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When I moved to Phoenix from New York in 1979 few people knew what a bagel was. There was not a pastrami sandwich in sight. Cheesecake was a delicacy. Fresh fish was a rarity. A good pizza was elusive, if not nonexistent.

Now, pizza places are on every third corner, but there's still a short list of places with crisp, thin-crust pizza using fresh ingredients. Grimaldi's is one of those.


We ordered more food than a typical couple would. Our total bill, excluding beverages and before tax and tip came to $24 per person. We took half the food home.

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Pros

• Made-to-order pizzas and calzones with fresh ingredients
• Brick ovens make food crisp and hot
• Pleasant restaurant environment, not strip mall pizza place

Cons

• Toppings for pizza are expensive, but prices are prominently displayed
• Limited number of menu items--pizza, calzones and salads. No pasta or other entrees.

Description

• The history of Grimaldi's has roots dating back to the first pizzeria in America (1905).
• When dining at Grimaldi's you'll receive real plates, utensils and glasses. No plasticware here.
• The entire menu at Grimaldi's fits comfortably on the paper placemats.
• Topping can make your pizza pricey -- get your dinner order in before 6 p.m. and toppings are half price.
• Dine al fresco on patios or in courtyards that are more inviting than other typical parking lot patios.
  
• Open for lunch and dinner. Family meals, dates and casual business lunches are all good here.

• The pizza dough is made daily by hand as is the tomato sauce for the pizza. Cheesecake is made by Grimaldi's chef.
• A bar area opens into a comfortable dining room with Italian red and white checkered tablecloths.
• The original locations of this restaurant are in Hoboken and Brooklyn. Local locations in Scottsdale, Chandler and Peoria.

Guide Review - Grimaldi's Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria

We started with the Caprese Salad ($7) since Grimaldi's makes their own mozzarella. Cheese nice, tomatoes bland. We followed that up with a pizza with sausage, red peppers and mushrooms ($13 before 6 p.m.), a white pizza with garlic ($10), and a personal size calzone ($13 before 6 p.m.) with sun-dried tomatoes and anchovies.

The words "personal" or "small" as applied to any of the menu items at Grimaldi's is misleading. The small calzone is huge: 16 inches. The small pizza would be considered a large at any pizza chain, also 16 inches. One personal calzone at 12" was enough for two to share.

The Grimaldi's calzone is nothing like the bready, tomato-ey calzones you find at the local mall food courts. The special brick ovens used for the pizza give them a crisp, thin texture. They don't overwhelm items with the toppings (I thought the anchovies in the calzone were scarce). All the pizza and calzone varieties I have tried at Grimaldi's are excellent.

The Italian ices originally offered by Grimaldi's have been replaced with more substantial desserts. The New York Cheesecake ($5) is creamier and more tangy than the denser versions back east. The Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake ($5) is highly recommended.

This is not your bargain delivery store pizza, but it is certainly worth a visit if you want to have a New York pizza, calzone and cheesecake experience. Grimaldi's is a good value for freshly prepared pizza served in a bright and pleasant environment.

_{As is common in the industry, the writer was provided with a complimentary meal for the purpose of the review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy. All prices and offerings mentioned herein are subject to change without notice. 05/08}

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