I try to make frequent work travel more interesting by venturing past the Marriott Courtyard for a quick museum stop, a visit to a historic site or a walk through an interesting neighborhood. Of course, I also look to find food or restaurants that are specific to that city or significant in some way.
Travel + Leisure recently named Phoenix the best pizza city in the US. I know what you are thinking....Phoenix? Best pizza city in the US? Not New York, Chicago, Philly, New Haven? I was skeptical. But T+L makes some good arguments, the dry climate is great for a crispy crust, I'll agree here, it is darn hard to get anything crispy and keep it that way in Miami. Secondly, Phoenix is full of transplants from cities with serious pizza heritage. Ok, I can see that too. Finally, Phoenix is home to Chris Bianco, the first chef to win a regional James Beard Award for a pizza joint and the man Eater calls the most revered pizzaiolo in America. That is some legit cred, so a visit to Pizzeria Bianco added as a must do when I next found myself in the Valley of the Sun.
When I say I love pizza I mean...I...LOVE...PIZZA! Seriously, could eat it every night. We once came a little too close for my husband Mike's comfort in Naples, Italy, almost missing our cruise ship's departure standing in line at L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele. How could I be in Naples and not grab a pie from the place where pizza was invented? Mike was even more distressed when we finally made it to the front of the line and realized they only serve 2 types of pizza, Margherita or Marinara, not a piece of pepperoni in sight (maybe I had forgotten to mention that?). His verdict on the meatless piece of goodness...Best ever.
Back to Phoenix. Last week brought a 3-day trip to the desert city for an intensive product launch and training. The agenda was packed both day and evenings, but a look at google maps showed Bianco's downtown location just 15 minutes from Sky Harbor airport. If traffic wasn't bad and my flight was on time, I calculated I could Uber to Bianco's, be there for the 11 am open (hey my stomach would still be on Eastern time), try some pies and Uber back to the meeting in time for our 1 pm start. Game on.
My 5 1/2 hour flight arrived on-time, I grabbed my luggage and was out into the Phoenix morning. Good fortune continued with a great Uber driver, a fellow pizza lover and traveler, who entertained me with stories of his favorite pizza in Naples and strangely, Buenos Aires. He recounted a recent visit to Buenos Aries where he became acquainted with the acclaimed chef, Maurizio de Rosa. My driver told me to notice the Rosa pizza on the Bianco menu as it was added in homage to Chef de Rosa, also a friend of Chef Bianco. I found myself wishing the drive had been longer.
I arrived as the door was opening. Even at the 11 am hour there were about 15 of us. I grabbed a seat at the bar and ordered 2 of the 6 pies offered, way too much, but I didn't know when I would be back. Choice 1 was a Marinara, the cheeseless classic we had in Naples. Check out this YouTube where Chef Bianco teaches an obsessed Aziz Ansari to make this perfect pizza. For choice 2, the bartender recommended the Wiseguy, wood roasted onion, house-made smoked mozzarella and fennel sausage, sourced locally.
I was just finishing my cappucino, trying to convince my Eastern time zone brain it was still morning, when the Marinara was pulled out of the brick wood burning oven. Taking a bite I remembered what I had liked best about this pizza. The lack of cheese and toppings let the crust shine through. Bianco's was crisp and delicious without a bit of sogginess. The sauce was fresh and light with just the right amount of oregano, paper thin garlic added a sweet bite. Elegant in its simplicity, I was brought back to Naples. I resisted the urge to keep eating the whole thing as the Wiseguy was coming out shortly.
The antithesis of the Marinara, this is a big, bold flavor assault. As you might expect, the hearty toppings do weigh the crust down a bit. Far from delicate, this is more of a knife and fork pie. The oven roasted onions are creamy and caramelized and work perfectly with the savory sausage. The smoked mozzarella is the hit of this pie, marrying all the elements nicely. Sometimes smoked cheese can overwhelm, this one was just right.
I regretted not having dining companions to share all the offerings. But one thing is assured, I will be back to this pizza mecca, in of all places, Phoenix.
