| CHOW BELLA | ▼ Café Prize Pizzas The top 10 best pizzerias in metro Phoenix. BY NEW TIMES STAFF I t’s always a good time to make the argument that Phoenix is the best pizza town in America. There’s the diversity of techniques — every major pizza-making philosophy, from Chicago deep-dish to wood-fired Neapolitan style, is well-represented in the Valley. There is the concentration of talented pizzaioli in the Arizona desert, an unlikely yet fortunate development that has helped Phoenix become a culinary destination for die-hard pizza aficionados. And there is the simple fact that it’s become harder and harder to keep track of the ever-expanding roster of great pizze- rias around town. Well, we’ve done the heavy lifting for you. Here are the 10 best places for pizza in the metro Phoenix. Impressive Invite This Phoenix cafe owner visited the Vice President’s house. BY NATASHA YEE I t’s not every day that one receives an email from the White House inviting them to a soiree at the vice president’s house. But for José “ET” Rivera, the owner of Tres Leches Café in Phoenix, that’s exactly what happened in late September. Rivera runs the popular Mexican coffee shop with life and business partner Magaly Martinez Saenz. Earlier this fall, he opened the email and read through its almost unbelievable contents: the Small Business Administration was hosting an event in conjunction with the White House and Vice President Kamala Harris at the vice president’s official residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. He was invited. The event, held during National Hispanic 22 Heritage Month, would honor small Latino- owned businesses around the country that survived the pandemic, Rivera says the email explained. He was elated at the opportunity to be a part of it. Chris Bianco and one of his award- winning pies. Pizzeria Bianco Multiple Locations Pizzeria Bianco has become the measuring stick by which every other wood-fired pizza joint in the Valley is to be compared from now until the very concept of Phoenix becomes obsolete. “I think so-and-so’s pizza is even better than Bianco’s” is a controversial yet common- place piece of rhetoric you will sometimes hear people throw around in a somewhat desperate effort to drive home a point about how good the pizza they had last night really was. Even if it’s not your favorite pizzeria in town, it’s hard to argue against the sheer influence that the “Of course, I was excited when I read the email. But I had to figure out logistics before doing anything else. Could I actually take the time off work? Who would drive the kids to school? Those types of things,” Rivera says. Balancing life, work and his time at the cafe has been Rivera’s priority since he opened the coffee business in 2014 and added a second drive-thru-only south Phoenix cafe in February 2020. During the pandemic, Rivera and Martinez Saenz struggled to keep the coffee shops afloat, closing for long periods of time while they navigated the crisis. But they made it through with the help of an Economic Injury Disaster Loan provided by the SBA. That loan put them on the radar for the event at Harris’ house. Rivera booked a trip to Washington with Martinez Saenz and five of their daughters who range in age from 6 months to 15 years old. He was happy to share the experience with his family, though he was the only one invited to the event. “My seven-year-old daughter is named Camila, so we playfully call her Camila Harris all the time. The girls know who the vice presi- dent is, and it’s an honor to be invited to something of that scale,” Rivera says. The event took place on October 5. After arriving in Washington, testing negative for COVID, and donning his Sunday best, Rivera Jacob Tyler Dunn restaurant has had on the local and national pizza scene. Bianco recently won his second James Beard Award, opened a new restaurant in Los Angeles, and starred on Netflix’s Chef’s Table: Pizza. The Wiseguy, with its classic sausage- and-onion combo, has a smoky, savory allure. And the Rosa, with its ingenious combo of red onion, Parmigiano-Reggiano, rosemary, and Arizona-grown pistachios, might be the most famous pie in the state. Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante 19420 North 59th Avenue, Glendale 623-777-1868 This northwest Valley restaurant is hidden in a shopping center strip mall filled with sports bars and offices. But Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante is a gem. Grab a table next to the floor-to-ceiling photograph of an Italian street and start your meal with the complimentary bread basket. Multiple different varieties of bread are warm, soft, and oh-so-satisfying. Next, pick your pie from a list of red and white options. To intensify your taste of Italy, try the was dropped off at Number One Observatory Circle, unsure of what to expect, he says. “There were multiple security checkpoints where I had to empty the contents of my pockets and go through metal detectors,” he says. “Then, I walked down a long walkway surrounded by lush green grass, kind of like the one in the bridal shower scene from the movie Bridesmaids. It was surreal.” Rivera arrived at an outdoor area where Harris gave a speech honoring about 25 small business owners for their hard work and ability to survive such difficult circumstances, he says. And then it was time for a photo with the vice president inside of a clubhouse area. “It was a quick thing, similar to taking photos with Santa Claus. I introduced myself and my business and went to give the vice president a side hug. She pulled my hand down, saying that we couldn’t touch due to COVID. I was so embarrassed,” Rivera says. “But she and her husband were very gracious about it, and before I knew it, the whole thing was over.” As the photo was being taken, Rivera pulled on his mustache, he says, garnering laughs from the vice president and onlookers, as most of the photos with other attendees had been strictly formal. Rivera’s infamous ‘stache is part of theTres Leches logo, where a character with a handlebar mustache sips coffee from a mug labeled “3LC.” The White House José “ET” Rivera pulls on his signature mustache during a photo with Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff. The two-hour event ended quickly, open bar, hors d’oeuvres, vice president, and all. And though it took place over a month ago, Rivera is still processing it, he says. “I wish I would have had more face time with the vice president,” Rivera says. “Once I received the photo, it actually hit me. It’s something we plan to keep in our family for a very long time. Not many people can say that they met with the Vice President. And no matter what your political views, I consider it a high point. Surviving the pandemic as a small business owner and meeting with Vice President Harris, it’s the achievement of a lifetime.” Capricciosa pizza, topped with prosciutto, artichokes, mushrooms, basil, and strong- flavored purple Kalamata olives. You won’t find any of the boring black olives often seen on pizza here. Cibo Urban Pizzeria 603 North Fifth Avenue 602-441-2697 Cibo Urban Pizzeria is a modern classic — a popular Italian cafe that has been supplying downtown Phoenix with an irresistible menu of red and white wood- fired pizzas for more than a decade now. Chef Guido Saccone has left his mark on the local pizza scene, helping popularize the gently charred, ultrafresh crust that has come to characterize the modern age of wood-fired pizza in Phoenix and else- where. His pies feature an inch or so of pillowy crust before the toppings begin. Try the Funghi, a lovely melding of mozza- rella, tomatoes, and mushrooms, or the Diavola for a spicy kick. Sit on the twinkle- light-strung patio of this historic bungalow and enjoy a few slices, a glass of wine, and maybe a dessert special to share. The Desmond 1 North First Street, #103 602-466-1444 The Desmond, one of the newest pizzerias on this list, recently opened in downtown Phoenix. Sitting next door to the Kettle Black Pub, this bar and restaurant borrows a bit of the pub vibe, with a perfectly poured Guinness on the menu, and mixes in a hint of Italy. Loud music, maps of the NOV 17TH–NOV 23RD, 2022 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com
