21 Nov 9th–Nov 15th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | cONTeNTs | feeDBacK | OPiNiON | NeWs | feaTuRe | NighT+Day | culTuRe | film | cafe | music | unusual pizzas on the menu features bacon, rosemary, potatoes and garlic cream. This is a white pie to convert the red-sauce fanatic. Another pizza definitely worth eating is the Tomato Pie which doesn’t have any cheese on it. It features Bianco DiNapoli tomatoes, Blue Sky Organic Farms basil, pepper, and sliced garlic soaked in olive oil so it won’t burn. The pizza hits you with the same spirit as a simple summer pasta made with sauce simmered from fresh tomatoes. Speaking of summer, the seasonal pies at Myke’s are worth catching. Try one topped with peaches in the late summer, or enjoy a butternut squash and mushroom slice in the fall. Pizzeria Virtù 6952 E. Main St., Scottsdale Although it is located in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, Pizzeria Virtù takes a decidedly different approach to the glitz and glam of the neighborhood. Eating at this restaurant feels as though you were invited into a friend’s simple yet cozy home, where you can enjoy a glass of wine on their patio. It’s a creation of chef Gio Osso who made his way back to the space where he initially worked in the Valley. The location was previously home to Grazie, a restaurant where Osso managed the wood oven on weeknights. The chef went on to open Virtu Honest Craft, to much acclaim, but returned to pizza when Grazie closed its doors. Now, he’s crafted an expert menu of Neapolitan pizzas including the Erbazzone, a pie topped with mozzarella, smoked pancetta, garlic, spinach, ricotta, and lemon; and the Milano, a pizza that celebrates caramelized onions and chestnut honey. Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana Multiple Locations Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana is another spot certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. The dough has only four ingredients: imported organic wheat flour, natural yeast, Mediterranean sea salt and water. It’s allowed to rise for at least 24 hours, hand-kneaded, and then given a swift 90-second cook in temperatures upward of 900 degrees Fahrenheit in the restaurant’s enormous wood-burning ovens. The careful prep produces blistery, thin-crust pies that are beautiful in their simplicity and long tradition. Try the Diavola, a lovely pizza full of robust tomato flavor with savory notes from the salame piccante, a spicy Italian pepperoni that’s nicely crisp at the edges. The Burratella is another favorite for fans of sweet and spicy. This perfectly balanced pie is topped with burrata, hot soppressata, mozzarella, thin “chili threads,” basil, and a drizzle of local organic honey. Pomo’s pizzas are fired for 60 to 90 seconds in a 905-degree oven. (Photo by Jacob Tyler Dunn) The Burratella Pizza at Pomo comes topped with chili threads and fresh basil. (Photo by Tirion Boan) Pizza Powerhouses from p 19
