
Pizzeria doesn't live up to award-winning New York counterpart By ADRIENNE FRANK
Get Out
Wait: We arrived shortly after 5 p.m. on a Tuesday and were seated right away.
Service: Our server got the job done — our food arrived quickly, as did our water refills and the bill. Problem was, he looked incredibly bored the entire time; he seemed far more interested in chatting up the cute bartender than making us feel welcome.
What we liked: We liked the portion size of the salad, as a “small” was easily large enough to feed three. And while the romaine lettuce was crisp and the oven-roasted sweet red peppers were, well, deliciously sweet, the vinaigrette dressing was too oily and too sour. Thankfully, our pizza — topped with mushrooms, fresh garlic, onions and those peppers — more than made up for the lackluster salad. The thin-crust pie — named by Zagat Survey as New York’s best pizza for the last seven years — was crisp and bursting with flavor (due in large part to the peppers and the slices of fresh-made mozzarella). It was undeniably good. However, if Patsy’s only offered a more extensive selection of toppings (spinach, broccoli, eggplant, even chicken), it could be great.
Scene: Much like the menu, Patsy’s decor is simple — red-and-white-
checkered tablecloths and menus that double as place mats (complete with photos of some of Patsy’s famous clientele, like former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani). The walls are lined with wine bottles, Ol’ Blue Eyes sings in the background and an open kitchen allows patrons to watch their pizza being prepared and carefully placed in Patsy’s famous coal brick ovens.
Bathroom break: The spacious restroom was clean — except for the toilets — making for a very unpleasant restroom experience. A small jar of potpourri was the only “extra” in the otherwise bland space.
Tab for two: $35 with tip for a small (16-inch) pizza with four toppings ($23) and a small mixed green salad ($5).
If work weren’t buying: I’m not so certain that Zagat will be naming Patsy’s the best pizza in Arizona. It’s good and it’s a nice change of pace, but it’s certainly not the best the Valley has to offer.
Patsy Grimaldi's has potential but the food needs more zing
By CRYSTAL PETROCELLI
Get Out
Wait: We arrived at 11:15 a.m. on a Thursday and were given our choice of table in the empty pizzeria.
Service: Our server was training someone so she may have been distracted, but she didn't ask us if we wanted fresh ground pepper on our salad (something offered to a table across the room). Another table was given some sort of bread and olive oil dip, which wasn't on the menu. We got the basics — refills and new plates — which would have been fine if those around us weren't being treated better.
What we liked: Zagat Survey has named the New York-based Patsy's pizza No. 1 every year since 1997,and although its Scottsdale location's pizza was good, it didn't scream "award winner." It was pretty light on ingredients, especially that magnificent mozzarella and my favorite topping — basil. The house salad was fresh and piled high with romaine lettuce, Kalamata olives, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and oven-roasted sweet red peppers. It had potential, but suffered from lack of zing in the vinaigrette dressing.
Scene: The pizza parlor motif was done to perfection — red-and-white-
checkered tablecloths, bold wine displays, black chairs, paintings of merlot bottles and paper place mats that also served as menus. The crowd, which was surprisingly small, was mostly business types.
Bathroom break: Clean and stocked, with golden walls and dark gray flooring.
Tab for two: $45 with tip for a small mixed green salad ($5), large (18-icnh) pizza with three toppings ($23), cannoli ($4) and two sodas ($2 each).
If work weren’t buying: I think a few key Patsy pieces were left behind during the restaurant's nearly 2,500-mile haul out to Arizona. It's hard to imagine such an award-winning pizzeria not being amazing, so I'll give Grimaldi's another try and ask for extra cheese and basil.
Patsy Grimaldi’s Pizzeria
4000 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale,
Major cross streets: Scottsdale Road south of Indian School Road
Reservations accepted: Yes, for parties of eight or more
Health report: No violations on July 2
Prices: $5-$16
Most interesting item: White pizza with garlic ($15-$17)
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