When in Phoenix, Keep Your Eyes on the Pies

As a food and beverage industry journalist and photographer, I was keenly aware of Phoenix’s Chris Bianco, who may be the most famous pizza-maker in the U.S.—and he almost always lets his pies do the talking. But when the media-shy artisan released his first cookbook, Bianco: Pizza, Pasta, and Other Food I Like, in July 2017, it reminded the country just how far this beloved food has come since Bianco kicked off the artisanal pizza revolution in the mid-90’s.

Since then, waves of pizza-makers have made Phoenix their home, turning it into a city proud of its rich pizza scene. So we locals—and lucky travelers planning to stay in the Phoenix area—have front-row seats to the one of best pizza shows in the nation. Here are five spots to find the best pizza in Phoenix—from the institutional to the up-and-comers—and places I believe will continue a tradition of good, exciting pizzerias in the Valley of the Sun!

Cozy up to the charm of Cibo Pizza

Dine under the lights of Cibo’s cute, renovated 1913 bungalow.

Pizza making—and eating—rarely looks more effortless and inviting than it does at the downtown Phoenix institution of Cibo Urban Pizzeria. The restaurant serves up some of the best pizza in Phoenix with its traditional, well-executed Neapolitan-style pies in a quaint bungalow that dates back to 1913. When sitting on its charming patio strung with lights, it’s easy to understand why the little pizzeria is a perennial competitor for the most romantic dining in town. You can’t go wrong with any pie here, but their traditional margherita, which shines in its simplicity, is a great place to start. Chef Guido Saccone regularly shares his beautiful handiwork on Cibo’s Instagram page.

Experience Mesa dining at its finest at Myke’s Pizza

Feast your eyes on two favorites at Myke’s Pizza—the potato and bacon special and the salami pie. How can you choose just one?

“I want people in Mesa to experience a pizza that they wouldn’t have otherwise,” says Myke Olsen, owner of Myke’s Pizza. His relatively new operation with limited hours—only Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 8 p.m.—set up shop at a patio on downtown Mesa’s main drag, which is located less than 30 minutes from Phoenix. Olsen and his team, with a portable operation, are producing pies that would excite the foodie crowds in downtown Phoenix and seem downright groundbreaking for a part of the East Valley generally known for chains and less adventurous eating.

Who knew that some of the best pizza in Phoenix would actually be found just outside the city? Their signature pies—including a potato and bacon number set atop garlic cream sauce and sprinkled with aged gouda and a salami pie finished with a drizzle of chili pepper-infused hot honey—should not be missed.

Light a path to Lamp Pizzeria

Sometimes the secret’s in the special ovens, like this one at Lamp Pizzeria.

From lengthy charts marking results for each batch of dough to the sourcing of their oak and pecan wood, Lindsay and Matt Pilato are obsessive about the pies at Lamp Pizzeria in north Scottsdale, about 30 minutes from Phoenix.

Owners Lindsay and Matt Pilato are proud to present The Gem, a bestseller at their Lamp Pizzeria.

Matt describes the DNA of his pizza to be about 75 percent Neapolitan—light, quickly fired dough and fresh ingredients—and 25 percent what he calls “old New York city coal oven pizza,” which has a slightly more structured crust from the edges of the pie to the center (more true-to-style Neapolitan pies tend to have a soupier center). The Gem—a pie made with pepperoni, ricotta cheese and their own Sicilian sausage—is their best-seller. Let me tell you, it’s easy to see why.

Arrive in Italy when you visit Forno301

Witness the simplicity of Neapolitan-style pizza come to life at Forno301.

Pizza in America often overshadows (or worse, neglects) its Italian heritage. Rest assured, though, that’s not the case at Forno301. The most Italian-feeling experience on this list will come via the dining room run by the Italian-born Roberto Dadone and Luca Dagliano, who operate the establishment daily—rich accents and all.

Before you dive into pizza, enjoy some sharable appetizers at Forno301, served with wood-fired bread.

Many locals agree that this is some of the best pizza in Phoenix. And if you ask Dadone which pie is his favorite? “They are all my favorite,” he says. Try to make your way down their delicious menu, and you’ll completely understand.

Go for the gold standard among the best pizza in Phoenix at Pizzeria Bianco and Pane Bianco

Behold the Wiseguy—it looks so good, you can almost taste it!

Though specials, reflecting the bounty of each season, rotate in and out of the menu, the six that started it all—the Marinara, the Rosa, the Margherita, the Biancoverde, the Sonny Boy and the Wiseguy—remain at Pizzeria Bianco.

The Town & Country location of Pizzeria Bianco features a well-worn, pistachio-green pizza oven that churns out the venue’s beloved, charred-crust pies.

My personal favorite is the Rosa, where razor-thin red onion cuts through rich, salty parmesan and Arizona-grown pistachios, all enhanced with the pungent, herbal hit of rosemary. The faded, pistachio-green wood-burning oven is a real charmer, better for wear, in a Town and Country location that’s not only spacious, but one of the best-decorated restaurants in the Valley.

Pane Bianco continues the tradition of featuring still-life paintings by owner Chris Bianco’s father.

It’s complete, as all of Chris Bianco’s restaurants are, with numerous still-life paintings made by his father. And if you want to see where it all started, the original location is downtown in Heritage Square.

If you’re looking for a great lunch option, treat yourself to the al taglio pizza, served only at Pane Bianco.

At Pane Bianco, in central Phoenix, the sandwich reigns supreme. But in my humble opinion, Chris Bianco’s most underrated creation, from any of his restaurants, is his rectangular, by-the-slice al taglio pizza, offered only at Pane (which is open just for lunch). The thicker, fluffier, crustier slices are so incredibly different from the thinner pies he’s known for—but they are certainly no less delicious!

Article and photos by Shelby Moore