Outside of ciabatta and olive oil, his mother’s meatball recipe and all the famous faces you see on the wall, Michael Lopercio says the secret for a successful Italian restaurant is simple — treat everyone who walks through the door like they’re part of your family. “My business is my family, everybody says that but we truly are a family restaurant...
READ MOREAdelmo Fornaciari, better known to the world as Zucchero, a nickname given to him by one of his school teachers, is back on a world wide tour that will take him to three cities in the US South West: Los Angeles (September 30 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills) and San Diego (October 1 at Balboa Theatre) in California and Tucson in Arizona (Octob...
READ MOREMici Italian (Mici) a fast-growing, family-owned fast casual chain based out of Denver, Colorado, opens its first Arizona doors today, bringing its brand of fresh, family-focused Italian food outside Colorado for the first time. Mici’s new restaurant is located in the Gilbert, Arizona community at 5498 South Power Road Suite 101 Gilbert, AZ 85295....
READ MOREWhen it comes to Italian food in the Valley, it can usually be broken down into three categories: high-end, fast-casual, and pizza. For individuals who are looking to kick back and enjoy Italian food that is beyond fast-casual, there are a handful of options in metro Phoenix, but often there is a long wait or hours are limited for the restaurants....
READ MOREThe James Beard Awards, arguably the most prestigious accolades in the culinary realm, are back after a two-year hiatus. The awards were abruptly canceled in 2020 amid concerns of a lack of diversity and allegations against some nominees, coupled with COVID-19’s impact on the food world. The James Beard Foundation took time to audit the awards, whi...
READ MOREMamma mia, it’s a new restaurant alert. Over on the east side of Tucson, Guiseppe’s Ristorante Italiano opened its doors to the public at 9431 E. 22nd St. #157. The restaurant was open for business early last week but made the official announcement on Friday, May 27. This is Guiseppe’s second Tucson location, the original location can be found at 6...
READ MOREIt’s hard to find someone with more enthusiasm and excitement than Joey Maggiore when it comes to being a chef and restauranteur. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise since Joey is the son of Valley chef icon, Tomaso Maggiore. Like Father, Like SonFor years, Joey grew up in the kitchen learning from his Sicilian-born father, who was a fixture of...
READ MOREAs COVID-19 restrictions ease, Picazzo’s Healthy Italian Kitchen is serving up a solution for those looking to shed any lingering “Quarantine 15" pounds. Picazzo’s, located at 7325 Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, is an Arizona-based family-owned healthcentric restaurant, offering a menu of salads, entrees, pasta and pizza. The eatery fuses modern-Ita...
READ MOREClaudio Repetto wasn’t sure of the idea at first. Since he was 10, he had played for the academy of Italian Serie A club Genoa, operating with the wide-eyed dreams that accompany academy players. “Your goal is to make it to the first team,” said Repetto, who now plays striker for Phoenix Rising. But here he was, 19 years old, being told by his agen...
READ MORERemember when Fazoli's served up its famous breadsticks and pasta in Arizona? It won't be just a memory much longer... The fast-casual restaurant announced its return to our state on social media Thursday. Fazoli's says it will begin its return to Arizona starting in Phoenix with the first location opening Fall 2022. Eight other locations are repor...
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