Vlad V.
Yelp
I have been to Forno 301 Phoenix two times, both for dinner on weekdays before performances at the Phoenix Theatre Company. While they don't have a parking lot, I was told I could park at Muse Apartments for free. The signage at the apartment complex says that you have to pay, so I wasn't willing to roll the dice. Instead, I've parked for free on a side street a few minutes away by foot both times.
Ambiance (3/5): There's good and bad here. It's a charming Italian restaurant with a nice patio as well as bar seating, high tops, and tables inside. The bar seating has bar stools without back support which is always a detriment for someone with an old man back by me. It's a relatively small restaurant, too. My most recent visit was on a Wednesday evening, and they were almost at capacity. The acoustics are quite bad, so it's one of those experiences where you have to scream to hear your dining partner.
Service (3/5): A tale of two cities. The first time around, the service was solid. The second time around, almost non-existent. Our waiter never came around to check on us and we had to track him down to get a refill and also for the bill. They were busy, but you expect better.
Drinks (N/A): I've had Arnold Palmers both times, so not much to comment on. With that being said, they do have a full bar.
Food (4.5/5): On my first visit, I had their margherita pizza. Simple, but a classic. On my second visit, I had their salame calzone, which is essentially a meat lover's calzone. Their menu consists of appetizers, salads, pizzas, calzones, and pastas. It's a simple menu, without meat-centric entrees. Which is a little different, but what they do, they do well. The pizza here is authentic Italian pizza. I've been to Italy four times and I've had pizza there too many times to count. You can also tell the quality of their ingredients from the quality tomato sauce to the mozzarella used. My only complaint? The calzone was spicy, and this wasn't indicated on the menu. As someone who can't handle too much spice, this took away from the dish for me despite the quality of the ingredients.
Next time around, I need to try one of their pasta dishes. And I have my eyes on their tiramisu, too. Some of the best Italian food, and pizza, I've had since I moved to Phoenix in January.