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| - Pizza just doesn't get any better than this. Though we have traded in the 120 degree heat and urban sprawl of Phoenix for the green and walkable goodness of Portland, I will always look back fondly on Grimaldi's as one of the brightest stars in the dark void representing palatable food to be found in Phoenix.
To be sure, there are better restaurants in Phoenix -- but there are no better pizzas. The topping choices are simple and down-to-earth (no pineapple here!), the way a pizza should be: oven roasted sweet red peppers, ricotta cheese (to die for), sun dried or fresh sliced tomatoes, pepperoni, onions, fresh garlic, Italian sausage, meatballs, pesto, mushrooms, and extras of their base ingredients: mozzarella cheese, basil, and "Grimaldi's Famous Sauce." With these kinds of ingredients, you really cannot go wrong, so have fun picking and choosing!
While we like the "white" pizzas with garlic the best, it's not the sauce that makes the difference -- it's the deep, smoky taste of the coal brick oven baked into the thin crust and substantially portioned ingredients. Individual flavors bursting forth from a common shroud of fire.
Grimaldi's also offers a selection of starters, including antipasto and a variety of reasonably priced salads; some hot and cold beverages, including beer; and a few East Coast style desserts like "New York Style" cheesecake, cannoli, oreo cookie (invented in NYC in 1912), and tiramisu.
Of course, all the East Coast style pizza and desserts in the world won't change Scottsdale, AZ, into New York City. Indeed, Patsy Grimaldi's exceeds its New York counterparts by catering to the Scottsdale public and providing finer and more spacious dining areas, both inside and out. Service is prompt and always agreeable, even when things get busy. Speaking of which, be sure to make a reservation for larger dinner parties, especially on the weekend.
Though we've left the desert for greener lands, I'm not sure we'll find a local pizza joint that will compare. Goodbye Grimaldi's, we'll miss you.
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