Amarone Ristorante Italiano

It is Monday morning, and the first thing Kirsch says to me is "I want meatballs!" Apparently she had a hankering for some meatballs for the past few days, and decided that it was finally time to satisfy her craving. I had been hearing good things about Amarone for a few months now, so when she suggested that we go and I try it out I was excited. We asked a few other people in the office if they wanted to come, and next thing we knew, we had a group of 7 people!

A funny back story about Amarone, it is located in a building that was originally a Peter Piper Pizza when I was a kid. I actually had my 5th birthday party there; during the meal everyone found it funny when I pointed out where the Skee Ball games used to be!

My first impression when walking inside was, we weren't at Peter Piper anymore! The place was absolutely breathtaking; with the granite bar in the center of the room, to the chandeliers and the beautiful flooring. It was obvious that the owners had put much thought and a lot of money into making it a truly unique dining experience. A lot of thought was even put into the bathrooms; they made it to look like you were inside of a cave and had beautiful marble sinks. Our first impression was if the food tasted half as good as this place looked, we were in for a treat!

While we all browsed through our menus, a tray of bread was placed in the middle of the table. The bread was warm and chewy and had great flavor. I think it is actually the same dough that they use for their pizza crust. But the relish that was on the side took it to a whole new level. It was a combination of caramelized onions, celery, garlic and olives were guessed, and it was delicious! It was sweet, but with a salty bite from the olives, it was a lovely start to the meal, and we eventually polished off two whole trays!

Everyone finally decided on their meals and we placed our order. A couple people had ordered salads to start, and those came out quite quickly. The Caesar salad was a traditional Caesar, minus the overpowering anchovy taste. Kirsch thought it needed more anchovy taste, but all she really wanted was for it to be more salty....because she is a salt fiend! The salad was not overdressed, so it made for a good start to the meal.

Chris ordered the house salad, which was dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. The lettuce seemed to be a mix of arugula and romaine, and was garnished with red onion and sliced tomatoes. He really like the salad, and like the others, thought the dressing to lettuce ratio was perfect.

Pretty soon the main attractions started to roll out of the kitchen, and everyone's senses were immediately filled with the delicious aromas of the food. Mary & Dan were splitting the Vodka Penne for their meal. Vodka Penne is one of my all time favorite Italian dishes, but I have not been able to find a version that I liked as well as the one at Jerry Tucci's since the closed. Well, the search is over! The sauce was smooth, creamy and had just a hint of heat. The bacon and the fresh basil really complemented the dish, and Mary was oohing and aahing with every bite.

Like Kirsch, Shaun also decided he was in the mood for some meatballs, but he wanted some spaghetti to go along with them! The dish had two large meatballs and a pile of pasta smothered in a deep red sauce. It was apparent that the sauce was freshly made, and Shaun said it was a very good version of the classic dish.

I had ordered the Veal Cannelloni. When the waiter took my order, he asked me what kind of sauce I wanted on it, his suggestion was the Vodka sauce...my answer "Yes, please!" Like I have previously stated, I love vodka sauce. The creamy sauce with the tender veal was a delectable combination. But the other main standout in the dish was the freshness of the cannelloni pasta, I could definitely tell that the noodles had been freshly made, and it really took the dish to a whole new level. It came with two large cannelloni, which meant that I was going to have leftovers!

Kirsch was very excited when they set her meatballs down in front of her, and eagerly dove in. She was not only happy to have finally gotten a fix for her craving, but declared them to be the best meatballs she has ever had. She said the meat was cooked perfectly, and then combined with the fresh tomato sauce an sprinkling of Parmesan cheese; she was in heaven. When we got back to the office she told me that she couldn't stop thinking about the meatballs and that we would have to go back soon....I guess they really made an impression on her!

Danny decided to give the chicken piccata a try. He was immediately drawn by the aroma when he was presented with his plate, and I could even smell it all the way across the table, it smelled delicious. He took a bite and declared Amarone to be his favorite new Italian restaurant. The chicken was cooked perfectly and paired with the well seasoned sauce, it was a wonderful dish. He also liked the side of pasta that came with it. Although, if I was ordering the dish, I would probably substitute a different sauce for the red one, but that is just my personal preference.

Chris was in the mood for pizza after having some over the weekend, so he decided to give Amarone's a try. They bake all their pizza in a wood fired oven (my favorite way) so it was promising from the get go. He opted for just the traditional Margherita pizza, of fresh mozzarella, tomato & basil. The pizza comes in three sizes and he decided to get the middle size so that he could have leftovers for dinner. The pizza came out piping hot and had everyone at the table drooling. The crust was thin and crisp, and the toppings were of just the right proportions. Chris declared it to be a very good pizza, as did everyone else who took a bite; and he was very happy with his decision to plan for leftovers!

At lunch we also happened to be celebrating Shaun's birthday, so our waiter was very kind to bring out a complimentary Tiramisu for dessert. We sang happy birthday and then all took a bite. I don't typically like Tiramisu, but I tried it bite; it is not my thing, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. Below is a picture of the birthday boy and his cake!

Well all really, and I mean really enjoyed our whole experience at Amarone. The waiter (Sergio) was very friendly and really made the experience very enjoyable, but the food was definitely the stand out (as it should be)!

If you or someone you know is a lover of Italian food, you definitely need to take them to Amarone to get their fix.

Amarone Ristorante Italiano
9011 E. Via Linda
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
www.amaroneaz.com