Cipollina

Not only was Cipollina recommended to me by a good friend, I also discovered while investigating this Italian Bistro that it is owned by the owner of Jeffrey's, an institution of Austin gourmet dining. It also happens to neighbor two of my favorite Austin cafes, Galaxy Cafe and Zocalo. All of these pieces of information provided a pretty compelling case for trying Cipollina, and, fortunately for my friend, I was not disappointed.
Cipollina has a casual atmosphere and simple yet sophisticated food. I was disappointed that their menu did not offer any vegetarian pasta dishes, but I chose the delicious Seasonal Vegetable Sandwich with a side of their Hand-Cut Fries. The veggies on the sandwich included thick, juicy zucchini, grilled red peppers, and caramelized onions. They were accented by pesto and mozzarella cheese. Overall, the sandwich was delicious, albeit messy. The remarkably good hand-cut fries had a light topping of thickly-shredded Parmesan and were served with homemade catsup.
My partner ordered the Spinach and Artichoke pizza, which was also topped with goat cheese and mozzarella. Their pizzas are on astonishingly thin and crispy crust, which is not my preference, and I thought that the pizza could have used some kind of sauce to add moisture. There is just something about a layer of congealed melted Parmesan that is very off-putting on its own. However, the goat cheese was ample, which almost made up for it, and my partner enjoyed it.
Despite the somewhat disappointing pizza, I still recommend Cipollina for its inexpensive fare and delicious sandwiches and fries.

Cipollina
1213 West Lynn
Austin, TX