If you’re a fan of pistachio ice cream and gelato, then you may know from reading ingredients labels that many are secretly loaded with almonds. Large producers often balk at spending what they should on the pricey green nut. They advertise pistachio, and they often deliver mostly almond. Sacrificing flavor, seeing dollar signs, they try to buffalo...

When most think of important architects with Arizona ties, Frank Lloyd Wright comes to mind first. And while Wright definitely left his mark on the state, he’s not the only one. Paolo Soleri -- an Italian citizen who who spent his later years in Arizona -- built two experimental communities in the Grand Canyon state: Cosanti in Paradise Valley and ...

The first time Marcellino Verzino cooked at the James Beard House in New York City was in 1998, long before he and his wife moved to Arizona to open a fine-dining Italian restaurant. Nearly two decades later, he is preparing for his second appearance at the prestigious brownstone once owned by culinary legend James Beard. Verzino, owner of Marcelli...

Double digit restaurant anniversary celebration in the Valley of Sun are uncommon to say the least. Make that a 20 year anniversary, in the same location, under the same owners, with the same chef and numerous original staff members, and you have the makings for a most unusual celebration. On October 13th Veneto Trattoria in Scottsdale celebrates t...

When you visit amazing cultural cities like Florence and Rome, there is a central theme displayed on almost every corner… real, authentic Italian gelato. Today, gelato shops have started popping up all across the United States but artisanal Italian gelato is still widely unknown in the U.S. compared to countries in Europe. Now, Gelato Festival is c...

There is something downright restorative and celebratory about a pizza dinner. It's casual, comforting, and feels like a break from workday routines. Add to that feeling the near euphoria of a well-made cannoli, and you've got yourself a humble, but oh-so-indulgent feast. The family-owned Defalco's Italian Deli makes pizza in a stone-fire oven for...

Celebrated chef and restaurateur Tomaso Maggiore launched his first restaurant in the Valley in 1977. Four decades later, he opened his latest venture, Tomaso’s When in Rome. The new 5,000-square-foot restaurant is on the northeast corner of Scottsdale and Pinnacle Peak roads in north Scottsdale. It's the first spinoff of Tomaso’s Italian Restauran...

The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art has announced an October event, unveiling a groundbreaking and unprecedented retrospective of seminal Italian-born American artist and architect, Paolo Soleri. Organized by SMoCA Curator of Contemporary Art Claire C. Carter, Paolo Soleri: The City Is Nature focuses on drawings, sculptures and models that Mr...

She was raised in Italy in a family that loved to cook. Her father ran restaurants in their homeland. But occasionally, Hera Ambrosio, co-owner of Casa Mia Italian restaurant, is stumped by a new customer asking for shrimp scampi or chicken Vesuvio. “People ask me for dishes that I don’t know,” Ambrosio said in an energetic voice that flaunts an al...

I have been coming to Guido's Chicago Meats and Deli since I was in high school. The Italian sub is to die for, but there are so many more options at Guido's. You name it, they have it-- and it's likely made from scratch right there at the deli! Guido's Chicago Meats and Deli has been on Scottsdale Road and Shea since 1983. Owner Joe Guido was trai...