Italian nice: Linguine is highlight of Papa Razzini's
By CRYSTAL PETROCELLI
Get Out

Wait: Papa Razzini’s is half full just after 8 p.m. on Father’s Day. Thankfully, we're taken to a table with some elbow room. Being butted up against another table when there are more spacious options really bugs me.

Service: The owner, who goes by “Papa,” belts out an Italian verse or two between bites of Father’s Day dinner with his extended family. Papa is the sort of proud, restaurant-loving person I wish I ran into more often. Most places don’t have an owner on the premises every night, let alone one who greets customers with handshakes and hugs. When I walk out of the restroom, which is near Papa’s table, he interrupts his dinner to ask me how I am doing and whether our food is good. Our waitress — a young, cute, pigtailed, jeans-wearing woman — is slow on water refills, but she's friendly and offers us cracked pepper and fresh Parmesan.

Meal: Probably the tastiest freebie start to a meal that I’ve come across, our basket of toasted sesame baguette slices and bowl of chopped tomatoes tossed with pressed garlic, a splash of olive oil, pepper and basil is a huge hit. Everything else we try — the fried Italian sausage ravioli with spicy marinara, lightly dressed insalata Italiana (enough for three), penne alla vodka, lasagna (tad too cheesy/sloppy), tiramisu (the mascarpone-to-ladyfinger ratio is off in favor of the decadent Italian cream cheese) and cannoli — is also very good. The linguine with clam sauce, however, is divine. My husband and I end up eating nearly half our dining companion’s al dente dish. The noodles are swimming with diced baby clams, parsley, slices of garlic, butter and white wine, making
for a light, luscious sauce.

Scene: Red-and-white-linen-clad tables with wine-bottle centerpieces create a fun, simple Italian ambience without feeling contrived. An ASU baseball posterboard plastered with the latest College World Series newspaper clippings, along with a couple of signed local sports team photos, gives a peak into the owner’s passions and local ties.

Bathroom break: Clean, private men's and women’s rooms.
Tab for three: $76 with tip and tax for fried Italian sausage ravioli ($7.95), insalata Italiana ($6.95), penne alla vodka ($9.95), lasagna ($11.95), linguine with clam sauce ($12.95), tiramisu ($4.95) and cannoli ($4.25).

If work isn’t buying: Free bruschetta and an owner who belts out Italian tunes? I love this neighborhood Italian joint and can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t.

Papa Razzini’s
1825 E. Guadalupe Road, Tempe

Major cross streets: Guadalupe Road and McClintock Drive
Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday Reservations accepted: Yes Health report: Two major violations on May 26
Kid-friendly: Yes
Web site: No