3225 E Camelback Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85018
Phoenix, AZ 85018
My companions and I arrived promptly at 6:00 and were seated immediately. The decor reminded me of many Italian restaurants in New York right down to the dress and demeanor of the waiters.
We were offered drinks and I opted for a glass of the house Barolo which was mellow and gentle. Others decided on Stella Artois and coffee.
Our orders were taken and in reasonable time appetizers came out for those who ordered them. I had the Fritto Misto which was very young calamari, tender and nicely done. It came with shrimp and zucchini which was also breaded and fried. The shrimp was a nice size, but had a bit of a fishy flavor that I did not enjoy. It was accompanied by the house marinara sauce. Companions had Zucchini Blossoms which were stuffed with mozzarella and ricotta cheese and then deep fried. They found them to be nice.
Main courses came next. For mine I ordered the Pappardelle with short rib ragu. The ragu was excellent but the pasta was nothing like I was expecting it to be. Pappardelle mean rags, and should be hand torn or cut wide noodles in varying widths. This was uniform cut noodles with an unusual consistency and much thicker than it should have been. Both I and another companion left the pasta on the plate but ate the ragu.
Another companion ordered the 10 layer Lasagna. While it was a large portion of pasta, the companion said it was boring because the layers alternated between meat and cheese with no difference or counterpoint to be found in the entire portion.
Yet another companion ordered the Mixed Grill Siciliano which comes with sausage, ribeye, and a chicken breast. Companion said it was good except that they felt the sausage had too much salt in it. Tasting it myself, I found that it did have a bit of salt to it but also a lot of fennel.
Next was dessert time. One companion ordered the cannoli because on the internet it said it came with candied fruit, yet when it came, there was no candied fruit to be found. When our waiter was asked about it we were told that they never got around to changing the menu on line.
Another companion ordered the Tiramisu and enjoyed it and another ordered the Lemon Cello cake. For myself I had the Pistachio Gelato which was nice and creamy but a very large portion.
Inspection of the restrooms showed them to be immaculate and with nothing showing up under ultra violet light.
The bill for 4 people came to $277 which with tip came to a grand total of $333.
3 stars for cleanliness and attentive wait staff. Perhaps my next review will be a bit better.
