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| - The German philosopher Johann Goethe remarked, "failure is not in falling down; failure is in not getting up again." Like a prize fighter, Chris Bianco's "Italian Restaurant" is getting up again after hitting the ropes. Word of mouth (and mediocre Yelp reviews) are a bitch to recover from, so I say let the reboot redemption begin -pronto.
Set back in a dark corner of the slightly schleppy "Town and Country Mall" (near Trader Joe's), Italian Restaurant is almost hard to find. Walking inside you find a place that does not scream out hipster or cool - but instead yawns with some old paintings that you might find at your cute old Nonna's villa in Naples - with a portrait of a Sophia Loren in her 60's eyeliner glory watching over the dark room. But the food should be the star, right?
If Pizzeria Bianco is Chris' shrine to the ultimate pie, then Italian Restaurant is his nod to the worship of wholesome and satisfying pastas - in the realm of the Nancy Silverton's consistently fantastic "Mozza" in Los Angeles - along with great salads and Apps.
Based on my supremely yummy dinner (especially the home made pastas) last week I would dare say that Italian Restaurant is now serving some of the most satisfying Italian food in Phoenix. As a matter of fact, this is the best Italian I have had since my old fave "Ninetta's" closed over 7 years ago (a hole in the wall at 7th Ave and Union Hills). I would strongly suggest you give this wonderful little Bianco gem a well deserved second chance at delighting your senses.
Let me first state clearly that fellow Yelpers and foodies seeking seeking over the top meals laced with just out of cooking school foamy ribbons and ideas straight from some Euro competition will be sorely disappointed. That was what the old (fired) chef Claudio Urciucoli tried with (what I have read on older Yelp reviews here) mixed results. The new chef Robbie Tutlewski is now in sync with the Bianco's vision - creating hearty meals that any Mamma would recognize in a prosecco.
Bianco is synonymous with simple and yet extremely well executed food that he trys to source locally whenever possible. This man and his gregarious (and much more outgoing) brother Marco are obsessed with growing their own arugula, their own San Marzano tomatoes (which Bianco and his partner in CA are now canning and selling to restauranteurs throughout the U.S.), and even now growing and milling their own wheat for the breads and pastas.
It seems that Bianco has realized that the sheer simplicity of creating traditional and tasty food staples better than anyone else - perfecting them to the highest possible level- with the freshest and tastiest local ingredients - is the secret to success.
Enough background - lets talk about the yummy meal. My wife and I joined another couple here and we ordered a variety of Antipasti: The Cheese Plate Mortada was a sampling of cow, goat and sheep's milk cheeses - all delicious. The AZ Peach salad was a favorite at the table - local and very ripe cut peaches with fresh arugula and flecks of goat cheese with some candied pecans. This is a savory and sweet salad that is (as others have said) perfectly balanced and works like a dream. Yum!
The waiter (Adam I believe) also recommended the earthy grilled zucchini salad - which is complimented with fresh mint leaves, Montamore cheese (like a sharp cheddar) and topped with a sunny side up egg... which added just the right fatty texture and taste.
I think the pasta dishes are the strength at Italian Restaurant - easily some of the tastiest and best pasta in this town! Some people may not understand that the texture of fresh pasta is vastly different than the dried type that is most common - and from what I understand from Chris' brother Marco, the pastas here are made daily by a woman who's only job is to turn out these morsels of home made goodness. The wheat for these pastas is also fresh, and I believe Chris is now milling the flour too - who else would go to such lengths to bring us pasta that tastes like it was lovingly sourced from the Italian countryside?
The "Cavatelli" is a big "O" in terms of flavors - pastas shaped almost like baby hot dog buns - slightly dense and al dente to the bite - served with bits of local Shreiner's sausage, roasted cauliflower and spring onions served up in what I'm guessing was a reduction of stock and a little cream - wow. Fantastic! The potato Gnocchi was pillowy and perfect, complimented by sweet corn and flecks of salty Pancetta.
The desserts we tried were all superb: A fresh peach crostata (like a tart) was buttery and amazing, and the Italian ices (all fresh) are extremely flavorful - the dense chocolate being my favorite. The flourless chocolate cake was excellent but also a little basic as that is standard fare at many restaurants.
Any Yelp reviews prior to May 1st reflect the old chef - come back and try Italian Restaurant soon while it is still easy to be seated. Cue Rocky theme music
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