thrillist

Despite all the cosmopolitan benefits city living affords, it's still a bummer to know you're missing out on sweet boondocks action like the sheer cliffs of Big Sur, Sonoma's harvest festival, or Livermore's pizza. Stop worrying about the latter, thanks to Bruno's.

Prominently known in the East Bay's most sub of 'burbs for his Northern Ital-style bistros, Bruno's setting up shop on lower Fillmore, despite the relative lack of four-wheeling opportunities in said locale. While casual like its predecessors, this Bruno's is a bit more spiffed up, w/ red walls and hood-appropriate jazz portraits; seating options include mahogany high-tables along the windows, intimate cloth/leather booths, and a ten-seat bar backed by a big wine rack and flatscreen, guaranteeing that once again, a big rack'll distract you from watching the game. The menu ranges all the way from a homemade meatball sando to a demi-glace veal piccata, and boasts sixteen pizzas, including the deliciously unorthodox Bayou Special (w/ cajun sausage and clams) and the sour cream-/guac-laden "Zip Car Special" w/ chorizo, salsa, and jalapeno -- as soon as your body gets used to it, it's time to give it back.

To wash it down, there's 40+ California/Italia vinos all under $40 plus a modest six-tap beer collection -- doesn't sound like much, but hey, imagine if you lived in Antioch, and only had five.

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Think we're kidding about the Zip Car Special? Check the menu