Try these Italian restaurants featured on ‘Check, Please! Arizona’

“Check, Please! Arizona” has featured many Italian restaurants over the years. We compiled a list so you can visit them on your next night out!

The Italian Daughter

The Italian Daughter, conceived by Melissa Maggiore Meyer as a heartfelt tribute to her late father, the renowned restaurateur and chef Tomaso Maggiore, is an inviting haven where guests are welcomed into the warmth of Meyer’s own home.

During her visit for “Check, Please! Arizona,” guest Paola Boivin ordered the Proscuitto Di Parma + Burrata, describing the presentation as “like a work of art” and praising the burrata for its “smooth and soft” texture. Meanwhile, Ted Simons, host and managing editor of “Arizona Horizon,” savored the zuccotto, a pumpkin cake, as the perfect ending to his meal, expressing that “everything was just right.”

You can visit The Italian Daughter at 23655 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, AZ, and you can visit their website for more information.

Spiga Cucina Italiana

Spiga Cucina Italiana offers Italian food with a Mediterranean twist. The upscale restaurant is owned by a husband and wife team and features an extensive wine list with thousands of bottles in-house.

“Check, Please! Arizona” guests recommended the burrata and prosciutto, bucatini and bolognese connoisseur. Guest Jowan Thornton raved about the bolognese. “This was one of the top that I have ever had,” Thornton said. “The sauce was amazing, it had the right texture, and even the pasta seemed to be homemade.”

You can visit Spiga at 7500 East Pinnacle Peak Road in Scottsdale, and you can visit their website for more information.

Franco’s Italian Caffe

Franco’s serves classic Tuscan food in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Owner Franco Fazzuoli was born in Italy and fell in love with food and entertainment.

“My love of food came from my grandmother and my mother,” Fazzuoli said. “I love this kind of work. I like to make people happy.”

Franco’s features classics like bruschetta, a wide range of pastas, and merenghata, a meringue cake dessert made with Fazzouli’s mother’s recipe.

You can visit Franco’s at 4327 North Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale, and you can visit their website for more information.

Crust Simply Italian

Crust features an East Coast style of Italian food brought to life by owner Michael Merendino, a first-generation Italian who grew up on Long Island, NY. While the restaurant offers New York-style pizza, “Check, Please! Arizona” guests raved about the pasta and seafood dishes.

Guest Jeannie LaMarche loves visiting Crust for its welcoming atmosphere, and recommends the bacon-wrapped shrimp and and linguine with clams in white sauce. “It was so awesome. The sauce it’s thick and creamy,” she said. “Every time I come there, I get that. I just can’t get enough of it.”

You can visit Crust at three different locations in Scottsdale, Chandler or Gilbert, and you can visit their website for more information.

Bella Gusto Urban Pizzeria

Bella Gusto Urban Pizzeria is a local favorite in Chandler, Arizona, known for its authentic Neapolitan pizza and classic Italian dishes.

One of the highlights of Bella Gusto’s menu is their Neapolitan pizza, made with a 36-hour fermented dough and baked to perfection in a wood-fired oven. The result is a pizza with a crispy crust and perfectly melted cheese. But it’s not just the pizza that’s noteworthy: Bella Gusto also serves a variety of pasta dishes based on the recipes of one of the owner’s grandmothers. The Linguine Alla Carbonara, for example, is a customer favorite.

“Check, Please! Arizona” guest Sylvia Cook raves about her experience at Bella Gusto, specifically the spaghetti and meatballs.

You can visit Bella Gusto at 1964 N. Alma School Road Ste-1, and you can visit their website for more information.

Sfizio Modern Italian Kitchen

Sfizio’s menu focuses on pizza, pasta and seafood dishes made with fresh ingredients. The restaurant is family-run, with members of owner and chef Rocco Pezzano’s family helping out in the kitchen and the front of the house.

“Check, Please! Arizona” guests enjoyed the meatballs, margherita pizza and linguine vongole, as well as the restaurant’s atmosphere. Located across from the Desert Ridge Marketplace in North Phoenix, Sfizio is a great option for a post-shopping meal.

You can visit Sfizio at 21050 North Tatum Boulevard #110 in Phoenix, and you can visit their website for more information.

Bottega Ristorante

Bottega Ristorante is putting a modern spin on traditional Italian fare. The owner, Milan-born entrepreneur Nick DiLello says while food has always been his passion, the restaurant is inspired by his mother.

The restaurant quickly gained notoriety for its wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pizza and handmade pasta dishes. “We want to bring a little bit of a taste to that authentic Italian cuisine,” DiLello said, something he said is missing in the West Valley.

“Check, Please! Arizona” guest Peter Royers ordered the polenta and pasta adorned with creamy mushrooms and parmesan. He goes on to describe how “rich” and delicious the pasta was, even saving some for leftovers.

You can visit Bottega Ristorante at 19420 N. 59th Ave., Glendale, AZ, and you can visit their website for more information.

Oven + Vine

This family-owned Italian restaurant adds New Mexican flavors to classic comfort dishes. Co-owner Michelle Bethge was inspired by her time living in New Mexico.

“The recipes are mine. When I lived in New Mexico, we had a ranch outside of Las Vegas in a little town,” Bethge said. “The ladies there taught us how to get the Hatch green chilies, roast them and make green chili.”

“Check, Please! Arizona” guests recommended the braised beef, green chili pork with au gratin and the tiramisu.

You can visit Oven + Vine at 14 West Vernon Ave. in downtown Phoenix, or you can visit their website for more information.

Fabio on Fire

Fabio on Fire is an authentic, charming Italian restaurant and bakery, home to some of the best wood-fired pizzas in the West Valley. Owner Fabio Ceschetti is from Italy, and the recipes he uses were created by his grandparents and his mother.

Guest Andre Licardi, who has been to Italy many times, suggested Fabio on Fire as his top pick. He orders the charcuterie board and the orecchiette handmade pasta with Italian sausage and broccoli. Licardi goes on to describe their pasta as “terrific” and delicious. “You can tell that the pasta is handmade,” Licardi said. “It was like we were eating back in Italy.”

You can visit Fabio on Fire at 8275 W. Lake Pleasant Pkwy. Ste 101, and you can visit their website for more information.

Fat Olives

Fat Olives stands as one of only four VPN (Vera Pizza Napoletana) certified pizza places in Arizona, delivering an authentic taste of Naples in the heart of the state. The wood-fired oven, imported from Italy, adds to the traditional charm that sets this pizzeria apart.

Fat Olives offers more than just pizza. Lasagna and other pasta dishes grace the menu, providing a variety that complements the pizzeria’s main attraction. Pamela Carter, a guest on “Check, Please Arizona,” ordered the cannoli and expressed sheer delight, stating that “the filling was absolutely delicious.”

You can visit Fat Olives at 2308 E. Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ.

Want more Arizona restaurant recommendations? Watch “Check, Please! Arizona” for inspiration for your next meal out, with diverse options all over the state!