Ben Poremba’s Del Bono to bring wood-fired pizza to the Delmar Maker District

Del Bono is situated in the Maker’s Yard between Nixta and Florentin

This summer, Ben Poremba’s Bengelina Hospitality Group will debut its latest concept, Del Bono (5232-B Delmar). Featuring wood-fired pizza, the new concept is slated to officially open June 18 at the Maker’s Yard, a part of the Delmar Maker District that includes Nixta, Florentin, and an expansive public lawn equipped with places to sit, plants, games, and a DJ booth built out of a shipping container. Soft opening “sneak peek light bites” nights have
been scheduled for June 12, 13, and 14.
Here’s what to know before you go.

The Concept

Del Bono’s name has multiple meanings for Poremba. “First of all, it’s the last name of my business partner, Del Buono, which is Italian for ‘of the good.’ I also liked the sound of Del because of Delmar Boulevard,” he says. “It just so happens to be the name of the street I lived on in Italy, Del Buono Street, too.

“What I’m trying to accomplish with Del Bono is that it’s approachable, intentional, and good pizza,” he adds. “It’s going to be a place where you can bring your family or have a date night.”

The Atmosphere

Inside the space previously occupied by Alpha Brewing Company Distillery, Poremba aimed to create a sleek minimal interior inspired by industrial Milan, with mid-century modern features such as oak Ton chairs from his prior concept, Parigi. He worked with architect Patrick Knobloch of Mademan to carry out his creative vision. “All of my work on Delmar has been a collaboration with Doug Auer, Jim McKelvey, and Mademan,” Poremba says.

The dining areas feature art by Julie Heller

The wood-fired oven comes from Maine Oven Craft

The 75-seat dining area features an expansive mural by local artist Julie Heller made entirely out of copper tape that stretches across the dining room’s painted black walls. In addition to the striking figural art installation and matching copper pots suspended from the ceiling, the focal point of the space is its handcrafted, copper-toned, wood-fired oven, which is surrounded on all sides by windows and tall ceilings. Scott Barden from Maine Oven Craft traveled to St. Louis to build the oven, which features a French-engineered Le Panyol core, by hand.

A pantry staples market near the entrance

The central space also includes a bar outfitted with TVs, a pool table, a vintage delivery tricycle, and a mini takeaway market near the entrance, featuring shelves stocked with provisions such as private-label wines. A cooler comes filled with drinks like batched cocktails and Bengelina’s signature prepared foods to-go: tiramisu, tomato sauce, and salad dressing, to name a few.

The space will be available for private events

While the business will always leave some seats open for walk-ins, the dining room’s large footprint will enable sectioning off for private events on the other side of a wood banquette. Another 25–35 seats are available on the front patio.

The Menu

According to Poremba, the artisan wood-fired pies will feature flour from Molino Pasini, which he says is “exceptionally good flour, considered one of the best in the world, milled in Italy.” The dough undergoes a 72-hour fermentation for a fragrant product. The 12-inch personal-size pizzas are so light and airy that he can hold the freshly baked discs up with one hand fresh out of the oven. “It’s not too soft and has a bit more structure, texture, and crunch.”

Greca pizza with spiced lamb, pomo, oregano and chili crisp

Roma pizza with cacio e pepe, artichoke, black garlic, and Romano

The opening menu will feature five basic pizzas with the option to add toppings, such as roasted tomatoes, mushroom confit, preserved lemons, and artichokes. Choose from such varieties as the Rossa (with pomo, Romano, pizza oil, oregano, and mollica); the Rita (Del Bono’s version of a margherita); and Pizza Bianca (with stracciatella, Romano, and pizza oil).

Fragola pizza with strawberry, stracchino, onion, basil, and balsamic

Tina pizza with truffle fonduta, morel mushrooms, potato chips, and parm

In addition to essentially build-your-own pies, five signature options without modifications will change on a regular basis. Poremba calls them experimental pizzas, with such offerings as the Fragola (with pomo strawberry, stracchino, onion, basil, and balsamic). One of the chef’s favorites is the Enzu (“with my go-to Sicilian sausage, crafted for us by Vince Di Piazza who owns Ditalia.”)

Additional offerings include pizzetas with charred cherry tomatoes, a weekly calzone, and sfincione (a Sicilian slice made of spongy fontina focaccia that gets rebaked in the oven with olive oil and tomato sauce, topped with pecorino-spiced bread crumbs and oregano).

A few salads include such options as the Angelina (named after Poremba’s wife and topped with peeled tomatoes, hearts of palm, artichokes, and mimosa dressing that has hard-boiled eggs, capers, and parsley among its ingredients).

“Another big thing is we’ll have soft-serve gelato. You can just come in and get gelato without having to have a whole meal,” Poremba says. In addition to gelato, he’s excited to offer house-made desserts, such as a giant cannoli and panna cotta.

From the bar, guests can choose from a selection of local and Italian beers, as well as spritzers, negronis, and martinis. “We make an amazing clay pot negroni and will have a spritz using local amaro from San Luigi Spirits,” Poremba says. “It’s absolutely killer and really captures the spirit of what I’m trying to do here by offering something approachable yet interesting, with a touch of sophistication.”

The Backstory

The Bengelina Hospitality Group operates five concepts on Delmar: Esca, Florentin, Deli Divine, Nixta, and now Del Bono—with more on the way: Esca Vino Spuntino, Olio, and Elaia. The company umbrella also includes Bar Moro in Clayton and AO&Co. Market & Cafe in Botanical Heights.

“My commitment to Delmar is this: I tell people I think Delmar is the cultural front porch of St. Louis, and I think to help St. Louis, we have to fill the streets of Delmar,” Poremba says. “My commitment is to bring a variety of concepts that are very different from one another to offer different experiences for people during different times of day at different price points for more reasons to come visit.”

In addition to serving as a shared patio for his concepts, the Maker’s Yard hosts pop-up events such as coffee raves and vintage clothing festivals. “I thought, How cool is it to be able to have a space that is part of the community, regardless of the businesses around it?” Poremba says. “It’s fun to see people and families come in and the neighborhood being active. I just want people to come and hang out.”