Pinsa alert! Beloved Walnut Creek Italian bakery to become Roman comfort food restaurant

Walnut Creek’s authentic Italian cafe, 54 Mint Forno, is getting a makeover.

The owners behind the popular bakery and pasticceria, which has been churning out decadent bomboloni and fluffy foccacia for eight years, is turning the space into a second Bay Area location of their Roman comfort food restaurant, Montesacro.

A letter posted on the door at 1686 Locust St. explained that the impetus for the change came as a result of obtaining a full liquor license. Look for drinks, a new menu and new look sometime in May or early June.

Montesacro, which has locations in San Francisco and Brooklyn, N.Y., specializes in pinsa, an ancient Roman-style pizza made from soy, rice and heirloom wheat flour. The combination yields a thick but light and airy dough with a crispy crust. Look for fresh, seasonal ingredient toppings plucked from small farms both in Italy and here in Northern California.

In addition to nine types of pinsa ($17-$20), featuring toppings like rosemary potato puree, buffalo mozzarella and house lamb sausage, the Montesacro menu also features paninis, Roman antipasti ($12-$17), like burrata imported from Puglia with Cantabrian anchovies and a selection of five housemade desserts ($5-$12).

And not to worry, top-notch espresso and Italian wines will still be in abundance.