11 Top-Notch Italian Restaurants Around Phoenix

"This rustic-yet-clean-lined Italian restaurant and pizzeria kept the basic design elements of its predecessor, a 1950s beauty parlor, and draws a fiercely loyal clientele who love its midcentury vibe, cocktails, and creative wood-fired pizzas built on thin, chewy crusts. Although the menu hews to pizza classics, a few options, including the daily special, can be deliciously imaginative. Many are topped with fresh ingredients from the small garden near the entrance. There’s even a vegan model, adorned with butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, Calabrian chile, caramelized onion, and almond ricotta. The menu is rounded out with antipasti, pasta, and creative Italian-inspired pane, including a mortadella sandwich assembled with provolone, house pickles, mustard aioli, and onion jam." - Nikki Buchanan