Look, I’m just not entirely comfortable with square pizza. And if that makes me a Greater Binghamton pariah, I’m just going to have to live with it. I want my pizza to have a radius, a circumference and all the other mathematical properties that round things have.  If I your pizza’s got straight lines and right angles, I want no part in it.

Luckily, Amici (126 1/2 Henry Street, Binghamton) makes pizza the way God intended. Round, cheesy, saucy and delicious.

Add to that liquor and an upscale atmosphere and I could probably just stick a cot in the back and move in for good.

When I met Dan DiRienzo, he was behaving just as you’d expect somebody who, despite having a wife and three kids, just quit his job to open a dream business—with a mix of infectious, giddy enthusiasm and just a touch of nerves.  He occasionally looked over my shoulder to make sure the tables were turning and that everyone at the bar was receiving good service.

Though from my first impression, it looks as though Dan and the rest of Amici’s ownership have nothing to worry about; the place was packed. Happy, loud, and drinking—the Friday night crowd looked delighted to be there and plenty willing to spend money.

Lots about Amici is still in flux and under experimentation—including the hours. Dan explains that they’ll probably close about an hour before the other night spots in twon; they’re not looking to be the place you stumble into for last call. But they might just be the place you can lounge late on a Saturday night for a nice chat with a friend while most other bars are blasting a pounding dance beat.

And there’ll be plenty to satiate you if you get the munchies.  When I first heard about Amici, I was told it’d be a “pizza pub”. But it’s actually much more than just pizza: appetizers, salads, Italian heroes, pasta and deserts—stop in for a drink, and you’ll probably find yourself tempted into an entire meal.

After my first drop-in for a glass of wine last Friday, I decided to bring my friend Michael back for dinner on Saturday.  My taste in pizza is pretty pedestrian, so I ordered the Quattro Foraggi (Four-cheese pizza. And no, I didn’t have to look that up. OK, maybe I did.) Michael only ordered the Caprese. (Tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil—I don’t think Michael believes in real food.) My pizza was DEFINITELY large enough to share; it fed me for most of Sunday as well. And Michael’s caprese looked delicious—though I wasn’t offered a taste. (Which I’m totally fine with. Whatever.) I’ve included a picture below for your reference, not being able to describe the taste, having not been offered any.  By Michael. Thanks Michael.

Of course, if you’d like something a bit more interesting than the 4-cheese, Amici’s got 16 different pizzas on the menu and an option to build your own. My choice for next visit? “Il Diavolo”, or, as it’s described in the fine print, “Hottest pizza known to man. Notify next of kin. (waiver required).” Oh, and I almost forgot… we started off splitting some homemade fried ravioli that I’d be perfectly happy to substitute for every meal for the rest of my life.

If you spend any time in that neck of the woods, taking in a B-Mets game, visiting the library, or grabbing a drink at Tranquil, you’ve probably already peered into the front window of Amici wondering when you’d be able to give it a try.  Dan and company have had the restaurant in the works for a while; in fact, the concept is based in part on a pizza pub that his family already operates in Atlanta.  So with a pre-existing blueprint for success, they’ve been eager to open too—and they did so last Tuesday almost on a whim.  “We just texted all our friends and told them to come down,” he explained. Whipping up pizzas in the back, they served them free for one night only.  But word has clearly spread.

And despite being extraordinarily busy, Dan took a quick break from managing his new baby in order to answer a few questions…

How did you end up choosing the location–the spot just kitty corner from NYSEG Stadium–for Amici?
After being on the street since 1904 and leaving the family business in 2006, I felt it was meant to be when I had heard Frank’s was for sale.  It had been in our family before and now I am back on the street where I was born. 

Newcomers (like me) might know NOTHING about the history of DiRienzo’s Bakery.  But it’s kind of a Binghamton institution. Can you talk a bit about the bakery?
In 1904, a young immigrant from Avellino, Italy, came to chase the American dream armed with passion for baking and the will to succeed. His cousin soon followed to help establish the bakery in New York. With their hard work, the bakery has survived for more than a century.  Up until 1995 the bakery was run by my father, Luigi who was the oldest, Felice, Carmen and Anthony.  Unfortunately we lost my father in 1995 and my Uncle Felice in 2010.  Carmen and Anthony still run the business today with hopes for many more successful years.

How do you describe the menu to somebody who’s never seen it?
Great gourmet pizzas, not your ordinary appetizers, salads and homeade pasta dishes.  Some of the best tasting sandwiches around on our famous DiRienzo french bread.  You won’t leave hungry.

How about the drinks?
We have 16 beers on tap from domestic to micro brews.  We have an extensive wine selection, some exclusive to us.  We have over 25 different types of bottles chilled.  The word "well alcohol" has no meaning here.  We start with premium liquors and only go up from there. 

You had kind of a leg-up in planning Amici because of your brother’s other location. How did that one come about?
Two nephews of the bakery founders have migrated south to bring their bread and pizza making expertise to Atlanta’s cozy Oakhurst neighborhood.  One being my younger brother, Luigi and cousin Nicholas. They spent many years perfecting their menu and have brought it back to Binghamton for a taste that no one else around here has.

The district where you built Amici is probably known more for neighborhood bars, but you went in a trendier, more upscale direction–obviously investing some money in the space.  Why the change?
I believe in the revitalization of Binghamton.  Everyone thinks Binghamton night life consists only of State Street bars.  My establishment is geared more for those not looking for the under 21 crowd! We pride ourselves on the work that we put in to obtaining the upper scale, trendier, eclectic look. 

You’ve been open for something like 4 days now–kind of a soft launch. Have you discovered any changes you’d already like to make?
Absolutely.  There will always be changes to accommodate our customers and our employees to make everything run as smooth as possible.