Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix, Arizona

That’s what Phoenicians do if they want a piece of the famous pies from Pizzeria Bianco.

What is it about this Phoenix restaurant that has pizza lovers raving?

First, it helps to know that pizza is a deceptive dish.

Set a slice in front of you and it looks like nothing more than bread with some cheese and toppings thrown on top.

But actually making a great pizza is a complex blend of chemistry and high art.

Pizzeria Bianco is in a historic 1929 brick building

If you haven’t worked with yeasted dough, which is what pizza is made from, you might not know that it is a bit like a spoiled child – it has a mind of its own and is sensitive to the slightest change in the environment.

The best pizzas come out of wood-fired ovens. But such ovens require skill in handling.

Too hot and the pizza burns to charcoal. Too cool and the pizza won’t have that perfect crisp crust.

So, when pizza lovers find that that perfect slice of pie, they crave it with an almost fanatical obsession.

That’s what Phoenix pizza lovers have done with the pizzas created by Chris Bianco at his namesake restaurant, Pizzeria Bianco.

Now famous from coast-to-coast, single-minded chef Bianco has been called a pizza fanatic because of his obsessive attention to detail.

He has his flour milled specifically for him and his olive oil specially blended.

He makes his own mozzarella. He uses locally grown produce and gets his products as close to the source as possible.

Famous chefs make pilgrimages to Bianco's pizzeria including Jacques Pepin, Nancy Silverton, Alice Waters and Martha Stewart.

He’s won numerous awards including the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southwest 2003.

In 2004, the New York Times declared Chris Bianco’s pizzas to be the best pizza in the United States.

Pizzeria Bianco’s aficionados will wait in line for hours just to have one of his simple but prized pies.

A small garden beside the restaurant supplies the chef with fresh herbs

The temperature was still hovering above 110°F and, already, over ten people were waiting in the sparse shade in front of the restaurant.

Pizzeria Bianco is in a historic 1929 brick building in Heritage Square, which is a historic neighborhood of preserved buildings and tree-lined streets adjacent to downtown Phoenix.

Although the restaurant doesn’t open until 5:00 pm, Chris Bianco has a wine bar, Bar Bianco, next door, where warm and thirsty pizza lovers can pick up a cool drink during the long wait for a table.

Exactly at 5:00 pm, the doors opened, everyone rushed to form a straight line and the seating began.

The friendly and efficient staff got the first diners into the restaurant’s roughly forty seats quickly.

If you miss this first round, you have about a 45-minute wait for a table. Arrive after 5:30 pm and you can expect to wait 2½ hours.

The Pizzeria Bianco interior is simple with wood tables and chairs and brick walls dotted with paintings by Chris Bianco’s artist-father.

The back of the restaurant is dominated by the special, arched wood-fired oven.

That is where you’ll see the famous chef.

For Chris Bianco makes every pizza himself – right from the 18-hour preparation of the pizza dough to the final product.

He makes 200 - 250 pizzas per night, on average.

Chris Bianco is calm and quiet and yet a flurry of non-stop activity.

As everyone entered, he surveyed the room; nodding and giving a slight smile to new customers and greeting long-timers with a hearty handshake.

The Margherita pizza

There are just six kinds of pizza.

The Wiseguy ($14) is one of the most popular with its fennel sausage, house-smoked mozzarella and wood-roasted onions.

The Rosa ($11) blends red onion, parmigiano reggiano cheese, rosemary and pistachios.

The Sonny Boy ($13) with its toppings of salami, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and gaeta olives is more like what many consider to be a typical pizza.

You can request additional toppings such as roasted cremini mushrooms ($2), mortadella ($3), garlic ($1) and red onion ($2).

These are not the typical pizzas that most Americans are used to getting at their local pizzeria.

Bianco’s pizzas are like those you would eat in Italy – light, thin crusts topped with simple, quality ingredients that speak for themselves.

Two antipasti ($9/$12) and three salads ($6/$9) round out the menu.

The pizzeria is in downtown Phoenix’s historic Heritage Square

If a chef makes a good pizza, this is the one that will tell the tale.

Although we may have waited a long time to be seated, we didn’t wait long for our food.

The antipasti platter was a colorful selection of roasted red peppers, olives, cheese, and mortadella served with the housemade, country bread.

Five minutes after the pizza goes in the oven, it’s on the table.

Our Margherita pizza had a light crust, with blackened spots from the wood fire with puffs and pockets in the crisp and chewy crust.

The topping had a rich tomato flavor with buttery, creamy swirl soft mozzarella.

Large, whole leaves of basil, picked from the little garden growing alongside the restaurant, added an herby bite.

Our total bill with food and iced teas, excluding tip, came to just $28.11.

Pizzeria Bianco’s only drawback is its own popularity. Even in the extreme heat of summer, the restaurant draws big crowds.

Our pizza was very good. However, we wouldn’t wait in 110° heat for an hour again for one. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try a Chris Bianco pizza.

We appreciate what Chris Bianco has accomplished and his philosophy of using quality ingredients and locally grown produce and creating a handmade product that he’s put his heart and soul into.

Try one of his pizzas and perhaps you will discover your pizza heaven at Pizzeria Bianco.

Intrigued to try Bianco’s pizzas?

Check out these tips, collected from a variety of sources:

Pizzeria Bianco Tips

• Go on a Tuesday or Wednesday. The later in the week, the busier it gets. Pizzeria Bianco is closed Sunday-Monday.
• Get in line as early as 3:30 p.m. There is a scattering of benches and metal picnic tables in front of the restaurant. The tables get really hot in the sun but they are the closest to the front door.
• If you’ve been waiting early, stick close to the door. Late comers will try to muzzle in ahead of those who’ve been waiting.
• Bar Bianco, next door, opens at 4:00 pm. You can get drinks and light appetizers here while you wait.
• Don’t want to wait early? Try back after 9:00 pm. If you are on the closing list at 10:00 pm, they’ll stay open and try to seat you before midnight.
• Avoid going on the first Friday of the month, which is the night of the Phoenix Art Walk when downtown Phoenix art galleries stay open late.
• Pizzeria Bianco accepts reservations for 6-10 people only. Make your reservations weeks in advance.

Want to experience Chris Bianco’s food without waiting at Pizzeria Bianco? Stop in at Pane Bianco, his takeout-only lunch spot.

High Points:   Pizza made with quality ingredients and lots of care and attention to detail; friendly staff.

Low Points:   Chris Bianco’s pizzas are now so popular that you’ll pretty much always wait a long time to get a table; there is no takeout.

Location:   Heritage Square in downtown Phoenix.

Address:
Pizzeria Bianco: 623 East Adams Street, Phoenix AZ 85004. Adams is between Washington and Monroe Streets. Access the restaurant from 7th Street. You cannot drive directly into Heritage Square.

Google Map Directions: Click on "+" and "-" signs on Map Controls in upper left hand corner to zoom in and out on the location.

Pane Bianco: 4404 North Central Avenue, Phoenix AZ 85012, located between Camelback and Indian School Roads. Takeout only.

Phone:   (602) 258-8300

Hours:
Pizzeria Bianco: Tuesday – Saturday 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Bar Bianco: Tuesday – Saturday 4:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Pane Bianco: Tuesday – Saturday 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Reservations:   Reservations are taken for groups of 6-10 only.

Dress:   Casual.

Vegetarian Options:   Yes.

Good for Families/Kids:   It’s fine for kids, although they may not like waiting so long for a table.

Smoking Policy:   No smoking.

Parking:   There is a very small parking lot on the 7th Street side of the restaurant. Additional parking is available in the public parking garage at 5th Street and Monroe. The restaurant provides validation.

Credit Cards:   Accepted.

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