Pompeii Dishes Up Dreamy Pizza, and More Food News – Flagpole
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Pompeii Dishes Up Dreamy Pizza, and More Food News
by Amanda JohnsonAugust 12, 2026
POMPEII (427 E. Broad St., @pompeiiathens): The brain child of locals Brian Highlander and Daniel Ray replaced another downtown Italian restaurant, Depalma’s, in a seemingly elegant succession
The interior is much the same as its predecessor, with an impressive bar and a private dining room with stained glass accents. There are two sides of the space: one is a long corridor of comfy booths, the other is up front by the kitchen pass, where you can somewhat see into the kitchen. There is even a little fishbowl window that showcases one of the stations. As a chef, I was far too mouthy/vulgar/stoned to ever work in a customer-facing kitchen. I do salute those who can; you’re doing the Lord’s work.
The menu was thoughtfully curated in collaboration with chef Matt Palmerlee (The National). You’ll find textbook classic pasta dishes, hearty sandwiches and some tantalizing specialty pizzas. There are plenty of vegetarian menu options. There’s even a vegan broccolini sandwich that piqued my curiosity, but not hard enough for me to pass up the opportunity to eat lots and lots of mortadella. For the uninitiated, mortadella is a cold cut that originates from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It is bologna studded with pistachios, peppercorns and chunks of pork fat that make a delicious mosaic morsel when sliced thin. I thoroughly appreciate any menu that allows you to enjoy mortadella on a salad, sandwiches and pizza.
Pompeii’s mozzarella sticks are made in-house from buffalo mozzarella dredged in a mix of breadcrumbs and za’atar seasoning. If you are yearning for a dramatic cheese pull moment, these are for you. I also ordered the garlic knots, though what came out to the table were more like garlic “nots.” The dough person used some creative license when shaping these. The resulting freeforms, lightly tossed in garlic, were fluffy and fine. The marinara served with both of the above is an uncomplicated concoction of tomatoes, olive oil and salt; the sauce proves that sometimes less really is more.
I enjoyed the Italian sandwich served on house-made focaccia with heaps of mortadella, soppressata and capicola (say it with me, “gah-bah-GOOL”). The focaccia is springy, and holds up well to the calabrian chili mayo and spicy mustard.
The mortadella pie was delightful—the interior is thin and crispy with a flavorful and perfectly chewy crust. The execution was deliberate. The pistachios are baked under the cheese to keep them from burning, the ricotta and mozzarella were evenly distributed, and the mortadella and arugula placed atop the pizza after it came out of the oven. All of that effort added up to one dreamy pizza
What distinguishes Pompeii from the myriad other Italian restaurants in town? For me, it’s the seasoned townie staff that provides genuine good service, a killer pizza dough recipe and a lot of heart. Oh, and mortadella, of course
Pompeii is closed on Tuesdays and open Sunday and Monday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.–10 p.m
BAR BRUNO (1664 S. Lumpkin St., barbrunoathens.com): My sister Rachael was in town recently, and it was the perfect opportunity to finally check out Bar Bruno
The patio was inviting with lush planters and a neat collection of orange sherbert colored umbrellas with white fringe. Lace lined the front windows, and a bold gold leaf sign shimmered off the glass. Are we in Five Points, or is this the Amalfi coast? Upon entry we were greeted by a man in a green blazer with a gold artichoke pin on the lapel who encouraged us to take a look at the menu, order at the counter and find a table
I am sure the wine is fabulous, but we were feeling cocktails. Our favorite was the saffron sour, which was an ethereal blend of gin, saffron liqueur, lemon and egg white. It took me a while to get here, but I am finally pro-egg white in cocktails. The velvety texture created by the gently denatured egg protein is luxurious and not at all eggy.
Food and drink are served on charmingly mismatched vintage floral plates and unique glassware like you might find at your Nonna’s house. The meatballs were classically good, no notes. The ‘nduja panino, a baguette slathered in spicy salami spread with lemon aioli and arugula, was simple and satisfying. The best thing we tried was the arancini. The juxtaposition between the crispy fried exterior and the gooey rice center— holy flavor spheres, Batman!
The waitstaff is adorable in their matching green artichoke blazers; the uniform really does a lot to elevate the experience. You can even buy your own Bar Bruno blazer if you are so inclined. I settled for a complimentary pen. It says, “Bar Bruno semplicata sfumata,” which translates to “nuanced simplicity.” I’d say that’s pretty accurate
Bar Bruno is open Monday–Thursday from 11 a.m.–9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.–10 p.m., closed Sundays
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