The Italiano

Enjoyed a late dinner around 8pm. I reserved a table for 3 online and was seated immediately. The restaurant was buzzing with energy and lots of people for a Tuesday evening. The interior decor was unique and beautiful. Our server was friendly and professional. We started with a Caesar salad and I appreciated how finely chopped it was. The garlic bread and zucchini blossoms were delicious and beautifully presented. For mains we ordered the short rib lasagna, spicy rigatoni with grilled chicken and the salmon. Everything was fresh, and tasty. Great spot, highly recommend! Ask for the Calabrian chilli's if you like a little extra heat- loved it!

Okay WOW!! Of ALL the chef Joey restaurants in AZ this one is his best by FAR! HUGE shoutout to the bartender/our waiter PETE!!! Pete was FABULOUS! He made our experience incredible- he was so attentive to our needs- gave great recommendations- accommodated my friends allergies- INCREDIBLE SERVICE! The best I’ve seen in a long time you could just tell the staff got along so well with everybody laughing and smiling!! The food….HOLY MOLY. The happy hour was INCREDIBLE we ordered EVERY DISH FROM THE HAPPY HOUR MENU!! Our favorites were the ravioli and the vodka pasta omg they were divine!!! We topped it off with the chocolate dolce cake and it was delicious. I genuinely am beyond impressed with everything from the food service, and the beautiful ambiance! Such a awesome experience and they had an incredible Pianist! I think our book club needs to become regulars here and hope that Pete always gets to be our waiter- we adored him! GREAT WORK CHEF JOEY!!!

The Italiano in Scottsdale had some highlights but it didn’t quite live up to the rave reviews I’d heard. The decor is beautiful and very welcoming, setting a great first impression. The staff were friendly, but overall not very attentive. They were extremely busy, but the service was lacking throughout the meal. We started with the burrata & prosciutto and the prime beef carpaccio with artichoke. The beef carpaccio was actually delicious, but it was topped with a large amount of arugula that it felt more like a salad than carpaccio. The burrata and prosciutto was disappointing for me because of the olives and bell peppers. My friends did enjoy it though. The Caesar salad arrived next. It was heavy on the dressing but still tasty; but after the arugula-heavy carpaccio, it felt like I was eating a second salad. For entrées, we ordered the short rib lasagna, spicy rigatoni alla vodka with chicken, and capellini with shrimp. The short rib lasagna was the best dish. It was very flavorful. The rigatoni lacked flavor, and the chicken was very dry. The capellini was also quite dry, with noodles stuck together and difficult to separate. The shrimp were large, and the sauce itself was good, but there wasn’t enough of it to coat the pasta and shrimp, making the dish very bland and dry. For dessert we ordered the Biscoff tiramisu, which was served in a very cute chocolate mug. The presentation was fun, and it was delicious. While the ambiance of the restaurant itself is lovely, the dining experience was diminished by some of the diners who were dressed VERY inappropriately.

I visited this Italian restaurant for a birthday dinner, and overall we had a good time. The portions were very large, and the staff were polite and attentive. However, they mistaken the birthday girl’s order, which was a bit disappointing. They rushed my meal to bring it out quickly which I appreciated, but because of that, the pasta came out raw and definitely needed about five more minutes of cooking. Aside from the mix-ups, the restaurant has a fun, lively atmosphere with live music that really adds to the experience. With a little more attention to order accuracy and cooking time, this place has the potential to be truly great.

Can I give it 10 stars?? I would in a hot minute if it were possible. A very big Thank you to the staff and Chef(s) for a fantastic experience and meal. Highly recommend this experience. Every detail was so well thought through and carried out. Our server, Gary, could not have been finer! His suggestions were thoughtful and spot on. The food was exceptional - absolutely delicious and yet kept simple. Good sized portions - not too small and not too large. The staff is very friendly and welcoming. I would recommend making a reservation as it does get booked up. The weekend happy hour will be our next visit. We simply can’t wait to go back.