Grazie Pizzeria & Wine Bar

Grazie, NO grazie. Grazie? No Grazie ..... My family and I decided last minute to go out for some great pizza at POMO. Unfortunately, the recent press they received has caused an influx of patrons looking for the same great pizza we were and the wait was longer than we cared to deal with since we were starved.

We decided to try Grazie based on some fairly decent reviews and the similar pizza style they claim to prepare.

When we arrived I first thought, wow, this appears to be a well put together restaurant. Cool building and neat colors in the Old Town Scottsdale location.

We were greeted by a "tween" age girl in the most ridiculously short shorts. It's was borderline disturbing. We were seated at the table that they readied for us when I called ahead. To my surprise, the table wasn't ready when we were seated because it was covered in flour. The bus boy told us that he'd wipe it down since that's where they were "rolling the dough?" Really, on a table in the restaurant? Anyway, I felt good about the cleanliness of the table since throughout dinner and the rest of the evening the bleach smell stayed with us.

The seating arrangement was quite awkward because the table directly next to us was being used as the "tween" workers area to store their purses, iPhones and silverware they needed to wrap. Every few minutes, they would sit down next to us, chat and text. Isn't there work to do, customers to tend to or something to tidy up? If not, I'd suggest an employee lounge.

My wife and I ordered a couple cocktails. She had wine and I had a 'birra.' Both were nice. We ordered an appetizer to share -- Caprese Salad. The waitress delivered the salad and mentioned she asked the chef to add an additional piece of tomato, mozzarella, and basil so that my wife, daughter and I could each have two slices. Very nice of her. Unfortunately, the Caprese Salad was mediocre at best. The presentation was sloppy; the bottom of the plate was puddled in olive oil and the cracked pepper was kinda just all over the place....just looked messy. The quality of the mozzarella was sub par for an $11 salad. It was dense and dry, as if I went to local grocery store and bought a slab of mozzarella cheese.

We ordered two pizzas -- Margherita ($13) and the Capricciosa ($15). They arrived promptly and looked good. The crust was great on both pies; light, airy, with a nice chew. The Margherita is a very simple pie. It was good, but not great. It could have used a bit more 'freshly' chopped basil right out of the oven vs. the small flower of basil cooked and burnt at the center of the pie. I really wanted the Capricciosa to be great, but it wasn't. I've been known to complain when pizza toppings are shorted especially for the per topping prices some pizza restaurants charge. However, this was the exact opposite. The Capricciosa had way too much in terms of volume of topping, specifically the kalamata olives. They overpowered all of the more delicate flavors from the artichokes and italian ham. The artichokes were a bit hard and not cut small enough for a delicate pie. It was just ok.

Quite a hefty price tag for what you would think to be a simple dinner. How much you ask?

2 Beers

2 Glasses of Wine

2 Pizzas

1 Salad

$80.64 inc'd tip

We decided against desert and went to the Sugar Bowl! Yumm ...…

TRULY AMAZING! AUTHENTIC ITALIAN!. This place is so charming. The pizza tastes just like you're in Italy. Although it can be enjoyed by all types, only those with sophisticated palates can truly understand and appreciate the quality of Grazie's food. The wine list is so great, with great prices. If you're lucky you get to sit and the bar and have the owner wait on you (forgot his name) and the service is top-notch!…

BEST PIZZA IN TOWN ... HANDS DOWN!. We've been to Grazie many times over the last 8 years and every time it's fantastic. Of course the pizza is outstanding, but the other stuff on the menu is so good too. The desserts are out of this world, specially the calzone with the chocolate and banana and ice cream ... it's like the best dessert ever. The service is friendly ... and usually prompt, except when it's busy, the place gets packed and it's so loud, but it's totally worth waiting for. Sit outside, there's a great patio, and it's not as loud out there. We love this place!…