Bombolo

During my recent visit to Bombolo, I experienced a delightful evening of culinary creativity paired with friendly service, though the ambiance left a bit to be desired.Throughout our meal, our server ensured that our needs were met promptly, and his attentiveness and friendly demeanor set a positive tone for the evening.The seating area at Bombolo, while charming, can be quite cramped. On a busy night, the close proximity of the tables and the lively atmosphere resulted in a noise level that made conversation challenging.However, the highlight of our visit was undoubtedly the food. Each dish we tried was a testament to Bombolo's commitment to quality and innovation. The flavors were vibrant and unique, showcasing a delightful blend of ingredients that offered a fresh take on familiar favorites. Bombolo excels in delivering tasty and unique dishes, supported by exceptional service. While the cramped seating and high noise levels during peak hours can be a drawback, the culinary experience more than makes up for it.

I'll start by saying the food was great. We ordered BBQ shrimp as an appetizer and a few different pasta dishes, which were unique and tasted great. Unfortunately, my dinner experience was soured by a particular waiter whose B.O. filled my nostrils every 30 seconds as he walked by. If you're the owner and reading this, please have a basic hygiene talk with your waiter who has short brown hair and a goatee.

We went to Bambolo for their monthly plated dinner and WOW. It was a French inspired night with wine pairings. The event was 10/10. I assume their special evenings like this are unique and they're probably not menu repeaters BUT hopefully this review will encourage you to attend their next one or just go eat there.The food was immaculate. I can't even pick a favorite. Baked oysters, cured scallops with bread, halibut crudo, delicious pasta dish and lastly venison. Everything was SO good. The wine pairings were also super delicious. I'm not much of a red wine drinker and I appreciated the lightness of the reds that were chosen. The woman from the wine shop did a phenomenal job of explaining the history and significance of each wine. It was a lovely experience. The restaurant staff were so friendly and kind as well.Only thing I'd change is adding a dessert! Would've loved a little sweet treat, even something tiny like a truffle or scoop of icecream, just something to finish off the meal would've been amazing. All in all, the meal was so amazing and I'm so glad I got to experience this wonderful event. Everyone should go check them out!

What an experience. We almost ordered everything and could have based on how delicious each dish was. We ordered the:NOLA BBQ SHRIMP - the sauce I wanted to lick my plate but ate it with bread insteadPAPPARDELLE, DUCK & VEAL BOLOGNESE - lots of meat and filling CRAB & CHANTERELLE TAGLIOLINI - wish there was a little more crab very good and herbyOYSTERS, HALIBUT KHAO SOI - my fav dish, very flavorful - I enjoyed the curry and crunch on top! Great for sharing and filling FRIED CHICKEN PLATTER - Whoa!! This dish had it all, my husband was in heaven, it had Mac and cheese and a biscuit. The kicker was the Carolina reaper hot sauce and of course ranch!BOMBOLO - this dessert was so decadent! All you need is one bite!The owner thanked us when we left and took the time to chat with us! We wish them the best of luck and we will be back:)

Ambiance: The spot is small and cozy with soft French music in the background. Has a neighborhood feel. Dimly lit w candles so would be romantic for a date but also good for a small group of friends. Too small for a large group Food: For a table if 2 I'd recommend 2 small plates, 1 pasta and maybe one entree too. The crab and mushroom Pasta was INCREDIBLE and my favorite dish of the night. The beef tartare was beautiful but I didn't think it was very flavorful (maybe I'm not a tartare person?) The BBQ shrimp had a great flavorful sauce and came with dense fluffy bread for dipping but the shrimp itself was just ok Service:I may have caught them on an off night, but The service was mostly awkward. When I arrive the hostess just stared at me until I announced that I had a reservation... but they did offer to take my coat. The server was pretty indifferent but had good recommendations and warmed up a little by the end of the meal. They were very attentive with clearing dishes, timing courses etc Parking:Located in a strip mall there is a parking lot but if it's a busy night you may have to look around for a spot

We had an enjoyable Sunday brunch at Bombolo, a relatively new restaurant just north of UNC's campus. It's hard to describe this restaurant because it doesn't serve any one type of cuisine. For example, our meal consisted of New Orleans, Southern, Jewish, American, African/Portuguese, and Japanese cuisine (or influenced cuisine). Sounds like too much, but it works.Bombolo opened on February 23, 2023 in the Midtown Market shopping center on MLK. Same shopping center as The Root Cellar, Flyleaf Books, and Lucha Tigre. The brother-sister owners, Garret Fleming and Eleanor Lacy, used to own and operate Big Belly Que on Franklin Street: https://bit.ly/3rjIIEj Eleanor greeted and seated us and I saw Garret running the show in the back. He came out a few times. Eleanor sat at the bar and oversaw the front of the house.Inside, above the storefront, is text that said, "Ceci n'est pas un restaurant Italien." One of our friends who dined with us here said it was French for, "This is not an Italian restaurant." I Googled the word "bombolo" and it's Italian for cylinder.This is a cozy, intimate restaurant and bar with a hipster vibe, consistent with this part of Chapel Hill. Unlike, say, Durham, the folks dressed preppier. My wife got White Lotus vibes from one table. We enjoyed the atmosphere.At the time of writing this review, Bombolo is only open for dinner, Thursday-Monday. It appears they stopped serving Sunday brunch, at least for now.Reservations are recommended. Book via OpenTable and earn dining points which can be used to redeem restaurant discounts, Amazon gift cards, hotel stays, and magazine subscriptions: https://bit.ly/3OcMk4aDuring our visit, the brunch menu was tight with 12 entrees (priced at $14-30 each), six sides ($5-15 each), a dessert ($7), five alcoholic beverages from the bar ($9-13 each), and coffee, juice, and tea.We sampled a good bit of the menu. Here's what four of us shared:Bread & Biscuits* Muffuletta ($20) - Serrano ham, duck salami, mortadella, comte, giardiniera, lettuce, focaccia* Dirty Bird Biscuit ($14) - fried chicken, smoked bone marrow, kimchi mayo* Lox Benedict ($23) - gin-cured Icelandic salmon, capers, red onions, eggs, hollandaiseSides & Sweet* Piri Piri Chicken Fingers ($12)* Wakame, Lox & Mascarpone ($15)* Berry Cobbler ($7)Bevvies* Persephone ($11) - Empress 1908 Gin, pomegranate liqueur, cava* Bloody Mary - Spicy ($13 each) x4 - house mix, Luksusowa VodkaIn general, I thought all of the food and drink were delicious. The only item I had a minor gripe about was the Muffuletta. It was a bit too salty. I realize muffuletta is going to be salty to begin with because of all the cured meats, etc. However, I don't recall the other muffuletta I've had up to this point being as salty as this one was. Other than that, the sandwich was tasty and used good-quality ingredients. That was the case with everything here. I could tell they cared about the ingredients they used. The focaccia was great.The best thing about the Dirty Bird Biscuit was the biscuit itself. We all loved it. It was very buttery and pretty much perfect in terms of texture and flavor. The kimchi mayo had bits of kimchi in it and the bone marrow was mixed in (subtle) -- yummy. The biscuit sandwich was served with a side of potato chips which I think were housemade. The chips were terrific. They were small, crispy, and not too greasy. They were so good that we asked for a side of them. We ended up getting a small plate of chips on the house with extra sides of kimchi mayo and hot sauce (the same kind used on the Piri Piri Chicken Fingers).The Lox Benedict was solid. I viewed it as Bombolo's take on Eggs Atlantic, which is a variation of Eggs Benedict where the Canadian bacon is replaced with salmon. If you're a fan of Eggs Benedict, I think Bombolo makes a good variation. The Hollandaise was nice and tangy.The sides, the Piri Piri Chicken Fingers and Wakame, Lox & Mascarpone, were really good. The Piri Piri Chicken Fingers was a more straightforward dish. They were breaded and fried chicken tenders covered in piri-piri sauce. The chicken tenders themselves had wonderful consistency, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. And overall, the dish was quite flavorful and spicy because of the piri-piri sauce.The Wakame, Lox & Mascarpone was creative. I love wakame (seaweed) which I'm used to having in Japanese cuisine. Here, they paired it with lox, which made sense because of sushi and Japanese cuisine. There was also cucumber, green onion, sesame seeds, and a sauce. I honestly don't remember the mascarpone. Regardless, I liked this dish.The Cobbler was excellent.The Spicy Bloody Marys were fantastic. They were refreshing and had a strong kick to them.Everything was presented beautifully. The food was served on different style plates with various charming designs.Quin was our server and he did a good job. He was friendly and attentive. Everything was served quickly.

Service was incredible, excelente job. It felt super personalized. Food was amazing and unique. Love the ambiance. Tables are very tightly closed together, I would have preferred a bit more space.

Fantastic meal here. Place has the feel of a small neighborhood cafe in Europe. Loved the eclectic menu, featuring small plates such as grilled ramps or fresh bread and various spreads, pasta and larger plates like fried chicken or octopus. We had the amatriciana, as good as any we've had in Rome, and the Halibut with rice noodles featuring a spicy curry, rich and flavorful. Was too full for desert, but the diners next to us raved about the massive piece of cheesecake, and strawberry shortcake. We'll keep an eye on the menu as it changes, and look forward to returning to sample other dishes.

One of my favorite Chapel Hill places. The scorched green beans starter is incredible and something I would usually not order. Almost licked the plate. Fried chicken was a large portion and enjoyable, I particularly liked the Mac cheese that came with it and dipping the biscuit in the honey orange marmalade was better than any dessert I could have ordered.

HIGHLIGHTS:Bread board - the shrimp butter & harissa Cold shrimp appetizerLOBSTER POTChenin BlancService ( kindness from everyone!! )Atmosphere - chill but v v niceThis has become "my spot" and I can't wait to eat here again & again.