There are restaurants, and then there are hidden gems like this neat little Italian eatery where…read morethe line between "dining out" and "being adopted by the cook" disappears in the best possible way. From the moment we walked in, the cook herself greeted us with the kind of warm, genuine smile that makes you forget you're in a public space. By the end of the evening she had invited us to her actual home for cooking lessons--like we'd known her for years instead of minutes. That kind of unscripted hospitality is rarer than a perfect risotto. And the food? Pure deliciousness that matches the heart. Every bite sang with bright, honest Italian flavors--nothing fussy, nothing fake, just layers of garlic, herbs, tomatoes, and cheese that taste like they came straight from someone's nonna's Sunday table. The dishes were so full of soul you could almost hear the wooden spoon scraping the bottom of the pot. It's a small, unassuming spot that somehow manages to feel both intimate and alive. You leave not just full, but genuinely happy, already daydreaming about that next visit (and those promised cooking lessons). If you want Italian food that tastes like love served on a plate, stop searching. You've found it. Five radiant stars. Go. Bring friends. Learn to cook. Repeat.

It's Arizona Restaurant week and she-who-must-be-obeyed and I decided to dine at Dolce Vita Italian…read moreGrocer as it's became our favorite East Valley purveyor of gelato. We each selected the $44 set meal that included a Caprese salad and bread, fried calamari, hot bruschetta ragu, Sicilian-style lasagna and, ta da, gelato for desert. The fresh mozzarella was so gorgeous we ordered 2 balls to takeaway. Hot bruschetta ragu was simply lovely bread topped with a meat ragu and melted mozzarella. Honestly, we've had better calamari and would prefer a marinara sauce versus what tasted like French fry sauce. The lasagna was delicious and the serving of such a size we happily brought some home. My partner ordered South Africa Dark chocolate and Reese's gelato whilst I ordered Madagascar vanilla and key lime gelato. Whilst Dolce Vita is a restaurant it felt and tasted as if we were eating at someone's home. The young staff were super attentive and very knowledgeable about all on offer. I highly recommend you give Dolce Vita a go!

Walking in, you are met with a vibe of Chicago meets Arizona. The establishment was clean and the…read morestaff greeting was pleasant and happy. The lunch crowd was present but not so busy to turn us away. Quick service made this even better. When we received our food it was hot and very tasty. I walked away happy with my choice in trying the Cuban. The lemonade was also very good on a day in the Arizona Heat! We will definitely be returning here!!

I rate a diner based on their chicken fried steak and a sandwich shop on their Cubano if it's…read moreoffered. Whilst KS's Reuben will never match the Reuben served at the Valhalla of pastrami, Katz's Deli, KS serve a very worthy Reuben and my partner recommends the sandwich and KS. My Cubano was spot on what with the pork, ham, dill pickle and mustard between a toasted roll. We will return to Knuckle Sandwiches and look forward to tasting the many other sandwiches on offer. Get some!

JJ's Deli can be found at the Pinnacle of Scottsdale. This is a good and popular choice for a…read moremeal. It is a New York style cafe. We ordered the latke, Rudy's reuben sandwich and a dish of scrambled eggs. Service is to order; never anything that has been sitting around. You may sit inside the cozy cafe or out on the patio. Staff are great, friendly and bus your dishes quickly. They even have biscuits and water for your dog on the outside area. The food arrived quickly. It is ample food. The latke was a bit burnt on the edge as you can see in the pix. It was still good with the innards being soft. It is a hefty latke especially good with applesauce. The Reuben was juicy and a meat fest of a sandwich. The eggs were light and fluffy. I was going to order a chocolate beignet and decided to try it next time. It sure looked good! Lunch was enjoyable. I would return. Shared parking lot.

Ordered Toms Tuna!!! The sandwich was SO yummy. Crisp and refreshing!!! All of the employees were…read moreover the top accommodating in every possible way without hesitation!! I'm not sure I've experienced this level of customer service anywhere else!!! $40 for 2 sandwiches, 1 side each & a drink each! Huge menu!! I hear this place gets super packed but on a Wednesday @ 130pm there was no line and only about 50-60% capacity. We sat outside and ate our lunch-- hard to beat a nice 65 degree day in Arizona!!! Great vibe!!!

Goldman's Deli Where Your Soul and Your Stomach Both Get Hugged…read more If comfort food had a headquarters, it might very well be Goldman's Deli. Walk through the door and suddenly you're not just hungry you're home. The smells alone could make a grown person misty-eyed. Now let's talk about the pastrami. Lean, tender, and stacked so generously you start wondering if the sandwich needs its own zip code. One bite and you understand why people keep coming back. Two bites and you're already planning your next visit. The soups? Forget therapy have a bowl. Rich, comforting, and restorative. The kind of soup that makes you feel like somewhere in the kitchen a grandmother is quietly nodding with approval. And then there's the gefilte fish. Not the ordinary, polite little slice. This one is special delicate, flavorful, and downright magnificent. Even people who say, "Eh... I'm not sure about gefilte fish," suddenly become believers. There's a little schmaltz, a lot of love, and the unmistakable magic of real Jewish deli cooking. Eat there, take some home, and tell your friends because food this good shouldn't be kept a secret. You might arrive hungry, but you'll leave smiling, a little fuller, and possibly needing a short nap which is the highest compliment a deli can receive. And as they say with a wink and a warm heart: "Zei gezunt, un es gezunterheit eat in good health!" Or in plain deli English: "May you always be healthy... and may your sandwich always be this good." Jose Pienknagura Josrpirnknagura@gmail.com

I don't know why I do this to myself. I woke up craving chopped chicken liver. don't know why. I…read moreinvited my husband to Goldman's which was the only place that came to mind for the liver but he politely declined, not being a fan. So I trecked 5 miles out of my way to Goldman's (when Chompie's was just a mile away --frankly I don't know why I didn't think about chompies) I ordered the chopped chicken liver appetizer which comes with slices of tomato, a piece of lettuce, slice of red onion, and challah bread. I paid $15.01 for this platter (lol) without a tip for a small scoop of the liver. Just look at the photo. I was shocked to see how small it was. I thought that with a base price of $13.99 that the scoop would be bigger or at least the same size as in the past when it was $9.99. The challah bread was yellow but did not take like challah. Yellow bread slices do not delicious challah bread make--no yeasty flavor as any good challah would have. So here I am regretting that I didn't give chompie's a try. I can assure you that I will not be returning to Goldman's. I know ingredients have gone up but this price for such a small scoop is an affront to the wallet.

Great place to get a bite! Food was fresh, tasty and was all around perfect, i highly recommend…read morethis place to sandwich lovers. I had a cold sandwich and im going try a hot one next time! That's how you know a place is great, when your ahead planning on what you're going to get next time haha!!!!

My friend and I live in the Surprise area and are hooked on Frank's Deli. We make sure to head to…read moreFrank's once a month. In my previous visits we have had the Meatball, Sausage, and Ruben sandwiches. I was hoping to try the Steak sandwich and was fortunate to get one today. Last time we went to Frank's they didn't have it on the menu that day. It comes with cheese ( I chose Provolone ) , lettuce, tomato, and mustard instead of mayo. The steak is Pork Butt ( a shoulder cut) . I loved it. It was sooo moist, tender, and flavorful. Another sandwich for my repertoire . My friend had a Meatball sandwich. You can't go wrong with that choice. Needless to say he loved his sandwich too. Today we got lucky to get a table to have our lunch. You have to come early for lunch . It gets crowded around 11:30 .

...so I had a business dinner to host and i was planning on making my sauce. Time just didn't…read morepermit so I found my self at De Falco's. Look I'm from the Bronx (little Italy..Arthur Ave) and let's face it I'm a Italian food snob. We found delicious Locatelli cheese (a Grandma Rose staple in our house), beautiful cavatelli's, nice fresh mozzy in the water (caprese salad). I was also impressed to find the nice Cento tomatoes....like I was on Arthur Ave. Really a fabulous store. I also saw really nice sausage....You want something nice italian, they have it.,, the real deal..not fake shit. Also want to thank John who took care of us...totally five stars. You have a customer for life. Molte grazie!!!!

5 was the best I could give them, but 10 was what I was looking for....this is not just a place…read morefrom Italy, it is a place from the heart!....the food is a taste of Italia.....& the people are so caring....I arrived early, they let me in & got me a water & a coffee with a cannoli....! I had been lost & had walked to 1 & 1/2 hours....there was a line up @ the door, I guess I'm not the only one that sees this place as a "GEM"....I am here for the week & hope to get back there for another option...the lasagna was out of this world, as was the garlic bread! THANK YOU JOHN & all the staff that treated me so kindly!

Outstanding!!…read more Excellent food, hearty sized portions, chill vibe, quick and friendly service Nice to know I don't have to go North Mesa or South Scottsdale for tasty eats from the motherland. Will be back!!

My husband and I went to Little Joe's Italian Market on a Wednesday for our anniversary lunch. We…read morearrived a little bit after they opened, around 11:15am and there were already a handful of people there and many more came in behind us. I love that they change their menu daily, it's handwritten and the details are posted on their Instagram page if you want to take a look before you arrive. Everything is made fresh to order! The day we had gone in, they had a few sandwich and pasta options available to choose from. My husband got the spicy Italian sausage ziti pasta dish and I ordered the chicken parm sandwich. The sandwich came out first; I really liked the marinara sauce on it. It was a bit difficult to eat but exactly what I was expecting and wanting. The pasta took some time to come out, but that was fine. The sauce was like a pesto vodka sauce, very rich & filling, and also tasty. We were both only able to eat half of each dish since they were both large dishes. I believe they only serve pasta dishes on certain days, so if they have them on the menu, definitely consider ordering one of those. They seem to have sandwiches everyday. It's a pretty small place with a few tables & some bar type seating. It gets pretty busy around lunch time, so plan accordingly. We'll be back again to try other items!

Outstanding food and service!! Warm welcome when we entered this establishment....I was also very…read moreimpressed with the proprietor of this wonderful establishment. The food is prepared fresh and you can tell there's a lot of thought and love they go into each sandwich. I got the French dip with fries and it was amazing! I definitely want to come back soon and try more items off their menu. pretty big lunch rush so plan accordingly, it's not a huge place, but they do have a nice outdoor dining area.

A cute little eatery in the heart of downtown Mesa…read more Our server was simply fantastic, delivering service with a smile. My partner ordered a grilled cheese sandwich served with a tomato soup and she gleefully ate all in front of her. It's not often that I witness Cubanos on the menu and so that was my order served with French fries, extra crispy, please. My Cubano was near perfect let down only by sweet versus dill pickles. That's simply my personal preference and did not get in the way of my sucking down the whole sandwich and most of the fries. We will definitely return and I heartedly recommend to those who have not yet been. Cheers!

When you walk through the door of this little deli, you are greeted like you are home. Everyone is…read moreso friendly and that is refreshing in a big metropolis like Phoenix. We saw all the desserts right when we walked in and let me tell you, sooooo good. We settled for deli sandwiches and some salads. All very good. I plan to try everything on the menu so this will one of many reviews. The value was quite reasonable and we had leftovers, so two meals from one sandwich! So much meat on it that you fill up fast. The best part about being in the deli is the atmosphere. There is a full grocery store of Italian foods, people eating at the dining area and ordering going on at the deli counter. It is a fun place to be. Highly recommend!

Romanelli's is a marvelous Italian grocery store. TEN STARS! The kind of place that hits you with…read morenostalgia before you even grab a basket. I stepped into this joint and transported back in time - Sunday after church, five years old again with my grandparents, standing at the counter of Giannella's in Paterson, NJ. With the exception of the cashier dude, the staff was...uh..."mezza morto," and definitely in need of some Italian or Italian-American inspiration. A little life. A little rhythm. A smile perhaps. I ordered a chicken cutlet sandwich, add wet mozzarella, hot soppressata, roasted red peppers, oil, and balsamic.. The cutlets were too thick and the mozzarella, although fresh, was strangely tasteless. Apparently this sandwich was infused with gold, crypto, or something because it rang in at $24 with the add-ons. My person had the eggplant parm, which unfortunately was over-seasoned with only a slight trace of mozzarella. The marinara on the side was undefinable. We hit the bakery on the way out. The sfogliatella and cannoli were great, and so were the ladies behind the counter, warm, lively, and actually happy to be there. Look, I'm goin' back to Romanelli's. I'll even pay another $24 for a sandwich. There's a reason this place has been there for decades, and they deserve another shot.

$3.00 sub sandwiches. They stock Monterey Jack cheese. Friendly people work there. It is an older…read morerun down building. I am just glad that they are so close. They sell lottery tickets.