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| - A for AUTHENTIC
I am Italian from New York (been here since 1970, though). I've spent time in Italy. My mother is Italian (Isabella Viglucci). My husband is Italian as is his mother (Anna Maria Abruscato). I have not been very happy with many so-called Italian restaurants in the valley and was getting a bit sick of the same old offerings. However, that has changed and on the west side no less.j
A group of 6 of us raved from the beginning to the end of the meal. We passed four different antipastos and 6 different entrees. All delicious and reminiscent of my Nonna's food (Antoinette). The bartender, Christian, prepared a number of special drinks, and each of us ordered a second one. The choice of wine for the table was very good for a restaurant of this size. We enjoyed two bottles of super Tuscans--that were perfect.
The service was impeccable. Our waiter paced the courses perfectly and had a lot of information about the ingredients and cooking style for each of the dishes. He made us feel like family, making obvious the priorities of the owners and management. The manager stopped by our table to make sure everything was wonderful--it was.
I loved the rich wood of the room and I was tickled at the red-and-white checkered tablecloths covered by white linen. The bar was stunning and the decor beautiful.
I especially liked the Italian bread with the extra special olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Our basket was replenished without us even asking. Salads were fresh--no brown-edged iceberg lettuce here. The food is not your standard southern Italian fare, (everything covered with red sauce) and each of us remarked that our food was prepared perfectly--not oversauced or salted--a problem at many other restaurants, and something, unfortunately that many of us have gotten used to. No sauce was like another--each perfectly complemented its dish. The meats, poultry, and seafood were cooked just right--they melted in our mouths. It was obvious that the BEST ingredients were used--that olive oil was unlike any I've ever had--and the cuts of meat were just right for the dish as well.
The quantity of food was just enough, especially if having more than one course. The price was competitive with lesser Italian restaurants in the same area. Ask the server about portion sizes. Inform yourself.
We can't wait to go back,, and go back, and go back--in fact, our goal is to try everything eventually. We are a group of friends who moved into the same neighborhood at the same time who cook and eat out together. We call ourselves (get ready for this) the Tastebuds. We often find ourselves driving downtown or to the east valley, but now we have a great place right here in Glendale.
Finally, we on the west side of town can fulfill our Italian cravings (southern Italian fare and Neopolitan-certified pizza next door at Pomo Pizzeria) at an authentic, homey and affordable restaurant. We've been waiting for something like this for a long time. When I closed my eyes, I wasn't in Scottsdale--I was in Italy or my nonna's kitchen. If Toscano Osteria disappears because we don't patronize it, we will only have ourselves to blame and many of us will again have to go to the east side to eat a less-than-satisfactory meal at a less authentic restaurant.
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