Bomboloni, located between 68th and 69th Street on Columbus Avenue, is a cafe much like its eponymous pastry. Much like the filled Italian donuts for which it is named, the small, elegant package hides a wealth of flavor and innovation. Owner David Ruggerio's store is a sort of love letter to Italy, filled top to bottom with Sicilian tile, an imported glass case for the bomboloni and gelati, and a handcrafted wood honeycomb hanging from the ceiling. This is not your neighborhood donut shop (unless your neighborhood happens to be Sicily).
Let's get my one quibble with Bomboloni out of the way early: it's a little small. There were four of us sitting at a table during my visit, and we seemed to be occupying the majority of seating inside the restaurant. There was quite a bit of outdoor seating available, but that isn't quite feasible during the winter months. Still, the small place lends Bomboloni a certain cozy feel that amplifies the Eurpoean authenticity. Ruggerio prides himself on attracting Italian tourists to New York, who like to view Bomboloni as a little touch of home. It's also the occasional hangout for celebrities, like Lady Gaga, Fran Drescher, or Barbara Streisand. Ruggerio's favorite visitor, though, is probably Alex Rodriguez (yes, David is a Yankees fan). "You see A-Rod, and there's kind of this perfect aura about him," David says. "But he's always got his kids with him. And to see him sit there, and feed them, and clean the chocolate off their faces - it just shows a different side of him."
With that said, no one is going to Bomboloni for the seating. The bomboloni themselves (filled spherical donuts about the size of a lacrosse ball) manage to be both familiar and insanely creative at the same time. The pastry itself is doughy and sweet, and tucked inside each ball is a dollop of delicious filling. Flavors range from the classic vanilla and honey to the more unexpected Nutella and passion fruit, but literally every flavor I tasted was fantastic in it's own right. Ruggerio takes pride in finding the best ingredients for his bomboloni, whether that's seeking out the best chestnut honey or traveling to Amish country in the middle of Ohio to find the right kinds of jam. It pays off consistently in beautiful and unexpected ways.
If you only choose one flavor, I'd suggest making it banana. Now, normally I am not a fan of banana flavored sweets - they tend to abandon the actual banana taste in favor of a cloying sweetness. the banan bomboloni, however, have a pleasant tang to them that is both true to the fruit and really sets off the sweetness of the donut, making for a fantastic little bite. Or, if you're in the mood for a lot of holiday cheer, you can pick up their new "Bomboloni Tree." This croquembouche-inspired decoration consists of a tower of bomboloni, bedecked in spun sugar and surrounded by candied fruit at the base. It's an interesting representation of Ruggerio's culinary history, as it combines his Italian heritage with the years of training he received in both Paris and New York's finest French restaurants. I'd say it's a lot of donuts, but you'd be surprised how many you'll eat when they taste this good.
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