Scottsdale—and the Valley as a whole—has a reputation for exceptional artisanal pizza. In fact, Pizzeria Bianco in downtown Phoenix is consistently ranked among the nation’s best.
However, you don’t have to travel to downtown for an exceptional slice. You may not even need to leave your neighborhood. Many of Scottsdale’s pizzerias are just as good if not, by some accounts, better. Here are the seven best places for pizza in Scottsdale.
Pomo Pizzeria: This is about as authentic as you can get without boarding a plane for Italy. In fact, the Neapolitan pizza served at Pomo Pizzeria is so authentic that it has been certified by the Italian trade group Associazone Verace Pizza Napoletana.
What sets it apart? Pomo Pizzeria starts with a highly-refined organic wheat flower imported from Napes, Mediterranean sea salt, and water. Pies are topped with only the freshest ingredients before baking to perfection in a 905 degree hand-built, wood-burning oven. Gluten-free and vegan options are also available.
Craft 64: Located in a historic adobe home near the Hotel Valley Ho, Craft 64 combines local craft beer, great wine, and artisan pizza. The eight specialty pies feature local, organic ingredients and mozzarella cheese, which is made in house from scratch every day. Popular offerings include the Aji, named after the spicy South American green chili sauce that compliments fennel sausage and ricotta, and Carne, loaded with fennel sausage, soppressata, and pepperoni.
Fun fact: Craft 64 has 36 craft beers on tap. The number “64” refers to the 64 ounces in a growler.
LAMP Wood Oven: You need a little patience when you come to LAMP Wood Oven, at least 20 minutes’ worth. That’s because each pizza is made from scratch using techniques that chef and owner Matt Pilato learned while studying Neapolitan pizza-making at the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli Academy in San Francisco.
Try the Dirty Little York, a popular pie laden with sopressata, sharp provolone, roasted artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and onions. Or, order The Scientist, which combines three varieties of salumi with green olives. Wash it down with either a Nutella or Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake.
Oregano’s: Lawrence Gibbilini, along with his six younger siblings, helped make ends meet during the Great Depression by selling their mothers’ pizzas door-to-door. Eventually, he moved from sales into pizza production, developing a lifelong passion for cooking that earned him the nickname “Lawrence of Oregano.” His son named Oregano’s, the first of which opened in 1993 in Old Town Scottsdale, to honor his father.
At Oregano’s you can choose between several different varieties of thin crust, pan pizza, or stuffed pizza, or create your own from toppings that range from meatballs, fresh basil, and roasted garlic to Cajun chicken and poblano peppers. Oregano’s also serves pasta, salads, sandwiches, and wings.
Il Bosco: Tucked in a shopping mall near Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard, this 40-seat restaurant is the dream of golf pro and pizza aficionado Bill Forrest. Pizzas are hand-made in an open kitchen using fresh cheeses, house-made sauces, and local, organic vegetables and meats.
Sample the Joanna, featuring hot sausage and pepperoni, or the Biaggia, made with prosciutto, fig jam, goat cheese and arugula. Gluten-free crust is available.
Crust Pizza & Wine Café: Opened in 2007, Crust Pizza & Wine Café in Scottsdale serves New York-style and Sicilian-style pizza made from simple, wholesome ingredients. The pizza varieties are mostly simple, too, such as The Original, made with tomato, mozzarella, basil, and EVOO. You can get creative, though with toppings that include grilled shrimp and artichoke hearts.
Insider’s tip: If you order a 20-inch pie, only half will come to the table while the other half is kept hot in the kitchen. Also, loyal customers are rewarded with a secrete menu that includes items like macaroni and cheese pizza.
Spinato’s: When Ken Spinato moved from Chicago to Phoenix in 1971, the pizza connoisseur had a difficult time finding a respectable pie. So, in 1974, he opened his first pizzeria. Today, there are five Spinato’s located throughout the Valley, including one on Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard in Scottsdale.
Although the draw is the Chicago-style pizza, you can also get thin crust and gluten-free pizzas as well as creative calzones, including a baked spaghetti calzone stuffed with—baked spaghetti—and a Chicago steak calzone stuffed with Italian beef and hot Giardiniera. If you’d rather eat at home, Spinato’s sells take and bake pizzas, too.
