pizza Furiosa now open in Flagstaff (inlcudes full menu)

pizza Furiosa
2500 S Woodlands Village Blvd
(at the corner with all glass walls)
Flagstaff, AZ
928-221-1280 for phone or text orders (dine in or take out) 
menu: see below

pizza Furiosa, the new restaurant of Chef Richard Fernandez (formerly of Pesto Brothers) is now open.
On the top of the hill, catty-corner from Taverna in the Hilltop Shops at Woodlands Village in southwest Flagstaff, Furiosa is open, airy and smells delish. As you walk in you can see and smell the giant wood burning oven your pizza will be created in. The decor is modern and features many eco-friendly items - like tables made from old bowling alleys and old NAU classroom chairs. The area is inviting and perfect for both families and the college crowd (and everyone in between).

The menu is based around woodfired pizzas and also includes salads, pastas, paninis and kid favorites like woodfired pepperoni rolls. (See the full menu below!) On our first trip on opening day - we tried two pizzas (they're personal size only). At 11-inches you could share a salad and a pizza for a nice lunch and be happy. The Pesto, Tomato, Mozzarella's aroma greets you before it arrives at your table. Bite after bite it got more delicious. Still, an hour after lunch my mouth feels refreshed from the fantastic pesto. We also got a pepperoni and cheese. Much more traditional, but still way above average. The woodfired flavor adds a smokiness you don't really find anywhere else in town.

I'm already looking forward to my next trip back to try more goodies!
Here's the full menu (click on each section to bring it up full size):

Pasto: The best Italian restaurant in Flagstaff

Pasto Cucina Italiana
19 E. Aspen
(928) 779-1937
menu online at: http://www.pastorestaurant.com/

Flagstaff’s finest Italian dining is now serving quite a not to be missed lunch menu. In addition to their popular dinner menu, the lunch menu is full of variety and flavor. It's my new favorite spot for lunch.
Pasto is a small romantic spot with exposed brick walls and high ceilings. Seats at the window are great for people watching and add to the open and airy feeling of the restaurant. When the weather’s good opt for the inviting patio.
Pasto serves up everything from basics like the best spaghetti and meatballs (aka Spaghettini e Polpette) in town to more unique dishes like a meatloaf and eggplant sandwich. The menu changes seasonally and is set up so that you can order a bunch of small tasting courses starting with soup, salad, antipastas and cheeses working your way toward pastas and traditional main courses. For lunch - you have to try the egglplant and portobello fries with a delightful balsamic port reduction to dip them in. It's devine. I could just eat those and be happy.
Pasto is a member of Slow Food Alta Arizona and the Slow Food International Association serving up sustainable foods from local and regional suppliers when possible. All pastas, sausages, terrines and deserts are made from scratch in house. Pasto is open Monday through Saturday for both lunch and dinner.

Profile: Fournos Restaurant in Sedona, Arizona

Profile: Fournos Restaurant

• Ivan Flowers, Chef/Owner
• Open for just over a year
• 3000 Hwy 89A, Sedona AZ 86336 
• 928.282.3331
• www.fournossedona.com
• twitter: fournossedona
• facebook: Fournos Restaurant

Ivan Flowers, Chef/Owner of Fournos in Sedona

Photo by Robert Schmeirer

Examiner: What makes your establishment unique?
Ivan: That every dish is cooked by the chef himself...Guests receive 5-star cuisine in a casual, intimate atmosphere.

Examiner:  What is a little known factoid about your place?
Ivan: I have a secret stash of wines, so always ask what OTHER wines are in the building!
Examiner:  What is your specialty?
Ivan: Declectic cuisine. My first priority when cooking a dish is to always make it delicious. Additionally, the dishes he creates are a fusion of Italian, French & New American, thus eclectic.

Related articles

Hilton Sedona Resort & Spa: A nice family getaway

Sedona's Amara Resort: A peaceful getaway amidst the red rocks

Amara Spa in Sedona

The Grille at Shadowrock - The trifecta of fine dining, atmosphere & service

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo: Javelina Cantina in Sedona (includes money saving tips)

Examiner:  What is your patrons' favorite thing about your establishment? What's your favorite?
Ivan: It is really all about the food. For not only the guests but for me as well.

Examiner: Anything new on the horizon that people can look forward to trying?
Ivan: The spring menu & the ever changing boutique wine list.
Examiner:  What is the top thing you recommend visitors to your city do/see - besides your business, of course?
Ivan: Oak Creek Canyon. It is an unexpected oasis in the middle of Sedona. Canopy of trees, flowing creek and of course, spectacular Red Rocks.

This article is part of a travel series profiling chefs, owners, managers and people behind the scenes of restaurants, hotels and other things of interest to tourists and locals alike across the Western US. These profiles also include a local favorite thing to see or do from the person at the helm in addition to him or her sharing the local flavor of their place.

Profile: Parisi Pizzeria Deli Trattoria in Denver, Colorado

Profiles: Parisi Pizzeria - Deli – Trattoria

• Simone and Christine Parisi, owners
• Opened in 1998
• 4401 Tennyson St., Denver, CO 80212
• www.parisidenver.com

Parisi has been called one of Denver’s hidden gems. Owner and chef Simone Parisi is an Italian native who has brought his family’s recipes, from handmade raviolis to seafood soup, to Denver. Parisi is also in one of the hottest spots of Denver: The Highlands neighborhood, what’s been called by one national magazine, “The Brooklyn of Denver” – where families, yuppies, millionaires and even long-time residents combine to make one of the most compelling areas of Denver known for his hip arts scene, thriving restaurant community and just generally its hipness.

Simone Parisi, owner/chef

Photos courtesy: Parisi

Examiner: What makes your establishment unique?
Simone: The image and culture of Italian cuisine is deeply embedded in our character.  I grew up in Florence where food and family are ingrained in the culture, but in America, the simplicity of eating well had become a status symbol. We created an affordable, casual and quick-dining concept without compromising the quality of authentic Italian cuisine. The family-friendly atmosphere has helped turn Parisi into one on of the most beloved restaurants in the city. What’s more, Parisi attracts some of the most discriminating Italian food and pizza experts in the nation.

Examiner:  What is a little known factoid about your place?
Simone:  Parisi has a Community Table night each month in which neighbors and strangers alike sit together at long tables and share a family-style meal prepared at the chef’s discretion. This evening of sharing, laughing and eating has become a cherished tradition for locals.

Examiner:  What is your specialty?
Simone: Parisi is famous for its pizza, which is prepared in traditional Naples style: thin crispy crust, light sauce and cheese, with fresh Italian-style toppings: basil, prosciutto, soprassata, and others. Don’t ask for any pepperoni here!

Related articles

The Squeaky Bean in Denver, Colorado

Road trip: Grand Canyon to Denver Day 3 - Glenwood Springs, Colorado to Denver

Get bargains and freebies on your birthday this year in Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Sopp and Truscott Bakery: A great reason to stop in Silver Plume, Colorado

Free fun things to do in Colorado

Examiner:  What is your patrons' favorite thing about your establishment? What's your favorite?
Simone: I think Parisi’s patrons favorite thing is that Parisi has changed their notion of “Italian food” – it’s not just heavy cheese-laden pastas. Instead we’re about fresh ingredients, hand-made pastas and breads, thin light pizzas and traditional flavors. My favorite part of the restaurant is that it’s for families and friends. Neighbors greet each others, families bring their small children, couples go on dates. It’s a social and lively place that also has excellent food.

Examiner: Anything new on the horizon that people can look forward to trying?
Simone: We’re expanding and renovating the deli and take-out section of Parisi because that’s quickly becoming a larger part of our business. People pop in for things such as our raviolis and sauce to take home, or on summer nights we serve a lot of gelato.

Parisi in Devner

Examiner:  What is the top thing you recommend visitors to your city do/see - besides your business, of course?
Simone: Parisi is located in the Highlands neighborhood of Northwest Denver, an area of the city that has been compared to Brooklyn. I recommend visitors check out the local art galleries, coffee shops, book stores and nightlife that is popping up all over this part of the city. It’s just a few minutes from the famous LoDo part of Denver, yet has a completely different feel.
Examiner:  Anything else you want to add?
Simone: I would just emphasize that delicious, fresh food doesn’t have to be expensive. Food should be shared, celebrated and eaten with family and friends and that’s what we’ve created at Parisi.

This article is part of a travel series profiling chefs, owners, managers and people behind the scenes of restaurants, hotels and other things of interest to tourists and locals alike across the Western US. These profiles also include a local favorite thing to see or do from the person at the helm in addition to him or her sharing the local flavor of their place.

Eco-eateries: Where to eat "green" in Flagstaff

This month is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Celebrate by making Earth Day everyday from here on out. A simple way to start – support local restaurants who strive to use/serve local, organic, pesticide free products. Open Green Map has made it easy to find eco-friendly businesses and activities around the world, including here in Flagstaff. Here’s a look at the Flagstaff eateries that made their list…

Diablo Burger
120 N Leroux (on the square behind Pesto Brothers)
The DB is all about local. “We try to be as ecologically sustainable as we can be, and we consider sustainability, local benefits, and eco-friendliness in all of our management decisions, big and small,” says Derrick Widmark, owner of Diablo Burger.
They do this by serving open-range beef raised here in Northern Arizona, not using a dishwasher to save water, and recycling used fryer oil for bio-diesel plus other things.
The local beef is more than tasty. “Supporting the producers of that beef sustains the stewardship of almost half a million acres in our very own backyard, and perpetuates the long-term health of ecosystem services like healthy watersheds and wildlife habitat that are critical to the quality of life we enjoy here in the greater Flagstaff area. The same goes for our decision to buy as much of our produce from local and regional farmers,” Widmark adds.

Brix Restaurant & Wine Bar
413 N. San Francisco
Again local, homemade, sustainable foods are at the heart of this upscale Flagstaff restaurant. The meats come from smaller farms. The seafood is all wild, line-caught in domestic waters. Most of their produce is organically grown between Flag and Phoenix. “This not only serves to reduce the amount of carbon used to grow and transport the food, it is a healthier product for both people and the environment. In addition, the economics of using local foods and supporting local farmers/growers is such that the money spent stays within the local economy rather than moving out to other regions/countries,” says Paul Moir, co-owner of Brix.
Brix uses rice oil when frying then donates it to a local bio-diesel producer. They use no processed, pre-packaged products. Everything is house-made including cured meats, pastas and pastries. 
The same folks own the new Criollo Latin Kitchen (16 N. San Francisco) down the street. Criollo uses the same farmers/growers as Brix plus The Hook/Spear Cattle Company outside of Wickenburg which raises 100% grass fed, range raised Criollo Beef. They’re not on the Green Map yet, but I’m sure they will be there soon.

New Jersey Pizza Co.
2224 East Cedar Ave.
New Jersey Pizza has some of the freshest, most delish pizza you’ll find in town. It’s saucy, cheesy and super thin. They use local and organic ingredients when possible and even make their own mozzarella cheese. “Our efforts are dedicated to the small family farmers, ranchers, artisan cheese makers, laborers and cooks of the world, whose endless work, wisdom, and passion make it possible to bring this food to the table,” their menu boasts. Now that’s the kind of motto I like to see on the front of the menu. Someone with a passion for food who also cares about how it’s grown and the people who grow and make it. That motto shows in the taste of their foods.

Morning Glory Café
115 S San Francisco
Morning Glory has a 25 year legacy of eco-friendliness. This vegetarian/vegan restaurant has zero waste – donating all good food and composting everything else. Even their serving/dishware is compostable or recyclable. Morning Glory uses Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) to buy, sell and support local farmers/growers. 80% of their offerings are organic as well. Morning Glory has a hip vibe and sustainable goodness in their meals which is why customers keep coming back year after year.

Pesto Brothers Piazza
120 N Leroux
Pesto Brothers is a little shy about bragging about their commitment to local. But this quaint restaurant serves classic rustic Italian food using as many local, pesticide-free products as possible in their dishes. Pesto Brothers also serves up some of the best tasting Arizona-made wines, including my fav Arizona Stronghold's Mangus. The food here is so fresh and delectable you can tell it’s made by people who care about our food, our area and the planet. Even if they’re not one to boast about it I sure will!
UPDATE: The owner of Pesto Brothers just got back with me about all of the "green" things they do. They include:

• recycle glass, cardboard & oil for bio-fuel
• use corn based bio-degradable to go containers
  no ice in their water
• use local products when available

Simply Delicious Full-Service Catering and Daily Fare
408 E Rte 66
Located in a small and really cool rock-walled building on the outskirts of downtown you’ll find this small eatery and its catering companion. They specialize in eclectic seasonal cuisine… the kind of things you won’t find too many places like duck tacos, quail or lamb. Almost all the foods at Daily Fare Café and Simply Delicious catering come from within 150 miles of Flagstaff and all of their to-go ware is biodegradable or recyclable.

These coffee houses also made the Flagstaff Green Map:
•Flagstaff Coffee Co
16 E Rte 66
•Macy's European Coffeehouse, Bakery &Vegetarian Restaurant
14 South Beaver Street
•Late for the Train Coffee
107 N. San Francisco
1800 Fort Valley Road
1200 N. Beaver

*Note: I originally wrote this article for the April 8, 2010 of Flagstaff Live!*

Italian New Year's feast menu at Pasto in Flagstaff

Several places around Flagstaff are having special New Year's feasts. If you're going to the big Pine Cone drop at the Weatherford Hotel (the party kicks off at Leroux and Aspen at 8pm with fireworks at 10pm and midnight)... you'll want to dine in the downtown area as well. If you're looking to leave 2009 with a belly for of delish Italian - Pasto is your place.
Here's a look at their New Years Eve menu, a five course meal for $65 per person or $85 with the wine pairing.
1st course: Cypress Grove Midnight Moon and Purple Haze (cheese) with almonds and honey.
2nd course: House-cured pork belly, lentils a la Romana, Marinated artichoke hearts, crostini and truffle oil.
3rd course: Choice of: Risotto with roasted beats, portabella and chive oil, or Buckwheat taglietelle with baby heirloom tomatoes, garlic and basil.
4th course: Choice of: Wild boar pot roast, collards, cranberry mostarda, or Ahi charred rare, smoked tomatoe brodo, saffron aioli, or Roasted butternut squash in phyllo, Fra'angelico crema, or Eye of prime beef baracciole, duxelle, blistered bok choy.
5th course: House made peppermint bark, hazelnut bark, honeycomb truffle, white chocolate saffron truffle, dark dipped florentina, cranberry brittle, mascarpone, spiced pear, candied tangerine, and pistachio goat cheese.
Call for a reservation at 928-779-1937.

Where to find spaghetti in Flagstaff

Celebrating the classic Italian dish: Spaghetti
By Angele Sionna

We’re in the midst of Italian-American heritage month. So what better time to talk spaghetti, one of the most popular dishes at Italian restaurants world-wide.
Lots of cultures (Italian, Chinese, Arab, and Greek) claim the invention of spaghetti- the pasta, dating back thousands of years. But the spaghetti dish as we know it today, complete with a tomato sauce, is much, much younger. Tomatoes are native to the Americas and they weren’t combined with pasta until modern times. According to InMamasKitchen.com the first recipe bringing together tomatoes and pasta was written in 1839 by Ippolito Cavalcanti, Duke of Buonvicino and the spaghetti dishes we love today came to America with the huge Italian immigration in the early 1900’s.
Here’s a look at where in Flagstaff, you can dine on the classic Italian entrée…

Pasto Cucina Italiana
19 E Aspen Ave
779-1937
menu at pastorestaurant.com
For fine Italian dining and spaghetti Pasto is your place. This romantic restaurant brings the love with its Spaghettini e Polpette (spaghetti and spicy meatballs)… the best in town. The spiciness in this sauce is more flavor than burn and is sure to please. It comes in two sizes. The large is a slim portion, so I wouldn’t opt for the small unless you’re ordering that for a child or its going to be just one of many courses for you that night. Pasto makes their own pasta as well as the meatballs and sauce, as you’d expect from a high end restaurant. They open at 5pm everyday (besides Sunday) for dinner only.

Dominic’s Italian Bistro
1850 N Fort Valley Rd
779-6400
menu at: flagstaffpizza.com
From the recipes of Great Grandma Lucia comes the bold, home-style taste of the spaghetti at Dominic’s. They give you a plentiful portion, just like grandma would too. Dominic’s menu says, “We’re not pretentious here– we proudly serve old fashioned one of a kind comfort foods at an affordable price” and that does seem to be what you get there. Dominic’s serves up this classic dish (with meatballs or chicken if you want as well) from 11am-2pm and 5-8pm Monday through Saturday.

Pesto Brothers
120 N. Leroux, suite 104 (in the Old Town Shops downtown)
Pestobrothers.com
774-3020
The family run Pesto Brothers has a homey feel and classic food. The walls are decorated with pictures of the owner’s kids and you get that same kind of touch in your meal. Pesto Brothers saves their spaghetti just for the dinner crowd. Order the Papa Tony’s (aka spaghetti with meatballs) from 5-9pm any night of the week.

Mamma Luisa Italian Restaurant
2710 N Steves Blvd (at Kachina Square)
526-6809
Mamma Luisa is a family run, cozy place serving Flagstaff for almost three decades. It may be tucked inside a strip mall but you’d never guess it from the quaint atmosphere inside. Spaghetti here comes served several ways, with tomato sauce, meatballs, meat sauce or mild Italian sausage. It comes with soup or a salad. You can order this dish at dinner only, which is served 4:30-9pm Monday-Thursday and 4:30-9:30pm Friday-Sunday.

Strombolli’s Italian Restaurant
1435 S. Milton
773-1960
Strombolli’s also serves up this classic dish. Here you can order spaghetti with tomato sauce, marinara, spicy Italian sausage, or meatballs. Strombolli’s says the tomato sauce has a pork base and the marinara is a vegetarian sauce with more of a spice to it. The spaghetti is served with soup or salad 11am to 9pm everyday.

Roma Pizza
1800 S Milton Rd
779-4425
menu at: romapizzaflag.com
Needing a spaghetti fix late night or any other time of the day, then Roma Pizza is your spot. This small little joint serves up spaghetti and meatballs with a house-made marinara sauce everyday from 11am to 10pm. It comes with breadsticks too.

Strombolli's (Update October 2009)

By Angele Sionna

1435 S Milton, Flagstaff, AZ

website: strombollis.com

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>= mixed bag, can be good but can be bad, can’t count on it

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxx= good but could be improved

Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$ = $10

Value (what you get for your money)
*** = fair -you get what you pay for, not in a bad way

Strombolli's is the first restaurant I ever ate at in Flagstaff. That was about two and a half years ago and we've been back about a dozen times since. While it was good enough to keep me coming back for a while, I rarely left 100% satisfied and have since moved on for the most part.

Strombolli's is right on the main drag, standing alone in the parking lot of a strip mall. Something about it looks welcoming from the outside. The inside is comfy, but nothing fancy. Some of the booth seats could use to be replaced, as could some of the high chairs.

Strombolli's prides itself in being New York style Italian, saying on their website:

All of our traditional pasta dishes and sauces and our pizza dough and sauce are based on family recipes shared with me by Al Borelli, owner to this day of the Borelli Bros. Restaurant & Pizzeria in NY, which he opened in 1955. He was our neighbor and my brother and I worked there for years during the 60’s and 70’s. Before we opened Strombolli’s in 1982 in Page/Lake Powell, a nice family resturant and pizzeria, I flew back to NY to work with Al and his brothers to learn and record their recipes and methods so I could recreate them in Northern Arizona. We have gone back over the years to make sure we still get it right. When you have the ‘real thing’ you don’t mess with it. We have it and it is our commitment to carry on the 50 year tradition of fresh, authentic Italian food in Cottonwood, Flagstaff, and Lake Powell.

But Strombolli's doesn't remind me of any of the Italian joints I've eaten at in New York when I lived there and on the countless number of visits since. The dishes may have New York roots, but over the years it tastes like they have become somewhat generic, depending on who's in the kitchen and what we order. Sometimes when we go to Strombolli's everything is good, but other times it's average. They are by definition, hit-or-miss.

All of the main entrees come with soup or salad. The salad comes served in a family size bowl if more than one person in your party opts for salad. It's nothing fancy, but tastes good. I think there house dressing is the best dressing they serve. There are signs up all around the restaurant warning that just because it says bottomless salad comes with the entree, it doesn't mean you can share it and they say they'll charge you for an extra salad if you do. Not really a friendly impression, but I'm sure they have had plenty of reasons for posting such a sign.



While you're waiting for the soup or salad to arrive the waiter brings out a large braided roll of bread for the table to share. It is glazed with melted butter and garlic salt. It tastes as good as it sounds.

On a previous visit, I ordered that night's special: a bottomless bowl of pasta ($9.95) so I could try the marinara and alfredo sauces back to back to see which was better. When ordering the bottomless bowl, they bring you out a small bowl of pasta and your choice of sauce. Then you can get refills or a whole different combination. First up, alfredo sauce. It was creamy, flavored with garlic and herbs. A little too salty and a little too greasy but overall very tasty. The marinara didn't taste like it was handmade in the kitchen. If it was, I'd bet it wasn't made with fresh tomatoes, but used canned ones instead. So I went ahead and ordered another bowl of the alfredo. This time, just minutes after the first bowl, it wasn't nearly as good.

My husband always orders the Strombolli Calzone ($10.45). It's kind of a funny name, seeing that stromboli and calzones aren't the same thing.

According to Epicurious.com food dictionary, calzone originated in Naples, Italy and is "a stuffed pizza that resembles a large turnover." A stromboli (yes, spelled differently from the restaurant's name), on the other hand, they say is "a specialty of Philadelphia, a stromboli is a calzone-like enclosed sandwich of cheese (usually mozzarella) and pepperoni (or other meat) wrapped in pizza dough." There are other differences, of which you can google or click HERE to read more about if you're interested. Stromboli, by the way, is also the name of a volcanic island in Italy.

Whatever it is or isn't - it tastes good. The calzones are the best thing on the menu here because the crust is so good, almost pastry-like. But there are other calzones and stromboli in town that are better. Check out those in THIS story.

All in all, Strombolli's will never blow you away but it will satisfy your Italian cravings. The fact that a soup or salad comes with every entree is a big draw for me and you can get it to go pretty easily. Though do note that EVERYTIME I've ordered out here the prices are never the same as on their website or in their phone book menu- even the brand new phone books. This really irks me and is one of the reasons I don't visit here much any more.

Flagstaff's best calzones and stromboli

By Angele Sionna


If pizza and sandwiches had a baby – it would be the calzone… or its cousin the stromboli. The popular pizza alternatives are sometimes mistaken for each other as they’re so similar and delicious. Calzones are "a stuffed pizza that resembles a large turnover" that originated in Naples, Italy, according to the Epicurious.com food dictionary. Strombolis, on the other hand, they say, is a specialty of Philadelphia and is rolled to resemble a loaf as opposed to the calzones’ crescent-moon shape. Some insist that a calzone has ricotta whereas the stromboli does not. Whatever you want to call them – calzones and stromboli maximize the flavors of the ingredients in different ways then their pizza parents. Here’s a look at some of Flagstaff’s best…

New Jersey Pizza Company
2224 E Cedar #6
pizzaflagstaff.com
New Jersey Pizza Company has by far the best calzones in town. They are created with the freshest ingredients – which are mostly locally made/grown and organic- with flavors that pop to perfection with each bite. The calzones here come in two sizes – regular ($8) and large ($11). The regular is perfect for a filling lunch or dinner at about a foot long, 4 inches-ish wide and an inch or so thick. New Jersey’s calzones include mozzarella and reggiano cheeses and your choice of three ingredients. My suggestions: mushrooms, fresh tomatoes and ricotta fresca. It tastes fresh from the garden and the oven.
The sauce (which tastes like its made with just off the vine tomatoes) is served at room temperature on the side. That’s a little weird at first – but the taste blows you away. The ingredients are perfectly proportioned and delish!

Fratelli Pizza
119 W. Phoenix Ave and 2120 North 4th Street
fratellipizza.net
As you’d expect from this popular pizzeria, Fratelli’s serves up calzones as good as their beloved pizza pies. They have several pre-designed “Giant Calzones” ($8.50) on their menu or you can create your own by putting together any 4 fillings plus mozzarella cheese. The Veggie – which has mushrooms, broccoli, tomato, artichoke hearts and mozzarella- and The Big H – with pepperoni, Italian sausage, meatballs, mushrooms and mozzarella- are the ones to get here. All come with Fratelli’s yum sauce on the side for dipping. That sauce is the key to the greatness of this dish… and they’ll even cook you a special calzone with the sauce inside as well as on the side if you’re like me and love it saucy.

Roma Pizza
1800 S. Milton Rd.
romapizzaflag.com
Roma serves up both “Gigantic Calzones” ($9.75) and “Gigantic Stromboli” ($9.75). Yes, those are their official names – and they’re fitting because these babies are huge and filled with toppings galore. The crust is light and airy and just the right amount to hold in all those ingredients. But this big of calzone needs a little more sauce on the side for optimum enjoyment and I’d like to see a little more cheese sneak inside there as well. You can order a calzone with up to four toppings plus mozzarella and sauce or pick one of their menu favs. Good options to try at Roma - the Three-Cheese Calzone or the more unique Pesto Calzone.

Dominic’s Italian Bistro
1850 N. Fort Valley Road
flagstaffpizza.com
Dominic’s is the place to go in Flag if you’re feeling a stromboli calling your name. And true to definition they are indeed a long, thick rectangular loaf filled with the delight of a pizza inside. If you’re big on sauce, these strombolis ($8.95) are for you, as they’re filled with a nice helping of sauce inside along with the other fillings. The breading on these is more like that of a crusty Italian loaf then your traditional pizza dough, which really adds to the unique flavor. Here I recommend trying Dominic’s Favorite, which is stuffed with sausage, pepperoni, onion and bell peppers. Other choices include veggie or meatball strombolis or a 5 topping design your own option.

*Note: This article originally was published (and written by me for) Flagstaff Live!)

Este Pizza Co.

By Arikka Fullmer
2021 Windsor St Ste A, Salt Lake City, UT
estepizzacompany.com

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>>>>= always great, unique, and flavorful no matter where you’re from
The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxx= good but could be improved
Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$$$$$ $30
Value (what you get for your money)
*** = fair -you get what you pay for, not in a bad way

Este is a cozy little pizza joint in the heart of Sugarhouse, an eclectic neighborhood that houses Este well.
Tucked into the back of a free standing two story, Este consists of two simple rooms. In one, a small dining area and bar to order your pie with a sampling of single slices laid out.
The back room is the kitchen, on full display through a giant window facing the outdoor patio.
Este is one of those laid back, local as local gets places that I almost feel too uncool to be in.
But the delicious smells, and bold murals quickly make me feel very cool to finally be eating at the much raved about Este.
True to word of mouth, Este is pricey for a place with standard ingredients of pepperoni, sausage and onions.
But Este will argue you pay for what you get, and what you get and what they serve is tradition, New York style pizza.
No pineapple here!
We get the Italian flag, a red, white and green striped pie. The pesto sauce was delicious, the perfectly thin crust was flavorful and just my style. What won me over was the orzo salad, you must order a side with your pie. But pack your patience and your wallet. We weren’t greeted, were unsure how to order and waited quite awhile for our food. The atmosphere on the patio is a great place to wait though. Kick back at the tables next to the worn brick exterior, covered by an ivy canopy and string lights overhead. I will go back, next time for a more affordable single slice and wash it down with Uinta’s Kolsch, always on tap.

New Jersey Pizza Company *Updated- Again!*

By Angele Sionna

2224 E. Cedar #6
NEW website with updated menu as of August 22, 2009 pizzaflagstaff.com

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>>>>= always great, unique, and flavorful no matter where you’re from

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xx= nothing to write home about

Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$= under $10

Value (what you get for your money)
***** = superb -lots of quality/taste for what you pay

What a refreshing change of pace New Jersey Pizza Company is! Not only do they have great tasting pizza, but they use locally grown and organic ingredients and don’t charge you extra for that (like so many other businesses that seem to think organic means adding an extra $5 to the cost for customers)!

“Our efforts are dedicated to the small family farmers, ranchers, artisan cheese makers, laborers and cooks of the world, whose endless work, wisdom, and passion make it possible to bring this food to the table,” their menu boasts. Now that’s the kind of motto I like to see on the front of the menu. Someone with a passion for food who also cares about how it’s grown and the people who grow and make it. That motto shows in the taste of the pizza.

My daughters and I went to New Jersey Pizza Company for the first time this week. We were the only sit down diners, but a few other people stopped in to pick up food while we were there. The building is painted with a giant mural of Italian favorites on the outside – from soccer to the Roman Coliseum. Inside the décor feels like a new (but old fashioned) Italian farmhouse kitchen: very open, a satillo tile floor, colorfully painted walls. You walk up to the counter that doubles as a refrigerated food display and order. Fresh tomatoes of varying colors are on big plates on the counter. Behind the counter you can see the full kitchen (which looked very clean), where they were making their own Mozzarella cheese. That was impressive. I’ve never eaten at a pizza joint before so dedicated to the taste of their food that they made their own cheese (at least not that I know of).

We ordered a small (12 inch) Classic Cheese Pizza ($8). For a dollar more you can get fresh pulled Mozzarella, though I didn’t realize that at the time, as I didn’t browse the menu before placing my order. I just assumed all of the pizza was made with the cheese they were making, as that would make more sense. The kid that took my order was very nice, but didn’t tell me that was the case. He did however tell me about all of their foods, their use of organics and local products when possible. Though some of their organics are shipped in from California, I’m told. Even found out that their chickens are brought in fresh from somewhere in the South. They used to use local chickens but apparently that chicken farm as since gone out of business. Interesting. As nice as he was, he also forgot to get me a drink, but brought one out as soon as I asked. But never came back to refill it.

We sat down in the small dining room, separated from the entry and kitchen by an arched doorway. There are only a few tables and there’s no air conditioning so it was a little stuffy despite the front doors being propped open. I wouldn’t want to come here on a really hot day.

Note to parents of babies: New Jersey Pizza just got in one high chair. It usually isn't packed with families with babies, so chances are you'll be fine, but you may want to bring a stroller just in case.

Also for kids... New Jersey Pizza has special colorful plastic plates for the little ones to eat on. (Sometimes you have to ask for them, but some servers automatically bring one out.) I was glad to see that they didn’t use throwaway products like NiMarco’s does. Something else that detracted from a pleasant atmosphere (which I’m sure is not the case on other occasions), the owner was arguing very loudly with a supplier or other business associate about money. Unprofessional to do with clients in house, even if it was just me and my two girls. I felt like I was back in New York.

The sauce was fantastic! Flavors of fresh tomatoes and spices blended well together to make an almost creamy sauce. Thin but plentiful. The cheese was also generously doled out. Salty but not overly so. The crust is very thin and crispy. I expected more of a New York-style thin crust, which is really flimsy, not crispy, almost hard to hold they’re so loaded down with sauce and cheese. I really enjoy that type of pizza. I was spoiled when I lived in New York and had so many options all around. But that is not the type the New Jersey Pizza Company makes. You get lots of cheese and lots of sauce but the crust is crunchy. Our pizza was a little over cooked, though. When one of the guys working in the kitchen brought it out, he apologized for it have a dark spot on the crust and said the chef will gladly make a different one. I declined. It tasted fine. It was nice of them to offer though. And it still tasted great.

New Jersey Pizza has other enticing items on their menu. Some of the most interesting are: Caprese Salad with Arizona grown tomatoes and house pulled Mozzarella (market price); two sizes of Calzones with two types of cheese, your choice of three other ingredients, and sauce on the side ($8 regular, $11 large); Olive Plate (market price); Cheese Breadsticks with extra virgin olive oil, mozzarella, Parmesan Reggiano, and your choice of homemade sauce ($3.50 regular, $6 large); homemade lemonade and fruit sodas, all made with unrefined organic sweeteners; and many homemade deserts. I wanted to get a Farmhouse Ricotta Cannoli, but was told they won’t be making those again until the fall. I’ll definitely be trying that when the time comes and report back here!

All in all, the service may not be so great at New Jersey Pizza, but the good food makes up for it in my book. They knocked Fratelli Pizza down to my second favorite in Flagstaff, though the atmosphere and customer service (and air conditioning) are far superior at Fratelli.

[caption id="attachment_103" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="Cheese Breadsticks"][/caption]

**Update: My family went to New Jersery Pizza again tonight and had the Cheese Breadsticks ($3.50) and two different Calzones ($8) - one with tomato, mushroom and their fresh pulled mozzarella, the other with ham, salami, mozzarella and ricotta cheese. Each tasted fresh from the garden and the oven.

[caption id="attachment_104" align="alignright" width="180" caption="Calzone"][/caption]

Both the breadsticks and the calzones were served with a cold tomato sauce that tasted like it was just picked off the vine in the hot house. Flavorful because the tomatoes used to make it were flavorful, but I would have preferred a heated sauce with a few more seasonings. Still I enjoyed the meal very much. But would recommend the pizza over the calzone.

Again the service was kind of slow but at least the waiter couldn't be any nicer. I was hoping to try a desert but they were all sold out. Guess I'm going to try to get to the Farmer's Market early this weekend and hope they're serving desert there. New Jersey Pizza sells their fresh fruit juices, homemade mozzarella ($9/pound), and other items every Sunday at the Farmer's Market. (Click HERE for more info on Flagstaff's Farmer's Market.

For more photos of New Jersey Pizza Company, click HERE.
____________________________________________________

The Pizza Guy

[caption id="attachment_147" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The Pizza Guy's cheese & mushroom medium pizza"][/caption]

By Angele Sionna

1417 S Palza Way (In the Safeway shopping center)

Carry out or delivery – no sit down dining 928-556-0200 (Delivery only on West side of town)
No menu online

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>= mixed bag, can be good but can be bad, can’t count on it

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
x= if the food’s good enough, still worth going, otherwise forget it

Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$ = under $10

Value (what you get for your money)
** = okay - overpriced for quality/taste

The Pizza Guy is one of those hit or miss kind of places. I’ve ordered from them several times when I wanted pizza delivered.

There’s nothing fancy about their food. The sauce is on the spicy side, so it’s not really a hit with the kiddos. They’re generous with their added toppings, but not so much with the cheese.

Today I ordered their lunch special - medium one-topping pizza with a soda for $8.99. When I asked about a delivery charge, they said they do not charge a delivery fee, but when the delivery guy showed up, the receipt showed an added buck for delivery. My total ended up being $10.92 plus tip. Overpriced for what you get. The Pizza Guy used to have much more reasonable prices and free delivery.

It took about an hour to get the pizza and when it showed up it was closer to cold than to hot. Disappointing. The driver had called up wondering where my house was, although I had ordered from there before without incident.

The pizza cheese was getting congealed, It was not fresh or stringy. The sauce was good, but too spicy for my daughter’s likes, so I had to make her something else to eat.

The Pizza Guy also serves wings.
All in all, The Pizza Guy was so disappointing this time that it will be my last time to order. There are plenty of better pizza joints in town and now that Fratelli downtown is delivering again, there’s no reason to order from this place. You can get a better pizza for a better price elsewhere.

*TIP: If you do order from The Pizza Guy, be sure to ask for their specials. You don't need a coupon but they won't necessarily tell you about them either.

Fratelli Pizza

By Angele Sionna

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="180" caption="119 W. Phoenix Ave., Flagstaff, AZ"][/caption]

119 W. Phoenix Ave., Flagstaff
Menu at: fratellipizza.net

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>>> = a favorite, can count on it being good every time

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxxx = comfortable

Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$= under $10

Value (what you get for your money)
***** = superb -lots of quality/taste for what you pay

When I walked into Fratelli Pizza, I was feeling brave and a little nervous. It was the first time I’d ventured to any restaurant by myself with my two year old and 8 month old daughters. I couldn’t have picked a better spot. The staff went out of their way to help me and the food was served hot and fast.

I strolled up to the counter holding my eldest’s hand and pushing my youngest in a stroller. We ordered one of their fantastic combos – plenty of food for us to share. For six bucks (including tax) we got an over-sized slice of cheese pizza, a fresh salad with ranch dressing, and a drink. You can also get two slices and a drink for the same price. Either combo can be upgraded to add one of the six beers they have on tap instead of a soda for $1.50 more.

After we ordered - we pulled up into a booth at Fratelli's location south of the tracks downtown. The five tables and four booths look like they could have been installed yesterday. The walls have a relaxing Italian garden wall theme painted on them. Two flat-screen TVs are mounted on either side of the restaurant. I’ve yet to be in here without some sort of sports on both of the TVs. The volume is always muted and instead they play upbeat music at a good level. Enough to entertain you if you’re there by yourself, yet quiet enough to have a good conversation with your fellow diners.

The waitress brought over our slice and salad as I filled up our glass at the beverage station. A nice kid-friendly feature here: along with the all you can drink refills, Fratelli has orange and lemon slices for your beer or iced tea. My daughter loves to snack on a few of the orange slices as her appetizer every time we’re here.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Fratelli's side salad"][/caption]

I sat back down and we started munching down. The salad was not your typical quickie pizza joint salad. It was a fresh, crisp mix of spring greens topped with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, shredded carrots, and croutons. Served with ranch dressing on the side.
I couldn’t take more than two bites of it, though, before I turned my attention to the pizza.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Fratelli's cheese pizza slice"][/caption]

It was the size of two normal slices. The cheese was super-gooey with just the right amount of sauce. The dough is home made and hand tossed then baked in a stone deck oven. Perfect if you like New York-style thin crust, which I do. My daughter likes to add a little Parmesan on her part of the pizza. Luckily, Fratelli has that plus red peppers, Tabasco sauce, and garlic salt at the table to add on as you wish. Another kid-friendly feature at Fratelli, everything is served on non-breakable dishes – plastic salad plates and metal pans for the pizza.

Also great and a unique spin on pizza - Fratelli's pesto pizza. Even if you're not a huge pesto fan you should try this. The pesto is blended right into the gooey cheese. It tastes so fresh and smells so good. Most days the pesto pizza is one of the options on the daily slice deal too!



Fratelli has more than slices on the menu, though it doesn’t go all crazy like some places with too many choices. Just the right amount of options to satisfy their base crowd: college students from Northern Arizona University, which is just down the street.

Everything I’ve had before here has been good. If you’re not in the mood for pizza, I’d recommend the Giant Calzone ($8.50). I like the Veggie. My husband likes the Your Creation, which gives you the option of adding four toppings of your choice to the mozzarella. Note: if you like sauce on the inside, ask for it. Otherwise it’s just served on the side.

Fratelli Pizza has been voted the best of Flagstaff for the last six of the last seven years. I too think it is on of the best pizza parlor in town. Though the pizza at New Jersey Pizza Company is fantastic and arguably a little better, the atmosphere and service at Fratelli is superior.

Whether you’re looking for a great pizza and beer joint or a night out with the family, avoid the chains and head to this small pizzeria. You’ll have a great time with its welcoming atmosphere and leave with a great taste in your mouth and a satisfied stomach.

Note: The slice special lasts all day, but in general I've found getting slices at lunch and a full pizza at dinner is the way to go for optimum freshness!

More Fratelli photos HERE

Scott’s Chicago Pizza

By Angele Sionna
Route 66 & Railroad Springs – Inside the Whistle Stop Fuel Station
Menu: scottschicagopizza.com

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>>= good, but not great

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
x= if the food’s good enough, still worth going, otherwise forget it

Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$$= $10

Value (what you get for your money)
** = okay - overpriced for quality/taste

Can good food be found inside a gas station? Most definitely. I’ve eaten at several good eateries in my day located in the most unlikely of places. But I was still a little leery of ordering Chicago-style pizza from Scott’s Chicago Pizza. First, it is in a gas station. And of all the foods I’ve had and enjoyed at gas station restaurants, pizza had never been one of them. Second, this is Chicago-style pizza we’re talking about. Having lived in Chi-town I know my way around some of the best pizza joints in the world. So my expectations are always low to find a decent Windy City pie outside the Windy City. Still, I’d gotten a recommendation to try it, so I loaded the family in the car at set forth for the far west side of town hoping for the best.

When we arrived at the Whistle Stop Fuel Station I had my husband run in to make sure we were in the right place. Their sign said, “deep dish slice $3” but I didn’t see a sign for Scott’s anywhere. But sure enough, there it was, tucked in the corner to the right of all the typical convenience store goods.

There are only two tables inside the store, one on each end. A little weird to eat next to the chips and candy isle, so we opted for the outside seating at one of the three picnic tables around the corner to the left of the station. There aren’t any high chairs, so it was a good thing we had the stroller in the car for our youngest.

To order, you go up to the counter, which has Chicago Cubs and White Sox memorabilia all around. I was leery, as I said, so I quizzed the poor girl on duty about the details of their Chicago-style deep dish. Most places say Chicago-style but they don’t have a clue as to what that means. Not the case at Scott’s. They know exactly what it means, but they don’t mean the famous Chicago-style stuffed pizza that is truly a pie with a top layer of crust and extra sauce on top of that. They make Gino’s East-style pizza, complete with the chunky Italian-style tomato salsa on the top and the cornbread type crust.

We ordered the small Cheese Deep Dish ($7.50). That’s what we used to order at all the pizzerias when we lived in Chicago and we wanted to compare apples to apples. The girl at the counter warned me it would be small for two people, but I went ahead and ordered it anyway because Chicago style pizzas normally are more filling. Bad idea. Though the menu says seven inches, it was really more like five and should be called a child or personal pan-sized pizza. It only has two small slices. The 10” ($11.50) would be a better fit for two adults.

It takes about 20 minutes to cook a small cheese deep dish, and the time just increases the bigger the size and the more toppings you get. Knowing this, you should definitely call ahead if you want to dine in unless it’s a really nice day and you enjoy watching people fill up their tanks.

The pizza itself was pretty good. I personally like it better than the Gino’s East pizza in Chicago. But, and this is a big but, I don’t like Gino’s East. I’m more of a Chicago’s Pizza or Pizzeria Uno stuffed Chicago-style kind of a gal. Still, Scott’s salsa-style chunky topping was good, a little sweet and a little salty. The cheese was average but plentiful. The crust, as I said, has cornbread in it, so it has a really grainy texture and is dry. My husband, who was born and raised in Chicago and likes Gino’s East didn’t care for Scott’s deep dish pizza at all, calling it a “poor man’s version of Gino’s East.” But I maintain that if you’re not familiar with real Chicago pizza, you’ll like Scott’s for a change of pace in your pizza dining. It’s definitely not like any other pizzas in town.

Other items on Scott’s menu include: thin crust pizza, salads, wings, and chili. All of the pizza names have fun Chicago-inspired names like “Magnificent Mile” and “Monster of the Midway.” Nice touch. I’d say if you were on a road trip passing through Flagstaff, you should bring along their number (928-226-0065), order when you’re about half an hour outside of town, filler up at the pump, then pick up your pizza pie. There’s a roomy lot with enough space for an RV to pull up and grass nearby to walk the doggies. Note: if you don’t want to eat there, Scott’s does deliver… to a limited area, with a minimum order of $15, plus a $3 delivery fee.

**TIP: Before heading to Scott’s check their website or your phone book for some good coupons. They have coupons for $2 off any pizza or buy one large deep dish, get one large one topping thin crust for half. They’re good through May 2009.**

For more photos of Scott's Chicago Pizza, click HERE.

__________________________________________________

Portofino Italian Restaurant

By Angele Sionna

701 S. Main St., Roswell, NM
(no menu online)

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>>>>= always great, unique, and flavorful no matter where you’re from

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxx= good but could be improved

Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$$ = $10

Value (what you get for your money)
***** = superb -lots of quality/taste for what you pay

Here’s a newsflash for you: Roswell, New Mexico has something more than alien mythology to lure in tourists. They have a great Italian restaurant! If you told me that the best Italian food that I would find in the southwestern US would be in Roswell, of all places, I would have thought you were crazy. And then I would have to go to this intriguing place and measure its goodness myself. I recommend you hit the road for Roswell and discover Portofino for yourself.

I went to Portofino on a recent road trip where we stopped for one night in Roswell. (To read about the road trip and other Roswell recommendations, click HERE.) I was in the mood for Italian but not feeling hopeful, as I only saw one review of Portofino on Trip Advisor. There was another Italian joint mentioned as well, but it was a chain, so I wasn’t interested. I was really feeling Italian-flavored cravings, so I decided to ask the nice woman who checked me out with my stereotypical alien tourist t-shirt if she could recommend a place to eat for Italian. She mentioned she heard Portofino was great but had yet to go there.

That was enough for us, as we were tired from our day-long drive, hungry and ready for dinner. We drove a few blocks south of downtown and almost missed Portofino. It’s in a rather non-descript building on Main Street on the left (if going there from the UFO museum and such downtown). I had my doubts, so I went in to grab a to go menu to browse the selections. Right when I opened the door, I knew this is where we’d be dining that night. The aroma was superb. You could tell someone was back in the kitchen making lots of custom dishes. I went back out to the car, informed my family to hurry up, and down we sat.

Boy, did I make the right call! It was even better than my “find” at the souvenir shop (a weird touristy t-shirt with a picture of an alien holding an X-Files DVD. Classic!). I must have been lucky that night because Portofino also delivered with the best Italian food I’ve had since moving from Chicago... at really decent prices too.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="230" caption="Portofino's bread with dipping sauce"][/caption]

While you browse the menu trying to pick just one entrée, the waitress serves up these little triangles of bread with olive oil for dipping. The bread is very unique and almost tastes like a cross between biscuits and classic Italian country bread. My two year old kept gobbling them down and the waitress kept bringing more baskets with a smile. Nice service.

For a main course, I finally settled on the Pasta Primavera ($8.95), though there were so many that looked good. It was served with all fresh vegetables in a thin tomato sauce over angel hair pasta. You could tell this dish was 100% homemade. It was plenty to share with my daughter as well.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="230" caption="Portofino's Lobster Ravioli"][/caption]

My husband got the Lobster Ravioli ($12.95). I really wanted to order that too, but I decided we needed to try more than one dish. Glad we did because both were great! The lobster ravioli is served in a tomato cream sauce and not too rich and not at all fishy smelling or tasting. (A problem some other Italian restaurants can’t seem to overcome on this dish.) But not Portofino. Theirs was perfect. The sauce was so good, my husband finished off the breadbasket soaking up every last drop of that sauce. We hadn’t enjoyed a lobster ravioli dish that much since dining at Sapori Trattoria in Chicago. (If you’re ever in Chicago, it’s worth the trouble leaving the tourist areas for that little gem of a restaurant as well. Sapori is my favorite restaurant in the entire world. No exaggeration.)

I have to say, as you can probably already tell, I was so impressed by this local joint. Decent prices, high quality food, and quick friendly service. A MUST visit! I wish this place was in my hometown! Now you have one more reason (besides checking out all the alien stuff) to visit Roswell.

For more photos of Portofino click HERE.

Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli

By Jerry Ireland

314 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City, UT
menu at: caputosdeli.com

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>>>>= always great, unique, and flavorful no matter where you’re from

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxxx= comfortable

Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$                    under $10

Value (what you get for your money)
***** = superb -lots of quality/taste for what you pay

Salt Lake City doesn’t readily come to mind when thinking about the nation’s best spots for sandwiches. But with places like Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli, Gandolfo’s NY Deli, and Legers, sandwiches could be Salt Lake’s signature food. At the top of the sandwich game is Caputo’s downtown at the corner of 300 West and 300 South.

Boasting distinctive Italian and southern European food, Caputo’s delivers with fresh food and a family atmosphere. Tony Caputo maybe the friendliest restaurant owner I have ever met. He makes an effort to get to know most of his customers, which is no small task since there are usually lines out the door during lunch hour. Many of the Caputo clan takes part in running the business, giving it a home away from home feel. It seems harder and harder to find that feeling in restaurants these days and that’s probably a part of why Caputo’s keeps people coming back for more.

The Wednesday Special is what draws me in on most visits. Each day of the week offers a different pasta dish and Wednesday is lasagna. Several fresh batches are made by hand and it is easily the best in the city. The pasta melts in your mouth. It’s served with a green salad and a roll. The pasta specials price out at $8.45 and worth every penny.

The menu includes, sandwiches, soups, salads and deserts. My sandwich is the Caputo ($6.45).  It has prosciutto, mortadella, salami, provolone, lettuce, and tomatoesand is served on a hard Italian roll covered with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. What makes this great is the freshness and high quality of each and every ingredient. Both the oil and vinegar are sold at the Caputo’s Market if you are looking to add some of these fantastic flavors for your own cooking. I am not alone in my love for the Caputo as it was named the third best sandwich in America by FHM magazine.

There are 11 other sandwich choices including The Meatball, The Prosciutto, The Italian Cold Cut, Feta and Tomato, and The Cheese Lover. I’d recommend opting for any one of these on focaccia, as it’s my favorite bread in the whole city. Sandwiches run between $6.25 and $7.45 depending on your selection.

Freshness is also the key to Caputo’s salads, which use a base of virgin olive oil, and balsamic or red wine vinegar.  Whether it is using greens, pastas, or vegetables, all the salad choices are made to order and excellent. A Salt Lake favorite is the Vanocur Salad ($7.45) named after a local news reporter. It’s made of seasonal fresh greens with feta, green olives, tomatoes, croutons, pepperoncini topped with balsamic vinaigrette and a roll.

Desserts include New York Cheesecake ($3.50), Tiramisu ($3.50), Chocolate Cake ($5), and Cannoli ($2.75). My fav: the cannoli. It tastes like it is straight from Italy and should not be passed up.

The marketplace that is connected to the restaurant has the largest selection of Italian foods in Utah and is a Godsend for people from back East or anyone that appreciates top notch gourmet foods.

Overall Caputo’s is, in my opinion, THE best place to grab a quick lunch in the entire state of Utah. I used to go there every week when I lived in Salt Lake. Now when I visit, I make sure to plan my stay so that I can grab a Wednesday lasagna special. Caputo’s is a place that I must stop and you should too.

NiMarco's Pizza

By Angele Sionna


[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="101 S. Beaver Street, Flagstaff, AZ"][/caption]

101 S. Beaver St., Flagstaff, AZ

(no menu online)

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>= mixed bag, can be good but can be bad, can’t count on it

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxx= good but could be improved

Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$= under $10

Value (what you get for your money)
*** = fair -you get what you pay for, not in a bad way

NiMarco’s Pizza says on their sign that they’ve been serving “Flagstaff style” pizza since 1979. If that’s the case, Flagstaff style is average pizza with a cracker-thin dry crust but really good sauce.

I was very excited to try NiMarco’s for the first time this week. I’ve driven by their place countless times and always thought that their patio looked like fun. It’s a simple house-style restaurant with about a half dozen tables outside. The inside has a relaxed look with a fireplace dominating the single roomed restaurant and wooden booths around the outside of the room and tables in the middle. Nothing fancy, just easy to kick back in. That’s a good description of the menu as well. NiMarco’s serves slices, whole pizzas, calzone, a few types of salad, and wings.

During the school year, NiMarco’s patio is almost always packed with college students when I’ve gone by. On our visit, there were only a few customers, as it’s the middle of summer break. I figured the big college student clientele meant they must have cheap slices and good beer.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="NiMarco's Cheese Pizza Slices"][/caption]

I didn’t try the beer but I did grab two slices. The plain cheese, which I got, were $1.75 each, tax included. Good price. (Adding topics ups the price depending on what you get because they have different “levels” of toppings.) The pizza itself was too greasy and is nothing impressive. The crust was too crusty and really dry. It’s best described as “cardboard crust,” to use a common pizza term. The sauce however was really tangy and good. Unfortunately, not good enough for me to recommend ordering pizza here.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="NiMarco's Calzone"][/caption]

What was good at NiMarco’s was the calzone. My husband ordered the “Your Way” calzone ($7.50, including tax) with extra cheese, pepperoni, sausage, onions, and ham. They said it would take 20-30 minutes and it did. Again, the crust wasn’t that great, but on the calzone it is really thin so it didn’t matter as much. It was lacking in the cheese department (and we got extra cheese - yikes) but overloaded with onions. Those should have been reversed for better flavor. This dish is loaded with sauce, and that’s a good thing. Until you get to the second half, because the sauce and all the ingredients’ juices seep thru and make it really soggy. This is particularly bad because everything at NiMarco’s is served on throwaway products – paper plates, paper cups, and plastic ware. While that’s easy for them, it’s not good for us patrons, as the plastic knife just didn’t cut it with the calzone, literally. Add that to the soggy plates and you’ve got a mess.

I find NiMarco’s paper/plastic products policy very wasteful and surprising, actually. It’s like a delivery place that has good seating. They use three paper plates for each entrée. Add that to the other paper/plastic waste from the cups, napkins, and cutlery and I actually got to the point where I kinda felt bad about eating there on an enviro-friendliness level. This may seem kind of silly, but I guess I just expected a little better from a place that prides itself on being Flagstaff-style, as the city and its residents are very eco-conscious.

All in all, the price is right at NiMarco’s but the product reflects it. I would skip NiMarco’s and opt for their competitor just up the block – Fratelli Pizza. (See my Fratelli review HERE.) NiMarco’s does have a better patio and is about a half block closer to Northern Arizona University’s campus, which is probably why it draws such a crowd when school’s in session.

See more photos of NiMarco's Pizza HERE.

Fratelli Pizza

By Angele Sionna

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="180" caption="119 W. Phoenix Ave., Flagstaff, AZ"][/caption]

119 W. Phoenix Ave., Flagstaff
Menu at: fratellipizza.net

The Food (taste/flavor/quality of food & drinks)
>>>> = a favorite, can count on it being good every time

The Atmosphere (environment, wait staff, comfortableness)
xxxx = comfortable

Price (what to generally expect to pay per person per entree)
$= under $10

Value (what you get for your money)
***** = superb -lots of quality/taste for what you pay

When I walked into Fratelli Pizza, I was feeling brave and a little nervous. It was the first time I’d ventured to any restaurant by myself with my two year old and 8 month old daughters. I couldn’t have picked a better spot. The staff went out of their way to help me and the food was served hot and fast.

I strolled up to the counter holding my eldest’s hand and pushing my youngest in a stroller. We ordered one of their fantastic combos – plenty of food for us to share. For six bucks (including tax) we got an over-sized slice of cheese pizza, a fresh salad with ranch dressing, and a drink. You can also get two slices and a drink for the same price. Either combo can be upgraded to add one of the six beers they have on tap instead of a soda for $1.50 more.

After we ordered - we pulled up into a booth at Fratelli's relatively new location south of the tracks downtown. It still has that “new” feel to it. The five tables and four booths look like they could have been installed yesterday. The walls have a relaxing Italian garden wall theme painted on them. Two flat-screen TVs are mounted on either side of the restaurant. I’ve yet to be in here without some sort of sports on both of the TVs. The volume is always muted and instead they play upbeat music at a good level. Enough to entertain you if you’re there by yourself, yet quiet enough to have a good conversation with your fellow diners.

The waitress brought over our slice and salad as I filled up our glass at the beverage station. A nice kid-friendly feature here: along with the all you can drink refills, Fratelli has orange and lemon slices for your beer or iced tea. My daughter loves to snack on a few of the orange slices as her appetizer every time we’re here.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Fratelli's side salad"][/caption]

I sat back down and we started munching down. The salad was not your typical quickie pizza joint salad. It was a fresh, crisp mix of spring greens topped with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, shredded carrots, and croutons. Served with ranch dressing on the side.
I couldn’t take more than two bites of it,though, before I turned my attention to the pizza.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Fratelli's cheese pizza slice"][/caption]

It was the size of two normal slices. The cheese was super-gooey with just the right amount of sauce. The dough is home made and hand tossed then baked in a stone deck oven. Perfect if you like New York-style thin crust, which I do. My daughter likes to add a little Parmesan on her part of the pizza. Luckily, Fratelli has that plus red peppers, Tabasco sauce, and garlic salt at the table to add on as you wish. Another kid-friendly feature at Fratelli, everything is served on non-breakable dishes – plastic salad plates and metal pans for the pizza.

Fratelli has more than slices on the menu, though it doesn’t go all crazy like some places with too many choices. Just the right amount of options to satisfy their base crowd: college students from Northern Arizona University, which is just down the street. Everything I’ve had before here has been good. If you’re not in the mood for pizza, I’d recommend the Giant Calzone ($8.50). I like the Veggie. My husband likes the Your Creation, which gives you the option of adding four toppings of your choice to the mozzarella. Note: if you like sauce on the inside, ask for it. Otherwise it’s just served on the side.

Fratelli Pizza has been voted the best of Flagstaff for the last six of the last seven years. I too think it’s the best pizza parlor in town. Whether you’re looking for a great pizza and beer joint or a night out with the family, avoid the chains and head to this small pizzeria. You’ll have a great time with its welcoming atmosphere and leave with a great taste in your mouth and a satisfied stomach.

More Fratelli photos HERE.