Brendan McGill’s Pizzeria Now Eyeing January Opening

Bainbridge Islanders and mainland fans of chef Brendan McGill will have to wait a little longer for his pizzeria, Bruciato, to open. McGill was previously aiming for a November launch, but now estimates an early January start. Bruciato is the permanent embodiment of the Hitchcock chef/owner's popular, long-running Monday night pizza pop-up.

If you can't wait for the official opening, McGill has one more Bruciato pop-up scheduled for January 2 from 5 to 10 p.m. at Hitchcock.

At the new restaurant, McGill and pizzaiolo Brandon Thompson will serve up Neapolitan-style pies; they’ll even seek Vera Pizza Napoletana certification for Bruciato once it opens. Set forth by the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana to protect the integrity of the Neapolitan tradition, the certification means McGill will have to adhere to a number of strict rules that prescribe the use of specific types of flour, yeast, tomatoes, and much more.

Expect a combination of modern and traditional pizza toppings, plus other items cooked in the wood-fired oven in casuelas, including seafood and vegetables, along with salads and antipasti. The bar will serve a variety of amari, grappe, apertivi, and digestivi, plus American spirits, wine, and a beer list that includes Peroni on tap.

McGill and his wife Heidi have been busy lately, opening Verjus, a vegetarian cafe and fresh-pressed juice bar on Bainbridge, in April, and recently announcing a project called Cafe Hitchcock for early 2017 "just north of Seattle's Pioneer Square." McGill also owns Hitchcock Deli in Georgetown and another deli next door to Hitchcock on Bainbridge.

Stay tuned for further updates as Bruciato sets an opening date.