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| - Went with some family this past Saturday. If you intend on going to this place in the near future, make sure to make a reservation as it will be packed -- then again, you probably shouldn't expect anything less from the restaurant of a celebrity chef. My only complaint is that it took quite a long time to get our orders in (though I can't blame them -- again, packed) but everything after that was fantastic.
If you're going with a large group as we did, you'll want to get a couple of appetizers to split with the table as the portions for each are fairly small (and trust me, by the time these babies hit the table you'll want to try a bit of everything). The bread cart, albeit a bit overpriced for what it is, is worth it if only for the spread. The polenta was easily the creamiest I've ever had and enhanced by the seasonal mushrooms. However, I'll have to say that my favorite of the night was the grilled octopus: tender and flavorful.
As with the appetizers, I did get the opportunity to try a couple of entrees. The soppressata pizza was quite good, with a satisfying snap on the crust. I also tried the ricotta and mascarpone gnudi which was rich and filling despite the small portion size. My favorite out of the bunch was the cavatelli with duck ragu, and it's the reason why I intend on coming back to this place. Perfect balance of tender meat and sauce, complimenting the homemade pasta which, in my opinion, was the real star of the show.
We figured that since we were already deep down into the rabbit hole we might as well get some dessert, the end result of which was an apple crostata and the salted caramel budino ordered for the table. These were the recommendation of the waitress (she informed us that the coconut cake was their not-so-popular menu item) and neither disappointed.
Overall great experience with some of the most delicious food I've ever eaten. If it's in your price range and you live in the Phoenix metro area, you're doing yourself a disservice by not checking this place out.
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