Best Pizza in America – in Phoenix, Arizona?!

Pizzeria Bianco Earns Best Pizza Honors

Yep! Arizona is one of the top places in America for pizza. This month, TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, announced the top 10 cities for pizza in the U.S. Helping Arizona claim a spot on the list is Pizzeria Bianco, in Phoenix. Pizzeria Bianco was opened by Chris Bianco, a Bronx native who dropped out of high school to eventually become a James Beard Foundation Best Chef (2003). — (the only pizza-maker to win the award.)

The Trip Advisor listing isn’t the first flash of media fame for the pizza restaurant. Noting that Phoenix has “more golf courses than pizzerias,” a New York Times food writer drew national attention to Pizzeria Bianco when he asked in 2004, “But how did a nice Italian boy from the Bronx… end up making what just might be the best pizza in America…?” Since then a variety of magazines including Bon Appetite, Gourmet, and Martha Stewart’s Living, lauded the pizzeria. Vogue even called Pizzeria Bianco the best pizza in the world (2004).

Bianco’s secret to the perfect pie? Tender-loving supervision of each pizza, and choice ingredients: local produce: sea salt; organic flour; and fresh, house-made mozzarella. Once laid out, a specially designed wood-fire oven fuses all the ingredients into a crispy, bubbling delight.

Located in downtown’s Heritage Square, the Pizzeria Bianco menu is limited — a scant handful of starters, a salad of fresh greens, and, of course, pizza. There are six pies. Among them are the Rosa, which features Arizona pistachios and comes with red onion, Parmesan-Reggiano, and rosemary; the Wise Guy, with roasted onion, house smoked mozzarella, and fennel sausage; and Bianco’s favorite, the Marina (just garlic, oregano and sauce. No cheese). A second location, a few miles away in a Camelback Corridor shopping center, Pizzeria Bianco –Town & Country, also serves Rustichelli spaghetti, and pappardelle with grass-fed beef Bolognese.

With all the publicity diners can expect a wait – sometimes several hours. Locals suggest going at lunch, or showing up early for dinner. LA food blogger, Andy Windak, drove 6 hours and waited in line for 3 hours to try Bianco’s pies. Below is a recording of his 2010 Great Pizza Adventure.

For Arizonians in the south part of the state, Bianco told the Arizona Star that he hoped to open a Pizzeria Bianco in Tucson at the end of 2013. Plus, there is good news for those elsewhere in the West; four other top pies were found here –from Austin to Seattle. In fact, Las Vegas, NV and San Diego took the top two slots. According to TripAdvisor, top spots were determined based on the highest average rating by city for all restaurants that serve pizza.

Pizzeria Bianco
623 East Adams St, (602) 258-8300
and 4743 N. 20th St (602) 368-2112
https://www.pizzeriabianco.com