Pasta in Phoenix

4743 N. 20th St. East Phoenix

602-368-3273

Italian, Pizza, Pasta, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Sponsor, Slideshow, Readers' Choice

Chris Bianco, one of Phoenix's best-known chefs and restaurateurs, has expanded his local empire with this cozy bistro in the Town and Country Shopping Center. A small, rotating menu of Italian standards and signature Italian-American creations uses the fresh, locally grown ingredients and hits its mark every time with flavor-packed salads, pasta dishes, and entrées priced usually between $15 and $25. As at other Bianco properties, you can expect to wait on the somewhat secluded patio for one of the handful of tables inside. But most likely, you'll discover that your meal at Pizzeria Bianco was well worth the wait.

52 articles

Amante Pizza and Pasta

3345 W. Greenway Rd. North Phoenix

602-358-8444

Italian, Pasta, Pizza, Best Of

The Amante Calzone - a combination of onion, black olives, shredded pepperoni, and spinach folded between flaky crusts - has to be tasted to be believed. Follow it with a slice of Bailey's Irish Cream Cheese Cake at this cozy dining spot, and you and your stomach are happy-happy.

1 article

Amazing Jake's Pizza Factory

1830 E. Baseline Rd. Mesa

480-926-7499

American, Buffet, Pasta, Pizza, Best Of

Forget outdated children’s entertainment destinations like Chuck E. Cheese’s. Mesa is home to a 95,000 sq. ft. indoor playspace with everything from go-karts, laser tag, video games, and rock climbing to an old-fashioned carousel, a train ride, mini golf, bowling, and an interactive area to redeem your hard-earned tickets. All of that fun will make you work up an appetite, so it’s a good thing the indoor amusement extravaganza includes a restaurant with an all-you-can-eat buffet of pizzas, salads, soup, and pasta dishes like beef stroganoff. With kids’ favorites like mac n’ cheese and spaghetti served alongside more grown-up fare like Thai chicken peanut pizza and Florentine risotto (and wine and beer), this is one family-friendly destination that will please people of all ages. There are also desserts galore, including American standbys like chocolate chip cookies, berry crumble cake, cheesecake, and apple pie pizza – all of which can be made à la mode with a stop at the classic soft serve ice cream machine.

2 articles

Bada Boom Pasta Room

4151 N. Marshall Way Central Scottsdale

480-214-2666

Italian, Pasta, Pizza, Specialties, Bars and Clubs, Menu

1 article

Crudo

3603 E. Indian School Rd. East Phoenix

602-358-8666

Coffeehouse, New American, Seafood, Pasta, Critics' Pick

Hidden away in the back of the Gaslight Square Plaza at 36th Street and Indian School, chef Cullen Campbell's contemporary, upscale home of inventive raw seafood, handmade pasta dishes, signature mozzarellas, and wood-grilled fare satisfies on several levels. Featuring a warm and inviting space with intimate bay-window nooks and a main dining area swathed in olive green with wood furniture and tiny flickering candles, diners can expect stellar cocktails and exceptional service along with exquisite, multi-course meals. Look for standout seafood and cooked dishes like Campbell's signature squid ink risotto and housemade gnocchi.

123 articles

Don & Charlie's

7501 E. Camelback Rd. Central Scottsdale

480-990-0900

American, Restaurants, Pasta, Steakhouse, Barbecue, Burgers, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

This old-school chophouse boasts great grub, superior service, and one of the best collections of baseball memorabilia next to Cooperstown, and no, we ain't talkin' about Alice Cooper'stown, bucko. Where else can you see a wall of glassed-in baseballs signed by such legends of the game as Joe DiMaggio, Reggie Jackson, and even Babe Ruth? The food scores a home run, too, with pastas, steaks, prime rib, barbecue, and so on. The crème brûlée or the cheesecake for dessert are not to be missed.

17 articles

Federal Pizza

5210 N. Central Ave. Central Phoenix

602-795-2520

Pizza, Pasta, Salads, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

The fourth project from restaurateur Craig DeMarco and his Upward Projects team (Postino, Windsor, and Churn), this intimate yet lively pizza parlor, housed in a restored 1950s bank in north Central Phoenix, features a thoughtful food and drink menu with dishes ranging from the dependable, to the very good, to the sublime. Satisfying pizzas, designed by master bread maker MJ Coe, feature a slightly crispy and chewy crust with a thick, puffy edge and a harmonious flavor balance of toppings. But don’t stop at the pies. Federal also serves up lively salads, luscious pasta, and killer sandwiches incorporating ingredients like house-made mozzarella, locally procured sausage, and a farmers market’s bounty of vegetables. Read our review.

31 articles

Focaccia Fiorentina

112 N. Central Ave. Central Phoenix

602-252-0007

Italian, Pizza, Sandwiches, Salads, Dessert, Pasta, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

Downtown folks crowd this cozy shop for tasty pastas with homemade sauces (love the signature zesty tomato topped with light ricotta cheese and parsley), gourmet focaccia and baguette sandwiches, salads, and homemade cheesecake. Come hungry.

2 articles

Forno 301

1616 N. Central Ave. #104 Central Phoenix

480-787-5654

Italian, Pizza, Pasta, Salads, Recommended, Best Of, Slideshow

Forno 301 offers a small menu that’s full of expertly crafted dishes. A trio each of salads, Panini, bruschette, and house specialties are offered alongside three daily specials and a dozen different pizzas; highlights include the grapefruit salad, served as layers of tart fruit and slices of fennel tossed with mixed greens and tomatoes. The menu-staple Caprese, a simple, traditional preparation of sliced tomato, mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves with a drizzle of sweet balsamic is the perfect showcase for the mellow, woody olive oil that Forno imports from Italy. The bruschetti are all excellent, none so much as the 3, spread with gorgonzola, figs marmalade, and prosciutto crudo. Ravioli is cheesy pillows filled with ricotta and resting in a buttery broth of sage and olive oil. Decadent eggplant parmigiani is also perfect, layering tender, thin slices of eggplant, smoky mozzarella and tomato-rich red sauce. Forno means “oven,” and this one is hot.

8 articles

Giuseppe's on 28th

2824 E. Indian School Rd. East Phoenix

602-381-1237

Italian, Pasta, Recommended, Best Of

Charming, inexpensive Italian joint run by Richard Bock, former principal cellist for the Phoenix Symphony, who knows his Italian food almost as well as he knows his Mozart, if not better! Bock has a knack for whipping up superb classics like bruschetta, baked ziti, antipasto, spaghetti with meatballs, and veal parmigiana. Our fave is the pink tomato and cream cardinale sauce with pasta, which will have you licking your fork for every last morsel. The interior is no-frills, but the service is excellent, and you'll be hard-pressed to eat better for less in Phoenix.

8 articles

Marcellino Ristorante

7114 E. Stetson Dr. Central Scottsdale

480-990-9500

Italian, Pasta, Recommended, Best Of

Classy, upscale Italian spot where you'll find some of the best house-made pastas in town. Everything from gnocchi in tomato sauce and saffron linguini with clams to red and white strozzaprete (priest-stranglers) and black fettuccine with lobster. Fish and meat entrees are more expensive, but if you stick to the pasta, you won't be disappointed, and it won't wreck your checking account. For dessert, get the panna cotta, which is exceptionally thick and rich. And as a digestif, request the house-made limoncello, a liqueur that'll leave your stomach smiling. Read our review.

50 articles

The Old Spaghetti Factory

1418 N. Central Ave. Central Phoenix

602-257-0380

Italian, Pasta, Menu

Even budget-minded diners get the real deal at this downtown mainstay: All of OSF's entrees come with hot, fresh-baked bread; soup or salad; coffee or tea, and authentic spumoni ice cream for dessert. Match that generous rule with your choice of classic pastas, and top it with one of several delicious sauces, and you've got a meal that's not only filling but also a real pleasure-and cheap, too! For three more bucks, add a side of meatballs or Italian sausage, or just go nuts and order an appetizer, too-like the much-talked-about Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter, an impossibly tasty starter that's great for fans of baked cheese.

4 articles

Richardson's

6335 N. 16th St. East Phoenix

602-265-5886

Southwestern, Seafood, Burgers, Pasta, Critics' Pick, Best Of

CenPho favorite Richardson's of New Mexico burned down in a fire in 2010 and was finally resurrected in early 2012 with the same menu. The new location is alongside sister restaurant Rokerij, which is similar but with smaller plates. As the name implies, Richardson's is a purely Southwestern affair, but that doesn’t mean it’s rundown like a ghost town or fit only for the wildest of cowboys. The restaurant is downright swanky with leather booths, stone and copper accents, beautiful woven rugs on the wall, and a massive marble bar. The outside dining area is so comfy you'll want to hang out all day, especially if you're there for brunch, when diners can enjoy hearty dishes like carne adovada eggs Benedict and green chili meatloaf and eggs. The lunch menu features red chile angel hair pasta with grilled bacon-wrapped shrimp and a green chili cheeseburger grilled over pecan wood. Dinner has similar options along with serious eats like rack of lamb basted with green chile jelly, pork chop chorizo, and New Mexican surf and turf served with enchiladas. Read our review.

18 articles

Sonoran Pasta Co.

Select Farmers Markets Central Phoenix

Pasta

Tarbell's

3213 E. Camelback Rd. East Phoenix

602-955-8100

New American, Seafood, Pasta, Wine Bar, Critics' Pick, Best Of

Mark Tarbell is one of those classic Phoenix chefs who has transcended his kitchen role and become something of a minor celebrity. That is partly due to his Iron Chef America appearance and his smiling persona on his former show, Arizona PBS's Plate & Pour, which followed Tarbell into kitchens and bars across the Valley. It's also due to the food at his still-great restaurant. Tarbell cooked in France and Amsterdam, giving him the kind of classical chops that are becoming increasingly rare among the younger generation of chefs. His menu is threaded with touches of 20th-century opulence, such as caviar and wine-braised escargot. What makes Tarbell's memorable, though, are the creative flavor combinations and non-French influences that Tarbell deftly incorporates. Smoked apple and pear jam sidekicks mozzarella. Scallop crudo is jolted with pomegranate consommé. Some of the heartier old-school dishes sing just as loudly, like a Scotch beef with plainly cooked vegetables and mashed potatoes. The wine game at Tarbell's is formidable, and the cocktail program has kept pace as the bar has been raised for mixed drinks across the Valley. Not all classic restaurants in Phoenix have aged gracefully. This one has — and learned some new tricks over time. Reservations are encouraged. Takeout and wine store orders can be placed on the website.

31 articles

Pasta in Phoenix

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