SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Ask ten Arizonans where to find the best Italian food in the state and you'll probably get ten different answers. But one new national ranking thinks it has settled the debate.
The Takeout recently published its list of the best Italian restaurants in every state, tapping The Italian Daughter in Scottsdale as Arizona's top pick.
The restaurant, located at 23655 N. Scottsdale Rd., has built a following for its handcrafted pastas, fresh seafood, stone-fired pizza and shareable craft boards.
Writer Andy Beth Miller described the experience as feeling like a dinner invitation into someone's home, praising the menu for leaning into classic Italian tradition.
"The menu presents patrons with classic Italian dishes, highlighting all the heavy hitters," Miller wrote, pointing to standouts like Papa's Cioppino as dishes "deeply rooted in memory, tradition, and heritage."
Restaurant owner Melissa Maggiore is the daughter of celebrated chef and restaurateur Tomaso Maggiore, and grew up traveling to Italy with her father, where her love of food and wine took root.
According to the restaurant's website, Maggiore went on to open several Italian restaurants across Southern California, including Tommy V's Urban Kitchen in Carlsbad, which was featured on a Food Network primetime series.
She and her husband Kevin relocated to Scottsdale in 2018, and in April 2021 she opened The Italian Daughter as a tribute to her late father and the culinary legacy he left behind.
The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 2 to 9:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 2 to 10 p.m. Happy hour runs daily from 2 to 9 p.m. Bar and lounge seating is walk-in only and does not accept reservations.
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