Dine and Dish: Bistro di Bufala in Downtown Visalia

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) — Bistro di Bufala on Main Street in downtown Visalia prides itself on consistency and authentic Italian cuisine in a rustic setting.

“Definitely got re-visits, families,” says chef Tristan Lambert. “We have a lot of regulars who come, sometimes two times a day.”

We started with the chicken marsala dish, which starts in a pan with olive oil and butter. It’s a lightly-breaded chicken breast. It gets mushrooms, slices of lemon and garlic and then white wine and marsala wine.

The chicken marsala is memorable and comes with sauteed veggies.

Orders constantly come out the wood-fired pizza oven.

“This is our white devil pizza — it’s a no-sauce cheese,” Lambert said. “It just got mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, jalapenos, shaved garlic and red chili flakes.”

Flat bread sandwiches start with the same pizza dough.

Some guests prefer the basement.

“It’s a little darker, a little more relaxed,” Lambert said.

There’s a full bar featuring savory cocktails.

“Today, we’re making a caprese martini featuring St. George’s basil-infused brandy,” says manager Erica Enos.

The Valley gin fizz features citrus from Lindcove. Egg white was used to get that fizz.

I recognized the tables downstairs. They came from my high school wood shop at Edison of Stockton.

The bruschetta with fresh cherry tomatoes is carefully plated and presented.

Desserts include the popular pistachio cake.

“We love good food, good vibes,” Lambert said. “We stay busy.”

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