispense gelato.
