The blistered, wood-fired pies that put Phoenix on the national map, built on a long-fermented crust and a short list of named pizzas like the Wiseguy and the Rosa.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
Chris Bianco opened Pizzeria Bianco in 1988 in the back of a grocery store, moved to Heritage Square in 1997 and won a James Beard award in 2003, the first pizzaiolo to do so. His wood-fired pies, the Wiseguy with smoked mozzarella and the Rosa with pistachios and red onion, became the benchmark that drew pizza pilgrims to Phoenix and seeded the city's wider wood-fired and Neapolitan scene.
Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy
Tip from the editors. The long cold ferment is what builds the flavour and char; do not rush the dough or you lose the whole point.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix is Chris Bianco's wood-fired pizzeria in Heritage Square, the James Beard kitchen long called the best pizza in America.
Signature: Wiseguy, Rosa, Margherita
Order: The Wiseguy, with wood-roasted onion, smoked mozzarella and fennel sausage.
Tip: The Heritage Square original has stood at 623 Adams since 1997; arrive at open or expect a wait, no reservations for small parties.
Pizzeria Bianco Town & Country is Chris Bianco's second Phoenix pizzeria at 20th and Camelback, with a wider menu of pasta and sandwiches alongside the pies.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Meatball sandwich, Chicken cacciatore
Order: A wood-fired pie plus the house meatball sandwich.
Tip: Sits next to Tratto at The Shops at Town & Country; this room is more relaxed than the Heritage Square original.
POMO Pizzeria Napoletana in downtown Phoenix is an AVPN-certified Neapolitan pizzeria, baking pies to Naples standards in a wood-fired oven.
Signature: Margherita, Marinara, Wood-fired pizza
Order: The Margherita, judged against the AVPN's true-Neapolitan certification.
Tip: On 1st Street near Roosevelt Row; the lunch pizza-and-salad combo is the value play.
Tratto in Phoenix is Chris Bianco's Italian trattoria at Town & Country, a white-tablecloth room of handmade pasta built around seasonal Southwest produce.
Signature: Handmade rigatoni, Seasonal pasta, Roman dishes
Order: Whatever pasta is on the day's handmade list; the menu turns with the season.
Tip: Tratto runs Tuesday to Saturday dinner only, next to the Town & Country Pizzeria Bianco; reservations fill fast.
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