One of our favorite spots for delicious Italian food, wine and cocktails is getting even better on the weekends. Bonu Taverna Italiana is debuting full brunch service on Saturdays and Sundays, beginning this weekend.

“Brunch Me Bonu” will be available from 11:30 am – 3 pm every Saturday and Sunday, and after getting a preview of the menu this week, we’d consider it entirely reasonable to stay for food and drink the entire time. The full menu is enough to get the stomach growling, but the stars are the breakfast pinsa, the fried mozzarella sandwich, and Aperol Spritz bottle service.

The brunch menu leans lighter than Bonu’s lunch and dinner menu (though the full menu is still available during brunch hours), and the Italian influence is evident throughout. From frittatas and crostone, to a delicious new chilled cantaloupe and mint soup, there are plenty of smaller dishes to get the day started.

If you’re feeling a bit more peckish, the breakfast burger is an excellent option (topped with sunny side up egg, bacon, tomato, and crispy onions), as are the range of breakfast pinsas on the menu. If you haven’t tried Bonu’s pinsa, it’s an airy and light Roman-style pizza that most closely resembles a lighter focaccia. It’s delicious even without toppings, and we can vouch for the Pinsa Bonu making its debut this weekend – a hands-on pizza topped with a ball of creamy, spread-it-yourself burrata and perfectly sliced prosciutto San Daniele.

We’re also intrigued by the smoked lox pinsa complete with Stracciatella and leeks. The paninis – made with pinsa dough – are likely to be hits, as well. Other options include vitello (a roasted veal and tuna dish), as well as the tonnara, a filling serving of little gem lettuce, tuna filet, boiled egg, olives, radishes, anchovies, fingerling potatoes, veggies, and a mustard lemon dressing.

Now, for two of our favorites. First, the “mozzarella in carroza,” which constituted several of the best bites of cheese we’ve had in sometime. Bonu calls it a mozzarella sandwich, and it effectively is, though the visual experience is similar to the fried mozzarella you’ve seen before. But instead of a log of cheese being battered and deep fried, this version is actual fried bread, sliced thin, and filled with warm, stretchy mozzarella. These aren’t your average cheese sticks.

And of course, what’s a good brunch without something to drink? Bonu’s new Aperol bottle service is ready-made for group activities. Tables get their own 375ml bottle of Aperol and a 375ml bottle of Prosseco to pair with it, allowing each person to make their own taste. Between the two bottles, you can get 6-7 spritzes.

The restaurant itself is actually coming up on its first anniversary of opening in St. Pete, so mark your calendars for their May 26 anniversary party. Bonu Taverna is located at 601 Central Avenue. Follow them on Instagram for more updates.

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