First Look: Inside Bicicletta as Chefs Reveal the Menu

When I arrived at Bicicletta for my interview with Chef Andrea Montobbio, he couldn’t shake my hand.

Not immediately, anyway.

Montobbio had been outside digging in the dirt.

The chef behind ENZO Steakhouse & Bar had spent part of his afternoon helping build Bicicletta’s outdoor bocce court alongside his business partner, Chef David Gibbs. By the time I arrived, both men were sweaty, dusty, and working their way through the final details of a restaurant that has consumed months of their lives.

“David did most of the work out there,” Montobbio said, laughing as he pointed toward the court. “I was just doing the easy work.”

That scene tells you almost everything you need to know about Bicicletta.

The restaurant, opening Tuesday in the former Panera Bread space on North Peachtree Parkway, isn’t the product of a corporate rollout or an absentee ownership group. It’s the latest creation from two chefs who still show up with shovels in their hands when something needs to get done.

And for the first time, they’re sharing the menu.

A familiar building with a completely different feel

Anyone who frequented Panera will recognize the footprint.

The walls are largely where they were before. The counters remain in familiar places. Montobbio said the pair saw “good bones” when they first toured the building and chose to work with what was already there rather than gutting the entire space.

But the similarities end quickly.

Where pastries once sat behind glass, a massive copper-tiled pizza oven now dominates the room. Bicycle-themed décor hangs throughout the restaurant. Family photos, cycling jerseys, and personal mementos tell the story of the people behind the concept.

“Everything in here has a story,” Montobbio said.

One wall features photos of his family, including his wife, Mckensey, and their daughter. Nearby hang cycling jerseys belonging to Gibbs. Every detail feels intentional.

“There is a lot of us in here,” Montobbio said.

That personal touch extends outside as well.

Along with the bocce court, Bicicletta will feature cornhole, oversized Jenga, and outdoor gathering spaces designed to encourage people to linger rather than rush through a meal.

“We don’t need another restaurant,” Montobbio said. “There are many restaurants. We have to have an identity.”

For him, that identity is deeply tied to Peachtree City.

“This was built for Peachtree City,” he said. “I fell in love with Peachtree City. I love the community. I love everything about it. That is why we created this place.”

Not another ENZO

Perhaps the biggest question local diners have asked since Bicicletta was announced is whether it will simply be another version of ENZO.

The answer is no.

And that’s intentional.

ENZO has built a loyal following throughout south metro Atlanta as an Italian steakhouse known for premium steaks, seafood, and polished service.

Bicicletta is aiming for something different.

“It’s a different concept,” Montobbio said. “ENZO is a steakhouse, and this is an Italian restaurant.”

The philosophy remains the same.

The ingredients remain the same.

The standards remain the same.

The experience and price point do not.

“The quality we serve at ENZO is going to be the same quality we serve here,” he said. “We’re going to use the same ingredients in a different way.”

That means pizzas starting at $16, appetizers beginning at $12, and fresh pasta dishes ranging from $16 to $28. While there are higher-end offerings, including striped bass, seafood pasta, black truffle pizza, and extensive Italian wine selections, the menu is designed to be more approachable than ENZO’s steakhouse format.

The menu

The heart of Bicicletta is built around two things: wood-fired pizzas and freshly extruded pasta.

Unlike the hand-rolled pasta many diners associate with Italian restaurants, Bicicletta uses an imported pasta extruder to produce fresh pasta daily.

“We make all our fresh pasta,” Montobbio said, proudly pointing toward the machine.

The pizzas begin with a dough that undergoes a 72-hour fermentation process using imported Italian flour. Diners can keep things classic with a Margherita pizza for $16, or venture into more creative territory.

One standout is Bologna’s Dream, a $21 pizza topped with mortadella, burrata, and pistachio vinaigrette. Another is The Amalfi Pie, featuring smoked mozzarella, guanciale, Gulf shrimp, lemon, and arugula.

Then there’s the pizza that Montobbio created specifically to start arguments.

Called Ma NOOOO, the $19 pie combines grilled pineapple, taleggio cheese, and aged balsamic.

“I want to have an argument,” he joked when discussing the controversial topping.

The appetizer menu includes heirloom tomato and burrata, marinated olives, calamari and zucchini, peppernata and sausage, and an aperitivo board loaded with Italian meats, cheeses, and house-pickled vegetables.

The pasta selection ranges from a simple spaghetti with San Marzano tomatoes and basil to seafood-forward dishes like Pipe Rigate e Frutti di Mare.

When asked for his personal favorite, Montobbio immediately pointed to the Radiatore al Vodka, featuring San Marzano tomatoes and sausage.

His wife had a different answer.

“The best pasta I’ve ever had,” Mckensey Montobbio said of the Pappardelle alla Genovese.

She remembers her husband creating the short-rib dish while the couple lived in New York more than 15 years ago. Today it remains one of her favorites and has earned a spot on the Bicicletta menu.

The partnership behind it all

Throughout our conversation, Montobbio repeatedly redirected attention toward Gibbs.

Several times he stopped to make sure his partner’s contributions would be included in the story.

“Please speak about the partner as well,” he said. “It’s very important to us.”

The two chefs first met years ago while working together in Atlanta restaurant kitchens.

Montobbio was the chef.

Gibbs was a cook.

Over time, Gibbs rose through the ranks, eventually becoming Montobbio’s sous chef before joining him in business.

“It was the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Montobbio said of bringing Gibbs aboard.

The partnership remains central to both ENZO and Bicicletta.

While Montobbio conducted this interview, he repeatedly credited Gibbs for helping bring Bicicletta to life.

Several times during our conversation, he stopped to make sure his partner’s contributions would be included in the story.

The bocce court outside is only the most visible example.

“He did most of the work out there,” Montobbio said.

Taking their time

Although Bicicletta opens Tuesday, Montobbio said the rollout will happen gradually.

The restaurant will begin with dinner service only for its first several weeks while the team settles into operations and training. Lunch service is expected to be added after the Fourth of July, with full seven-day-a-week service beginning Aug. 1.

By then, Bicicletta plans to operate from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week and until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

The restaurant is also continuing to hire staff as it prepares for full operations.

“We want to take our time to do it right,” Montobbio said.

A restaurant with a soul

One phrase surfaced repeatedly during our conversation.

Soul.

Montobbio used it when describing Bicicletta. He used it when discussing ENZO. He used it when talking about future restaurant concepts.

“Every restaurant has to have a soul,” he said.

For Bicicletta, that soul seems to be equal parts neighborhood gathering place, family project, and Italian hospitality.

I haven’t eaten at Bicicletta yet. The restaurant wasn’t serving yet during my visit.

I have, however, spent enough evenings at ENZO to know what Montobbio and Gibbs are capable of creating together.

If Bicicletta delivers the same attention to detail that’s visible in everything from its handmade pasta to its hand-built bocce court, Peachtree City is about to gain more than another restaurant. It is gaining a place built by people who seem determined to create more than a restaurant — a place where neighbors can gather, linger, and enjoy one another’s company.

Looking for Bicicletta? As of the end of last week, the restaurant’s exterior signage had not yet been installed. Bicicletta is located in the former Panera Bread space across the parking lot from Target at 1263 N. Peachtree Pkwy., Peachtree City, GA 30269.