95216 Wed Sep 14 20:43:11 -0700 2005 80 6 Southwest 0 520960 Good pizza in Phoenix besides Pizzeria Bianco? Thanks. Rudy Wed Sep 14 20:43:11 -0700 2005 0 Rudy Storch 1 520962 Classic Italian Pizza in Tempe has a couple of excellent pizzas on their menu. If you're in the mood for New York style then Santisi Brothers in north Phoenix is great. Sicilian crust, then La Famiglia in Chandler is excellent. They also do a mean stromboli, and their New York style is very good too. That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Wed Sep 14 21:47:41 -0700 2005 520960 0 IamJacksBrain 2 1898241 I don't live in that area, but my son went to medical school in the area. When I go to a new city, I always seek out the best pizza. Hope I remember the name of this place, I am pretty sure it was called Ralph's or Ralph's something and it was on 59th just south of Bell in Glendale. Their salads and dressing are excellent too. You can dine in or carry out. Let me know if anyone has been there and what you think. Sun Sep 24 08:26:56 -0700 2006 520962 23423 cheri 3 2675257 The pizza place you are thinking of is Ray's; and it is on the NE corner of 59th and Greenway. The staff is largely Albanian and the cuisine is mostly Northern Italian. Their Neopolitan style pizza is what I grew up on so I can't claim objectivity; but I will say it is great. The BEST pizza in Phoenix however is Pizzaria Bianco. Hands down. It is sublime. Tue Jun 19 15:31:59 -0700 2007 1898241 106518 wateriswet 4 2679563 No, actually this is the place I was talking about: Ralph's LA Hacienda Pizzeria 15236 N 59TH Ave (south of Bell) Glendale, AZ 85306-3206 Phone: (602) 978-2780 Great pizza and salads! Wed Jun 20 20:11:46 -0700 2007 2675257 23423 cheri 2 2724802 I tried Classic Italian Pizza for the first time last night - I'd been meaning to for ages. It was very good. I had a pizza with ham, mushrooms and egg (?) on it. Perfectly crispy, not greasy. My dining partner and I polished off the whole thing. The only disappointment was the caprese salad before the pizza. The basil was really bitter and threw off the flavor of the whole thing. But I will defintely be back. Fri Jul 06 11:51:06 -0700 2007 520962 90135 cowateni 3 2725103 I'm a big CIP fan, but I agree with your assessment. CIP does great pizzas -- as good as Bianco in my opinion, but without the arduous wait for a table. The restaurant is not as strong, however, with salads. Those seems a litte more prosaic with less attention to ingredient quality. Did you try any desserts? I've found those quite good at CIP. Fri Jul 06 13:19:58 -0700 2007 2724802 26466 silverbear 4 2725645 I did try the tiramisu. I found it be delicious. I'm embarrased to say that my favorite tiramisu is from bucca di beppo, though, so I'm obviously not an expert. Fri Jul 06 15:48:19 -0700 2007 2725103 90135 cowateni 5 2726067 funny i love their cheesecake. Fri Jul 06 18:36:02 -0700 2007 2725645 70009 abbefaith 4 2726066 ooo how did you do that little trick silver? Fri Jul 06 18:35:44 -0700 2007 2725103 70009 abbefaith 5 2726336 You mean the little balloon icon with the restaurant's name and address? Just use the "Link to a place BETA" link when replying to a post or starting a new topic. It's a new feature on Chowhound. Fri Jul 06 21:00:13 -0700 2007 2726066 26466 silverbear 6 2727242 hehe yes i figured it out after i commented. pretty cool! thanks! Sat Jul 07 10:19:26 -0700 2007 2726336 70009 abbefaith 1 520996 My failsafe is Florencia The Pizza Bistro in Ahwatukee. Fri Sep 16 11:11:24 -0700 2005 520960 0 themis 2 2672616 Florencia is our favorite too, we love the Tuscany. Mon Jun 18 21:51:36 -0700 2007 520996 106056 firecooked 3 3473765 I third Florencia. Their Margarita is the best I've had! Sat Mar 08 17:24:46 -0800 2008 2672616 173106 rwpeil 1 520999 Iamjacksbrain got to Classic Italian before I did, so... I enjoy the occasional pizza from Oregano's, but there is always a wait (but not as bad as at Bianco's). Start out with any appetizer that comes with marinara for dipping (the calamari is good *most* of the time), their marinara is so good I've been tempted to have an appetizer of nothing more than a side of marinara and a spoon. With the pizzas, go for the thin crust if you like to have just a few toppings, the stuffed pizza if you want to pile 'em on; thin crust gets soggy when weighted down with too much of a good thing, and if you don't have a bunch of toppings in the stuffed pizza it feels like you're eating just a ginormous chunk of melted mozzarella. And you *must* have a pizzookie for dessert. It is a very serious contender for Best Dessert In Arizona. It's so simple- cookie dough (chocolate chip or white chocolate/macadamia) pressed into a pizza pan, baked until the bottom is dark brown and caramelized but the top is still gooey, then topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate chips. It's a dessert that you just want to relax and savor, but if you do that everyone else in your dining party is going to scarf it down like a pack of hungry wolverines. Link: http://thecosmicjester.blogspot.com Fri Sep 16 19:10:03 -0700 2005 520960 0 JK Grence (the Cosmic Jester) 1 521001 Am I the only one in town that thinks Bianco is overrated? It's good, but nothing close to the press they get. I like Classic Italian Pizza and Sanguini's (in far-east Mesa) better. Actually Sanguini's temporarily closed to switch locations, and I haven't heard their status for a while. I also love Oregano's (and their Pizookies), NYPD Pizza, Famous Ray's (N. Scottsdale), La Famiglia, and Patsy Grimaldi's. For delivery, I call the nearest Rosati's which is pretty good for a low-cost chain. Fri Sep 16 19:59:29 -0700 2005 520960 0 inkling 2 521013 We agree with you that Bianco is fine, but not worth all the hype -- we don't get the "best in America" designation. Sat Sep 17 10:33:58 -0700 2005 521001 0 Sarah C 3 521026 When my wife or I mention our attitude toward Bianco, people look at us as if we've committed blasphemy or something. Lighten up, people -- it's good, but it's just pizza! (and Classic Italian is better! :-) Sat Sep 17 18:43:59 -0700 2005 521013 0 inkling 2 521020 You like Sanguini's better? Really? I had high hopes, and loved the idea of an Italian Grocery and Pizza joint close to my house (before they moved). But I found their pies mediocre, and the service was horrible. The groceries were dusty and overpriced. I really thought Pizzeria Bianco was excellent pizza, but tastes vary. *I* think Oregano's is overrated, though pretty good. Sat Sep 17 16:26:02 -0700 2005 521001 0 Darrin Chandler 3 521024 Maybe a lot of it is personal taste. Sanguini's Margherita Pizza was one of the finest pies I've ever had. It was a wacky little market though -- do you know if they've relocated yet? I'm in Dobson Ranch, so it's a bit of a hike for me to get to that part of town. And don't get me wrong about Bianco's -- I do like it a lot, but their press seems so excessive to me. Sat Sep 17 18:39:25 -0700 2005 521020 0 inkling 4 2694381 When his rent went up, Sanguini relocated once, to a second Mesa location (it was quite hidden). When I drove out to Mesa to try his place, he was loading boxes into a moving truck. He said he'd consistently lost money the last few years and he was moving the wholesale business to Snowflake. I gave him my name and email for a mailing list he was putting together and never heard from him. Tue Jun 26 00:46:56 -0700 2007 521024 50942 don giovanni 2 4233865 Finally someone has the cajones to admit that Bianco is overrated. All the hype leads to the illusion that it's the best. My favorite is Nello's for their sauce and selection of toppings. It's just too bad they are closed Sun-Mon. Tue Dec 09 16:28:03 -0800 2008 521001 199931 ginael 3 4233917 Hmmm. "Finally"? That post is over 3 years old now. I like Nello's too, but it is a different style of pizza. I expect that a lot of people prefer one style over another, but trying to set up a dichotomous comparison ("the best" vs. "the rest") across styles doesn't necessarily make sense to me. Tue Dec 09 16:53:12 -0800 2008 4233865 86822 hohokam 1 521002 Three Recomendations and sorry to say that they are not in the east valley as so many others are. 1. La Grande Orange 40th and Campbell 2. Red Devil 28th and Mcdowell 3. Grazi- Scottsdale Fri Sep 16 19:59:51 -0700 2005 520960 0 Leanne 1 521003 Three Recomendations and sorry to say that they are not in the east valley as so many others are. 1. La Grande Orange 40th and Campbell 2. Red Devil 28th and Mcdowell 3. Grazi- Scottsdale Fri Sep 16 20:00:04 -0700 2005 520960 0 Leanne 2 1898223 Just as a side note...La Grande Orange doesn't serve pizza during all of their operating hours-I believe it's just on the weekends or after certain hours, or both...I have been there a couple of times but never at "pizza time" so I have yet to try it. Also, I do agree with previous posts that Bianco is a bit overrated so I'd be interested to see if LGO is better. Sun Sep 24 07:16:06 -0700 2006 521003 17961 Jess321 3 2672594 we love lgo's pizza. they start at 11 am on weekends and 4 pm on weekdays. we're biggest fans of the non-traditional pizzas. and being a carnivore, i even have to agree with the wife that their vegetarian pizzas are the best. we love going with a couple other folks and getting a trio of the roasted corn (goat cheese, corn, roasted tomatoes & basil), mushroom party (sauteed minced crimini, button & oyster mushrooms w/sweet onion & tomato) & avocado (avocado, tomato, basil, lemon juice & lemon zest). i also think the padre is killer (proscuitto, fig, arugula & mozzarella). bianco is still on our must do list. Mon Jun 18 21:42:43 -0700 2007 1898223 80169 ccl1111 1 521040 We've had terrific luck with repeated visits to La Stalla in downtown Chandler. Also can recommend the pasta - way good. Sun Sep 18 18:18:25 -0700 2005 520960 0 jkgourmet 1 521051 Here's a vote for Grazie in Old Scottsdale. Mon Sep 19 10:28:45 -0700 2005 520960 0 Frank X. 1 1827275 I would agree that Classic Italian Pizza is quite good, although I know there was a change of ownership about a year ago and I haven't been there since. Also very good is Miele's in Tempe (Guadalupe & McClintock). Wed Aug 23 14:48:45 -0700 2006 520960 27984 10isdad 2 2673515 I second the mention for Miele's in Tempe. ;-) Tue Jun 19 08:40:48 -0700 2007 1827275 73847 ggdinero 1 1829309 Might there be 2 trains of thoughts here? - A destination pizza where you don't mind a wait to share a pie with like minded friends? Usually dinner. - A place to grab a slice to fend off a nagging tummy? Usually driving around on errands, or for a quick escape from work. For the latter, I like Slices (Old Town and Mill Ave) and Joe's (Old Town) - thoughI prefer the $5 stromboli. For the former, it might be Cibos and I hope to try Classic and Biancos. I like Grimaldis, but for others the style doesn't work. I hope to build an outdoor pizza oven this fall if anyone wants to help or has resources/knowledge on how to do this. Please pop me a note. Cheers, Jon Thu Aug 24 02:30:39 -0700 2006 520960 15036 tastyjon 2 1829453 Post the oven question to the Cookware board... I've got some good links Thu Aug 24 04:17:16 -0700 2006 1829309 22016 Pincho 1 1829350 Cibo @ 5th Ave south of Roosevelt - in big Victorian house on corner with parking in back - wonderful woodfire pies and great wines in a setting that makes you feel you're dining at an old friend's house. Thu Aug 24 03:01:12 -0700 2006 520960 28148 blur 2 1829641 I will echo the Cibo recommendation.... very good. As for Bianco's - I LOVE IT & Oregano's - I HATE IT!!!!!!!! I guess differences are what makes the world go round!!! Thu Aug 24 08:17:17 -0700 2006 1829350 16173 Gastro Al 2 1830687 What is the wait time like for Cibo? Is it as insane as Bianco? Thu Aug 24 18:49:58 -0700 2006 1829350 28250 emokid 3 1830724 We went to Cibo a month or two ago. We got there around 6 or 6:30 on a Wednesday and got right in. It seemed to fill up quick after that, though. As for the food, it was ok. The crust was good when it first came out of the oven, but by the time I was about 1/2 done, it was soggy. That was a big turn-off for me. I've never been to Bianco. Seth Chadwick reviewed Cibo at some point and it was pretty close to the same experience we had. Thu Aug 24 19:02:22 -0700 2006 1830687 21290 Firenza00 4 2673565 I have been to Cibo three or four times, and never have had to wait. Service is always good. I agree about the pizza getting soggy after it has been out of the oven for a few minutes. I am not a fan of their proscuitto, either. It tastes gamey to me (but I only ordered a pizza with it once, maybe they had a bad batch). But besides the soggy problem and proscuitto, I love Cibo. I love the atomosphere there, and the nutella crepe dessert things (especially the one with nutella and mascarpone - yummy). I quite like Nello's for pizza, too (in Ahwatukee), but that may just be because it's only a mile away! Tue Jun 19 08:50:17 -0700 2007 1830724 90135 cowateni 1 1896571 I dream of pizza from Pizzeria Bianco- I think he makes the best pizza in PHX. It is hard to stomach the wait- you wind up drinking too much wine next door before you can even get seated. HOWEVER, I still love it after many years of eating it. Mrs. Bianco makes one dessert each day and they are usually pretty darn good. La Grande Orange also makes good pizza- lots of different flavors and good quality ingredients. Not thin like Bianco's but very satisfying. Sat Sep 23 04:03:37 -0700 2006 520960 42541 ranner 1 1898225 In no particular order, some of my top spots: - Classic Italian Pizza (Tempe) - Cibo (downtown Phoenix) - Pizzeria Bianco (downtown Phoenix) - LGO Pizzeria (Phoenix Arcadia) - Sauce (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Tucson) Sun Sep 24 07:25:24 -0700 2006 520960 42182 Phoenix Foodie 1 1898243 When my son was in medical school in the area there, we discovered a place that had great pizza. It is called Ralph's La Hacienda or maybe just Ralph's and it is in Glendale on 59th just south of Bell. We went there a number of times during a few trips to the area. I am a pizza afficiando (sp?) and know good pizza, this definitely was memorable. Great salads and dressing also. They have many other things on their menu as well. Sun Sep 24 08:38:17 -0700 2006 520960 23423 cheri 1 2672194 Pat's pizza plus is so close to NY pizza its glendale and maybe 7th ave???? Mon Jun 18 18:56:08 -0700 2007 520960 63433 drewb123 2 2673606 PPP is at 12 ST/Glendale. I'm not a fan of the surly service, but it's good pizza. Tue Jun 19 09:01:01 -0700 2007 2672194 13915 mamamia 1 2675227 The best NY-Style pizza I've had here in the valley is a little tiny place called Bell'Italia in Ahwatukee (SE corner of 48th St and Chandler) The people who own the place are a family from Connecticut who moved out here and couldn't find pizza like what they had back home. IMO, it's much better than NYPD. Tue Jun 19 15:23:54 -0700 2007 520960 82030 NJgirlinPhx 2 2675249 A personal recommendation for you, NJgirl...give Ray's Pizza a shot. http://www.rayspizzaaz.com/index.html I'll have to try Bell'Italia as I get down that way quite often, so thanks. Tue Jun 19 15:30:15 -0700 2007 2675227 67548 azhotdish 3 2700641 Oh, thanks, I think I heard about them! I will put them on my list of places to try!! Wed Jun 27 14:33:47 -0700 2007 2675249 82030 NJgirlinPhx 2 2683474 I agree. We haven't been to Classic Italian or Pizzaria Bianco yet so can't compare but Bell'Italia is great. Their ingredients are always fresh and they're generous with the toppings. I don't know that I would quite call it NY-style though. It's probably more similar to the pizzas I've had in the Boston - Worcester area... and that's a good thing! Thu Jun 21 23:53:09 -0700 2007 2675227 68092 Doug in Mesa 3 2700665 Really? That's strange to me because to me Bell'Italia is just like Pizza 33--our go to place whenever we're back in Manhattan. What do you consider NY Style? Just curious :) (this is said in an inquisitive tone, not a confrontational one--I'm not good at infusing tone in my typing :-P) Wed Jun 27 14:41:36 -0700 2007 2683474 82030 NJgirlinPhx 4 2701745 Well, I guess Bell'Italia's crust reminds me more of the pies we had in N.E. I would probably cite Buono's as the most similar to what I remember from NYC, and that's not a bad thing either. Most of our NY pizza experiences were in Syracuse and Buffalo. Bell'Italia is our favorite around here so far... Wed Jun 27 21:26:10 -0700 2007 2700665 68092 Doug in Mesa 5 2808656 Ah Okay, that makes sense, Upstate is very different from NYC Metro :) Thu Aug 02 15:43:04 -0700 2007 2701745 82030 NJgirlinPhx 2 2805915 What pizza(s) would you recommend at Bell'Italia? Also, how are the other items on the menu? P.S. If you go to their website, they have a 20% off coupon valid for Mondays or Tuesdays July-August (scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page). http://www.bellitaliapizzeria.com/wst_page3.html Wed Aug 01 22:29:18 -0700 2007 2675227 115897 PHX Becky 3 2808660 I'm a sucker for a good plain (cheese only) pie. DH loves the pepperoni and sausage and I sometimes get the green peppers. I will say that I really appreciate the quality of ingredients they use. I don't think any combo would be dissapointing. Thu Aug 02 15:44:23 -0700 2007 2805915 82030 NJgirlinPhx 4 4231493 Belle'Italia is mighty fine New England style pizza. The toppings and ingredients are both plentiful and top quality. Highly recommend giving this place a try. Lar Mon Dec 08 23:06:26 -0800 2008 2808660 108909 Lar 1 2679559 For NY style in the East Valley, Venezia's, but you have to get the Party Size so the pieces are big enough to fold and the crust-cheese-sauce proportions are right. Am married to a New Yorker who swears by their pies. Wed Jun 20 20:09:57 -0700 2007 520960 95577 yamalam 2 2679570 I've heard Venezia's is very good. In the same general area, my former fave, Pizza Town, is no more, but Buono's at Dobson & Guadalupe offers an honest New York pie, and the 18-inch version is plenty pliable for folding if you're into that. In my part of town, A Slice of Sicily at 38th & Indian School is a very good New York-style choice. Wed Jun 20 20:15:14 -0700 2007 2679559 85615 misohungrychewlow 1 2683488 If you want the best pizza in this city, you go to Bianco. If you aren't willing to wait 2 hours for pizza (like myself) you will go to Cibo, Grazie, Grimaldi's, or Oregano's. Fri Jun 22 00:13:55 -0700 2007 520960 88637 AZBconcierge 2 2726619 Grimaldi's? Ha! It's bar none THE worst pizza I have had anywhere. I would seriously rather go have the lunch buffet at Peter Piper than go to Grimaldi's again. The overpriced pie featured a burned crust that dominated most bites, sauce that tasted like nothing unless you bit into a basil leaf, homemade mozzarella that reminded me of unsweetened marshmallows, meat toppings that I think were made of rubber, and the roasted red peppers overwhelmed anything that they came close to. Add to this exorbitant pricing and waitstaff that obviously don't care, and I wonder how the hell they're still open. Oregano's is for when you're willing to wait one hour instead of two. You really should try getting off the beaten path some, AZB, you'll find some real gems. Classic Italian is very much worth a visit, and there have been some great things said recently about Redendo's up in Fountain Hills. Sat Jul 07 01:26:42 -0700 2007 2683488 10996 JK Grence the Cosmic Jester 1 2689047 If you're looking for really good NY pizza we love Carrusotti's on Bell and Tatum. Eddie is from Jersey and knows how to make a mean pie. The Godfather is my new . Sun Jun 24 10:21:57 -0700 2007 520960 11867 charlieboy 1 2689654 where else aside from oregano's has good thin crust? Sun Jun 24 15:44:15 -0700 2007 520960 70009 abbefaith 2 2690069 There's lots of places with good thin crust, but if your'e referring to the Chicago style with relatively sweet sauce, cut into squares, then Spinatos wins, hands down. I usually use the 12th St./Glendale location and have sampled the one on Bell Rd. -- haven't visited the others. I recommend the special spinach pie or the meatball, or both combined. Not cheap, but delicious. Often cops in there -- eating, not enforcing the law ... Sun Jun 24 18:52:40 -0700 2007 2689654 85615 misohungrychewlow 3 2690190 spinato's was not my thing AT ALL! I am from NY and met a foemer NY who swore by the place we went 5 months ago or so and oh my goodness i was disgusted. I also don't like oregano's Sun Jun 24 19:47:25 -0700 2007 2690069 63433 drewb123 4 2690344 Yo, it's not New York pie, it's Chicago thin-crust pie, FWIW -- don't engage me on east coast pie -- I'm from southern CT -- you lose. Scorched earth ... (and crust ...) Sun Jun 24 21:05:52 -0700 2007 2690190 85615 misohungrychewlow 4 2691346 I have to echo the disappointment with Spinato's. The 12th and Glendale site is in my neighborhood, so I gave it a try recently. The tomato sauce was excessively sweet to the point that it marred the entire pizza for me. Mon Jun 25 09:11:17 -0700 2007 2690190 26466 silverbear 3 2691315 yes chicago thin! thanks :) Mon Jun 25 09:04:20 -0700 2007 2690069 70009 abbefaith 2 2691184 For the seared cracker-thin crust, Napoli style, Grazie wins, IMO. We also have a couple of outposts of Patsy Grimaldi's, but I think Grazie's organic ingredients, hand-pulled mozzarella, and all-Italian wine list beat it for quality. It's a very rare instance of choosing wood-fired over coal-fired, for me. Mon Jun 25 08:29:27 -0700 2007 2689654 10846 themis 3 2691321 i have been meaning to try grazie forever! i went in there once and no one greeted us for a while, so we left... that was a few years back, so i think i'm over it now and willing to check it out. Mon Jun 25 09:05:06 -0700 2007 2691184 70009 abbefaith 1 2691442 Perhaps a strange recommendation, but I wanted to try something new at Pita Jungle (Arcadia) on Saturday and ended up ordering the lavosh pizza ($7.95). The crust was nice and crispy and had a slight char flavor that I enjoyed; the toppings were very fresh. It is definitely big enough to share for moderate eaters, and I definitely would order it again. Mon Jun 25 09:39:00 -0700 2007 520960 67548 azhotdish 2 2694393 I agree. PJ's pizza is good (and unusual). Tue Jun 26 01:02:49 -0700 2007 2691442 50942 don giovanni 1 2694308 For thin-crust pizzas, I like: Venezia's Pizzeria- Spinach and mushroom (how I miss 'shrooms! I'm allergic to them :( Miele's- white pizza... I dream of those ricotta chunks! Nello's- Spinach, Alaskan King (!!), and both spicy-flavored pizzas... can't recall the names... all of the pizzas I've tried there are great! Classic Italian Pizza- tried a thin-crust here once. Thought it was good. Casino Arizona's Wandering Horse Cafe (at Indian Bend)- try the vegetarian! Many other pizza fans swear by the pizzas here. Oregano's- the Cajun Chicken Pesto is very good! Good thin-crust, although some parts of the square-shaped pizza were soggy. The eggplant lasagna (layers of eggplant instead of pasta) is very good, as well. For calzones: NYPD- THE BEST Nicantoni's - The first calzone I've ever tried, and I thought it was the best until I tried NYPD's. A coworker told me she preferred Old Chicago's, but I found the calzone there to be terrible! But then again, I like my calzones crispy, not doughy. Has anyone tried the calzones at Grimaldi's and Nello's? I've yet to try the pizzas at Amano's Pizza Bistro. Has anyone visited this place recently? Care to suggest pizzas and entrees to try here? I'd love to try pizzas at Bianco's, Grazie, Cibo, and La Grande Orange, but need others to join me! Will someone start a Phoenix pizza meetup group? Is there a Chowhound group I could join?? Mon Jun 25 23:29:05 -0700 2007 520960 106866 starlightjulian 2 2694695 http://groups.google.com/group/PhoenixHoundGathering We've used the strength of numbers to get a reservation at Bianco, twice. Tue Jun 26 06:12:04 -0700 2007 2694308 10852 johnseberg 2 2805092 I have to second (third?) NYPD. When we come out from LA, which has little NY pizza, we make sure to get a pie at NYPD. Wed Aug 01 17:03:51 -0700 2007 2694308 13283 julietg 2 3669792 I went to Amano's this week; pizzas were pretty good with chewy, thin, nicely baked crust. Toppings seemed to be applied rather indiscriminately, but I usually redistribute them anyways. Quality was good overall and I was glad to see that the artichoke prosciutto pizza (which was the only one I ordered) came with prosciutto and not canadian bacon (which happens sometimes). Nice interior; cozy and very italian in feel (like Florence with cement brick walls in quirky cave-like spaces, not Little Italy checkered tablecloths)... really nice coffee, but the flourless chocolate torte was hugely disappointing as it looked and tasted more like an oversized piece of fudge. I would definitely go for the pizza again if I were in the vicinity at mealtime; but wouldn't drive over 30 minutes just for that purpose... Thu May 08 15:12:20 -0700 2008 2694308 141035 oryza 1 2694397 I think Nello's is good. It helps that they have Mirror Pond Pale Ale (from my home town) on tap. Tue Jun 26 01:06:42 -0700 2007 520960 50942 don giovanni 1 2804648 I don't think anybody has mentioned Rare Earth Coffee and Wine Bar in this thread... Really good thin crust. I favor the Four Cheese and the Margherita. Wed Aug 01 14:51:07 -0700 2007 520960 104121 hollyeve 1 2805831 Arcadia rats like Mamma Mia on 40th and Indian School, good other Italian take as well. Also something new at Mondrian Hotel, they were passing out free pie at HH the other day and it was outstanding. The restaraunt has changed from Fammia, but the pie was great, wild muchrooms, uncured pepperoni, and truffle oil on the cheese. Wed Aug 01 21:37:11 -0700 2007 520960 100522 kmarg 2 2805878 Did the pizza come from Asia de Cuba, or is there another kitchen at the Mondrian? Wed Aug 01 21:59:08 -0700 2007 2805831 26466 silverbear 3 2807745 Ralph's was good about 25 years ago when Ralph was still running the show. It's gone down hill quite a bit since then....and like Bianco, it takes a while to get your food. Thu Aug 02 12:09:04 -0700 2007 2805878 116299 Jifco74 3 2812872 Couldn't tell if it was from Asia de Cuba, but that seems to be the only restaraunt on property these days. Have to try it for dinner soon! Fri Aug 03 22:25:55 -0700 2007 2805878 100522 kmarg 4 2814804 I have yet to get into Bianca but I really enjoyed Cibo. Sat Aug 04 22:45:21 -0700 2007 2812872 101003 Alta Bob 1 2819826 A handful of my favorites are Cibo, Oregano's, and Sauce. I can't wait to try the others listed in this thread. Mon Aug 06 19:27:27 -0700 2007 520960 117246 Bunsbert_Montcroff