Photos by Amelia Goe
Location and Hours:1 N. First Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Phone: (602) 795-7116
Mon. | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Tue. – Thu. | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm and
5:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Fri. | 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sat. | 2:00 pm – 10:00 pm
★★★
Price Range: $5 – $15
Student Discount: None
Recommended Dishes: Pizza Bianca &
Angioletti Fritti
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It seems that downtown Phoenix is becoming quite the mecca of fine-quality pizza with a new addition, La Piazza Locale, on the corner of First and Washington streets. With stiff competition including Cibo Urban Pizzeria Cafe and Pizzeria Bianco in the neighborhood, La Piazza Locale has much to prove. But La Piazza Locale brings a little something different to the table — literally.
I have high standards when it comes to Italian cuisine because of my heritage. The Italian blood in me runs thick and therefore I’m fairly snobbish when it comes to my food, especially pizza. La Piazza Locale takes pride in the quality of their product and it shows. The pizzas use San Marzano Tomatoes D.O.P (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) which translates as “Protected Designation of Origin.” The seal indicates that the products are authentic and that you are paying for that quality. And La Piazza Locale is more than just a pizzeria. Their menu offers panini, antipasti, salads, pasta dishes and dessert. Unlike the competition, La Piazza Locale also offers a menu at a much more affordable rate, easily feeding two for under $20.
To start, we begin with the antipasti. The menu contained some of the usual Italian dishes such as Caprese ($8) and Foccacia ($5) but also some traditional twists including Angioletti Fritti ($6), a breadstick dish, and Calamari Fritti ($10), a calamari plate. The Angioletti Fritti was a pleasant surprise. When it arrived I was not impressed. The breadsticks looked like thick cuts of funnel cake and the sloppily chopped basil was clumped on top. However, I ate my words of visual judgement upon my first bite. The breadsticks were certainly unlike anything I had ever tasted. The unique flair plays to their advantage. The dough is sweeter than a traditional Italian breadstick but the addition of imported Pomodorini tomatoes and Sicilian sea salt balanced out the sweet with the salty.
Next we ordered the Pizza Bianca ($13), a white pizza with house-made mozzarella and ricotta cheese. Again, the sight of the pizza was a little disappointing until I took a bite. The crust looks and tastes amazing like any well-prepared wood-fired pizza should.
To finish up the meal, we ordered the Ricotta Cheesecake ($6.50), which was the best presented dish of the afternoon but the least appetizing. While the consistency of the cheesecake was perfect and the flavor wasn’t too shabby, the drizzle of honey was a little too overwhelming and took away from the rich flavor of the dense cheesecake. It was just the wrong combination for my taste buds.
The atmosphere isn’t brightly decorated or entirely welcoming, but it carries a modern twist and a bit of a New York City vibe. The black seating and dark wood walls create more of an edgy appearance that is dissimilar to the other downtown pizza eateries. The open kitchen concept invites customers to watch as the chefs work and there is even a bar allowing you take a seat and watch your meal get prepared.
After your lunch grab a cup of coffee next door at Cartel Coffee Lab before you head off to work, class or just a day around town.
Overall, La Piazza Locale may not look like much, but it serves up quality food that can keep up with the big dogs. I can see why it was featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. I’ll be coming back here for my pizza fix sooner rather than later.
Contact reporter at angoe@asu.edu
