This place was a long time staple in the community. Sadly, News owners bought it and the food, service and quality went downhill. The restaurant is now closed.
Catherine M.
Another fun evening with wine, friends, and good food at The Italian Kitchen. Our group enjoyed the Gnudi appetizer, wine and chatting in a comfortable neighborhood atmosphere.
Jordan H.
I've been to the Italian Kitchen multiple times in the past few months and each visit has been fantastic. The service was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. They were quick to suggest the best dishes and even went out of their way to make sure my meal was tailored to my specific dietary needs.As for the food, I've loved everything I've tried during each visit. Today I had the Mushroom and Sausage Ravioli. The flavors were incredibly rich and the portion size was generous. I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of each dish.They also put on a monthly dinner where they bring in a winery and special menu and have a 5-6 course dinner + wine pairing. I've been to two of them and they were really fun.They also have solid recommendations on wine pairings. I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for a great Italian dining experience.
Kelsee M.
The sit down nicer side with salads and stuff is not open until 4:30. Super cute place, I was mostly looking for a lunch salad so opted to go elsewhere but my hubby still took a slice of pizza to go. Smells amazing.
Emily P.
Sorry to say it, but..... Super disappointing experience. No second chances on this one. The "short" story: We were seated and (I assume the new owner) immediately warned of being short handed because of his kids birthday party?? I couldn't really understand what he said but thought that a bad first impression for just arriving. Side note: There were only 5 tables with occupants when we arrived. After waiting a bit longer than necessary (considering the lack of people dining) we placed our drink and food orders at same time. When I told him (the owner) my dish order he made a face and said "I think we have that" . Watched him go into kitchen and ask the cook if they had any sausage left. (This place is tiny and you can see and hear everything). Many minutes pass (like 15) - still no drinks delivered - but owner comes back and informsme he hadn't prepared the stuffing mixture for the dish I ordered so it would be a little wait.. an extra 7-8 minutes. Ok, no big deal. Meanwhile his wife arrives late to the restaurant, serious conversation ensues in the openly viewed kitchen, the poor hostess is mid meltdown (like crying meltdown - drops dishes and exclaims "I can't do this!!!" and disappears out of view. I actually felt bad for her).... It's ok. We all have off days. But major chaos vibes. **** still no drinks delivered ****Watch wife pour 2 glasses of water for newly arrived patrons, she sees something in one of the glasses, and use her thumb to scoop it out before delivering to the table (Just waiting and starting to feel annoyed...)Our food finally arrives. STILL NO DRINKS. My order was a sausage and cheese stuffed squash sitting in pomodoro sauce with garlic wilted spinach on the side. The spinach was the best part... the pomodoro sauce was just plain cold, and the stuffed squash barely warm. My husband ordered a Puttanesca. ***** STILL NO DRINKS ***** and I'm grossed out at the thumb scooping water scenario. We eat our food and I'm anxious to leave. We get the bill. Charged for 2 drinks. The owner (from the kitchen) says "you never got the drinks did you?" We politely say no and he takes them off the bill. He made no attempt at an apology but jokingly said "I can cover 5 tables, and cook and bartend!... I can do it all! No, I guess I cant". I couldn't wait to leave. I felt nauseous. We went to a nearby bar to get the drinks we never received during dinner and my husband proceeds to tell me his stomach was starting to cramp. Seriously, I don't like to smear a place but COME ON. We had a really great day today and wanted to enjoy a nice quaint dinner at a small local joint. It was in the top 3 worst dining experiences ever. If they stay in business I'll be shocked. Wishing them well and a more successful operation than we experienced. But I can't recommend it to anyone. And that was the "short story". Hahaha
Nicole R.
Okay don't judge the food by the location. I just wanted to run as my husband pulled up. The owners young Daughter greeted us at the door and brought us to our table. So cute! Met the owner and his wife and leaned about he took ownership and remodeled and told us his vision for the future. The cool thing is that the menu will change every week. I wish we lived closer - we would be there every week. Travis, the owner is incredibly educated and is truly an artist.Everyone loved their food - why tell you what we had / they won't have it next week We will be back even though it's 40 - 60 minutes from our house
Sue S.
It's been some time since coming to Aiello's. Decided Restaurant week was time. We were greeted warmly. Seated in the corner. Perfect table to watch all the action!! Our server Emily introduced herself and we knew then.... We were in for a great evening. We did the wine pairings with our restaurant week menu. We were brought bread with the mist amazing black butter. Yes.... Butter... infused with squid ink, truffle and garlic. Delightful!! Started with King crab cake and Tenderloin bruschetta. Just wow. Both delicious!! Then we had one Caesar and one grilled peach and prosciutto salad. Excellent. Then an order of Cacio e Pepe. I swear... if was probably the best I've ever had. Yes... it's a "simple" dish.... But not too many people know how to make it. The homemade pasta was off the charts fantastic!! I ate every single noodle. Then....( yes... there is more). Our entrees. I had the salmon. Cooked perfectly and served with eggplant and greens. Husband had the Duck breast and risotto. He claims..... the best Risotto he has ever had. Honestly... we can't wait to return. Watching Travis, Tara, Josh and Emily work... was like watching a fine oiled machine. Place was packed ... not one opened table... but everyone happy! Service was awesome!
Laura A.
Aiello's is an Italian Restaurant located in central Phoenix in Moon Valley. From 2007-sometime this year 2022 The Aiello's owned and ran the restaurant. Sometime this year the restaurant was sold to new owners.SHORT STORY - Not all but most of the food served to us was substandard......Also MASSIVE problems with service from the beginning to end.Long story-We came for Restaurant Week because the menu offered sounded amazing. As soon as I saw the menu I knew this wasn't the original Aiello's anymore. I had a reservation and told the hostess my name. She said that I didn't have a reservation. My husband showed the hostess the text on his phone about the reservation. The hostess still insisted that I didn't have a reservation........So then my husband asked if we could eat here tonight?......We were thinking about leaving....... Someone-else showed up and took us to a table. - The hostess made us feel very unwelcome and slightly irritated .....Around a half hour after we were seated my husband got a text from Aiello's that our reservation was canceled.Our first courses were meatball with polenta and the tenderloin bruschetta. The polenta was a little loose but the meatball was the best dish of the evening. It was good. The tenderloin bruschetta was a generous portion but the steak was grey......not seared and served cold. I ate one and took the other two home so the steak could be cooked correctly.Our second courses came out before our wine pairings.....We had to ask for the wine to be served to us.........We had one of each salad. The prosciutto and grilled peach and the caesar. Instead of a grilled peach it came out more like a oil poached peach. I'll be nice and just say that the caesar was painfully average......(I used to prepare Caesar salads table side at a very fine restaurant so I do know what Caesar should taste like)Our server came to the table and said that our dinners would be out shortly but forgot to serve us our next course. My husband said, "What about our cacio e pepe?" The server seemed very upset and was in disbelief that it wasn't served. Soon the cacio e pepe comes out. We didn't get our wine paring again and have to ask for it. My husband also lost his fork and asked for a fork. Nobody brought him his fork so he stole a fork from the next table. The cacio e pepe was in a light watery cream sauce. who ever heard of a white sauce for cacio e pepe? Also my bowl tasted different than my husband's bowl. I didn't finish mine and when my husband tasted mine he said mine lacked the pepper.Dinners come out without the wine pairing that we never got. My husband tried the duck breast dinner. It was severely undercooked, tough, without a crispy skin and the risotto was very untraditional and seemed like it might have been made creamy from something like cream cheese.....but it was better than the salmon dinner........My medium salmon was prepared far past well done. It sat over a UNPALATABLE large amount of olive tapenade. (this was really bad...nobody can eat a pile of this).... I tried to eat a piece of the eggplant but it was not cooked properly and just bursted with oil. The cooked spinach was the best part of the plate and tasted more like cacio e pepe than the pasta that I was served. When we were done my husband informed our server that we didn't receive out last wine pairing. He said," I'm sorry for the wine pairing being late." He took $5.00 off of each wine pairing.This is the first time in at least 20 years that I tipped only 17% and that was generous for this experience. I always tip over 20%This restaurant has serious issues with reservations, basic service, and basic cooking. Sadly I can NOT recommend Aiello's anymore.
Susan A.
When we popped into our neighborhood Italian restaurant a few weeks ago (forgetting it was Restaurant Week) I immediately noticed there were no familiar faces. My heart dropped when I asked our server how the owner, Joe, was doing and he said he did not know him and that the restaurant had been sold. On that Saturday, they were serving only the restaurant week menu but that was okay since the majority of the items were what I would have ordered. I'll admit, I am a bit leery when a familiar place gets sold, but I got a shockingly pleasant surprise. I ordered my usual artichoke appetizer and I was visually blown away. It looked like beautiful stuffed flowers and the sausage stuffing (yes, different from the past) was excellent. The chicken picata was moist and very flavorful. The portion was also very plentiful and I stopped halfway because the zabaglione had my name on it. Yes, it was worth all the Lactaid to devour this decadent dessert!! We were stunned when the new owner stopped by and mentioned he bought the place on Thursday (two days previously!) and the menu had been set by the previous owners. I was impressed but I thought maybe everything was already set up for him and that was why he pulled everything off so elegantly. In case this was just a fluke, we went back a few nights ago and I ordered the same meal as my last with the previous owners. I have to say I was definitely not disappointed. The quality, the presentation, and the portions were excellent. Prices have gone up slightly (like everywhere else) but I am willing to pay more for quality and consistency. Our server, Mike, was great--friendly, efficient, and polite while my husband asked endless questions. We were Isa's Pizza fans and we haven't tried the new version, but we did take a close look when others ordered pizza and it looked good. The owner explained that renovations/redecorating were coming as well as some additional changes to the menu. We are looking forward to returning and enjoying additional meals here. Sometimes change IS good!
A8869JUvickiw
This place is nestled in a mall type setting, has outdoor seating and cozy romantic indoor setting. The owner came around to chat w customers about their experience. Bar none, best italian around
A small restaurant (about 10 tables/booths). Pleasant ambiance, white tablecloth. Pleasant, professional and attentive staff. Definitely secure a reservation. The four of us judged our experience good. Prices are overall moderate. The wine list is limited and we would've preferred more white selections. Prices on the high side with only a few in the $30's. Upon seating, we were served a soft bread. All of us prefer a crusted, artisan bread. There was a cup of olive oil with large hot peppers. None of us felt the very hot olive oil was a good option. My wife and I split Veal Marsala and the nightly special of Sea Bass. The kitchen was most accommodating and split our dinners. A very nice touch and appreciated. Sea Bass was very good in a lemon sauce. Veal was good but certainly not cut it with your fork. Our guests had Chicken Milanese and Piccata. Both felt the taste was good but the cutlet slightly chewy. We will probably not return for dinner but, if we did, believe we would option for some of the pasta selections. Based on the many most favorable reviews, we had a disappointing experience.
Brian M.
Pros: Service was great. The highlights were the eggplant rollitini was amazing. The white slice was incredible. Baked clams were way too bread-y and the whole clam was shriveled and inedible. (Probably steamed first to open so it was over cooked) Antipasto - very nice. Highlight was fresh mozz and roasted peppers. Chicken Parm- I asked for super light sauce and crispy but it was covered w sauce on top and underneath the chicken. Small portion. Was good otherwise. Fettuccine Alfredo - didn't taste right. Didn't eat it. If I am in the area, I will def go back. (I live 30miles away but travel the valley for work)
Laframabe
Delicious dinner! We came here for dinner because it was very close to the Hilton resort. The service was wonderful. Our waitress was so genuine and kind. I chose the sea bass special with tomatoes and capers. My husband had the shrimp Parmesan. Both dinners were spectacular.
Jess M.
This place always makes me feel a little nostalgic. The classy Italian vibes definitely makes it much better then a Olive Garden it's true Italian spirt and culture shines in how it breathes. The food all their food, is always amazing and the staff is so accommodating and professional. When you sit you get bread with oils and vinegar and the candle light dinner just makes it amazing.
Kit C
Great little restaraunt, food was great and a great atmosphere. Easy parking, great wine and dinner choices. As soon as you walk in you loved the aroma, the staff, the atmosphere. Highly recommend lasagna.
This place was a long time staple in the community. Sadly, News owners bought it and the food, service and quality went downhill. The restaurant is now closed.
Another fun evening with wine, friends, and good food at The Italian Kitchen. Our group enjoyed the Gnudi appetizer, wine and chatting in a comfortable neighborhood atmosphere.
I've been to the Italian Kitchen multiple times in the past few months and each visit has been fantastic. The service was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. They were quick to suggest the best dishes and even went out of their way to make sure my meal was tailored to my specific dietary needs.As for the food, I've loved everything I've tried during each visit. Today I had the Mushroom and Sausage Ravioli. The flavors were incredibly rich and the portion size was generous. I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of each dish.They also put on a monthly dinner where they bring in a winery and special menu and have a 5-6 course dinner + wine pairing. I've been to two of them and they were really fun.They also have solid recommendations on wine pairings. I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for a great Italian dining experience.
The sit down nicer side with salads and stuff is not open until 4:30. Super cute place, I was mostly looking for a lunch salad so opted to go elsewhere but my hubby still took a slice of pizza to go. Smells amazing.
Sorry to say it, but..... Super disappointing experience. No second chances on this one. The "short" story: We were seated and (I assume the new owner) immediately warned of being short handed because of his kids birthday party?? I couldn't really understand what he said but thought that a bad first impression for just arriving. Side note: There were only 5 tables with occupants when we arrived. After waiting a bit longer than necessary (considering the lack of people dining) we placed our drink and food orders at same time. When I told him (the owner) my dish order he made a face and said "I think we have that" . Watched him go into kitchen and ask the cook if they had any sausage left. (This place is tiny and you can see and hear everything). Many minutes pass (like 15) - still no drinks delivered - but owner comes back and informsme he hadn't prepared the stuffing mixture for the dish I ordered so it would be a little wait.. an extra 7-8 minutes. Ok, no big deal. Meanwhile his wife arrives late to the restaurant, serious conversation ensues in the openly viewed kitchen, the poor hostess is mid meltdown (like crying meltdown - drops dishes and exclaims "I can't do this!!!" and disappears out of view. I actually felt bad for her).... It's ok. We all have off days. But major chaos vibes. **** still no drinks delivered ****Watch wife pour 2 glasses of water for newly arrived patrons, she sees something in one of the glasses, and use her thumb to scoop it out before delivering to the table (Just waiting and starting to feel annoyed...)Our food finally arrives. STILL NO DRINKS. My order was a sausage and cheese stuffed squash sitting in pomodoro sauce with garlic wilted spinach on the side. The spinach was the best part... the pomodoro sauce was just plain cold, and the stuffed squash barely warm. My husband ordered a Puttanesca. ***** STILL NO DRINKS ***** and I'm grossed out at the thumb scooping water scenario. We eat our food and I'm anxious to leave. We get the bill. Charged for 2 drinks. The owner (from the kitchen) says "you never got the drinks did you?" We politely say no and he takes them off the bill. He made no attempt at an apology but jokingly said "I can cover 5 tables, and cook and bartend!... I can do it all! No, I guess I cant". I couldn't wait to leave. I felt nauseous. We went to a nearby bar to get the drinks we never received during dinner and my husband proceeds to tell me his stomach was starting to cramp. Seriously, I don't like to smear a place but COME ON. We had a really great day today and wanted to enjoy a nice quaint dinner at a small local joint. It was in the top 3 worst dining experiences ever. If they stay in business I'll be shocked. Wishing them well and a more successful operation than we experienced. But I can't recommend it to anyone. And that was the "short story". Hahaha
Okay don't judge the food by the location. I just wanted to run as my husband pulled up. The owners young Daughter greeted us at the door and brought us to our table. So cute! Met the owner and his wife and leaned about he took ownership and remodeled and told us his vision for the future. The cool thing is that the menu will change every week. I wish we lived closer - we would be there every week. Travis, the owner is incredibly educated and is truly an artist.Everyone loved their food - why tell you what we had / they won't have it next week We will be back even though it's 40 - 60 minutes from our house
It's been some time since coming to Aiello's. Decided Restaurant week was time. We were greeted warmly. Seated in the corner. Perfect table to watch all the action!! Our server Emily introduced herself and we knew then.... We were in for a great evening. We did the wine pairings with our restaurant week menu. We were brought bread with the mist amazing black butter. Yes.... Butter... infused with squid ink, truffle and garlic. Delightful!! Started with King crab cake and Tenderloin bruschetta. Just wow. Both delicious!! Then we had one Caesar and one grilled peach and prosciutto salad. Excellent. Then an order of Cacio e Pepe. I swear... if was probably the best I've ever had. Yes... it's a "simple" dish.... But not too many people know how to make it. The homemade pasta was off the charts fantastic!! I ate every single noodle. Then....( yes... there is more). Our entrees. I had the salmon. Cooked perfectly and served with eggplant and greens. Husband had the Duck breast and risotto. He claims..... the best Risotto he has ever had. Honestly... we can't wait to return. Watching Travis, Tara, Josh and Emily work... was like watching a fine oiled machine. Place was packed ... not one opened table... but everyone happy! Service was awesome!
Aiello's is an Italian Restaurant located in central Phoenix in Moon Valley. From 2007-sometime this year 2022 The Aiello's owned and ran the restaurant. Sometime this year the restaurant was sold to new owners.SHORT STORY - Not all but most of the food served to us was substandard......Also MASSIVE problems with service from the beginning to end.Long story-We came for Restaurant Week because the menu offered sounded amazing. As soon as I saw the menu I knew this wasn't the original Aiello's anymore. I had a reservation and told the hostess my name. She said that I didn't have a reservation. My husband showed the hostess the text on his phone about the reservation. The hostess still insisted that I didn't have a reservation........So then my husband asked if we could eat here tonight?......We were thinking about leaving....... Someone-else showed up and took us to a table. - The hostess made us feel very unwelcome and slightly irritated .....Around a half hour after we were seated my husband got a text from Aiello's that our reservation was canceled.Our first courses were meatball with polenta and the tenderloin bruschetta. The polenta was a little loose but the meatball was the best dish of the evening. It was good. The tenderloin bruschetta was a generous portion but the steak was grey......not seared and served cold. I ate one and took the other two home so the steak could be cooked correctly.Our second courses came out before our wine pairings.....We had to ask for the wine to be served to us.........We had one of each salad. The prosciutto and grilled peach and the caesar. Instead of a grilled peach it came out more like a oil poached peach. I'll be nice and just say that the caesar was painfully average......(I used to prepare Caesar salads table side at a very fine restaurant so I do know what Caesar should taste like)Our server came to the table and said that our dinners would be out shortly but forgot to serve us our next course. My husband said, "What about our cacio e pepe?" The server seemed very upset and was in disbelief that it wasn't served. Soon the cacio e pepe comes out. We didn't get our wine paring again and have to ask for it. My husband also lost his fork and asked for a fork. Nobody brought him his fork so he stole a fork from the next table. The cacio e pepe was in a light watery cream sauce. who ever heard of a white sauce for cacio e pepe? Also my bowl tasted different than my husband's bowl. I didn't finish mine and when my husband tasted mine he said mine lacked the pepper.Dinners come out without the wine pairing that we never got. My husband tried the duck breast dinner. It was severely undercooked, tough, without a crispy skin and the risotto was very untraditional and seemed like it might have been made creamy from something like cream cheese.....but it was better than the salmon dinner........My medium salmon was prepared far past well done. It sat over a UNPALATABLE large amount of olive tapenade. (this was really bad...nobody can eat a pile of this).... I tried to eat a piece of the eggplant but it was not cooked properly and just bursted with oil. The cooked spinach was the best part of the plate and tasted more like cacio e pepe than the pasta that I was served. When we were done my husband informed our server that we didn't receive out last wine pairing. He said," I'm sorry for the wine pairing being late." He took $5.00 off of each wine pairing.This is the first time in at least 20 years that I tipped only 17% and that was generous for this experience. I always tip over 20%This restaurant has serious issues with reservations, basic service, and basic cooking. Sadly I can NOT recommend Aiello's anymore.
When we popped into our neighborhood Italian restaurant a few weeks ago (forgetting it was Restaurant Week) I immediately noticed there were no familiar faces. My heart dropped when I asked our server how the owner, Joe, was doing and he said he did not know him and that the restaurant had been sold. On that Saturday, they were serving only the restaurant week menu but that was okay since the majority of the items were what I would have ordered. I'll admit, I am a bit leery when a familiar place gets sold, but I got a shockingly pleasant surprise. I ordered my usual artichoke appetizer and I was visually blown away. It looked like beautiful stuffed flowers and the sausage stuffing (yes, different from the past) was excellent. The chicken picata was moist and very flavorful. The portion was also very plentiful and I stopped halfway because the zabaglione had my name on it. Yes, it was worth all the Lactaid to devour this decadent dessert!! We were stunned when the new owner stopped by and mentioned he bought the place on Thursday (two days previously!) and the menu had been set by the previous owners. I was impressed but I thought maybe everything was already set up for him and that was why he pulled everything off so elegantly. In case this was just a fluke, we went back a few nights ago and I ordered the same meal as my last with the previous owners. I have to say I was definitely not disappointed. The quality, the presentation, and the portions were excellent. Prices have gone up slightly (like everywhere else) but I am willing to pay more for quality and consistency. Our server, Mike, was great--friendly, efficient, and polite while my husband asked endless questions. We were Isa's Pizza fans and we haven't tried the new version, but we did take a close look when others ordered pizza and it looked good. The owner explained that renovations/redecorating were coming as well as some additional changes to the menu. We are looking forward to returning and enjoying additional meals here. Sometimes change IS good!
This place is nestled in a mall type setting, has outdoor seating and cozy romantic indoor setting. The owner came around to chat w customers about their experience. Bar none, best italian around
Restaurantji Recommends
A small restaurant (about 10 tables/booths). Pleasant ambiance, white tablecloth. Pleasant, professional and attentive staff. Definitely secure a reservation. The four of us judged our experience good. Prices are overall moderate. The wine list is limited and we would've preferred more white selections. Prices on the high side with only a few in the $30's. Upon seating, we were served a soft bread. All of us prefer a crusted, artisan bread. There was a cup of olive oil with large hot peppers. None of us felt the very hot olive oil was a good option. My wife and I split Veal Marsala and the nightly special of Sea Bass. The kitchen was most accommodating and split our dinners. A very nice touch and appreciated. Sea Bass was very good in a lemon sauce. Veal was good but certainly not cut it with your fork. Our guests had Chicken Milanese and Piccata. Both felt the taste was good but the cutlet slightly chewy. We will probably not return for dinner but, if we did, believe we would option for some of the pasta selections. Based on the many most favorable reviews, we had a disappointing experience.
Pros: Service was great. The highlights were the eggplant rollitini was amazing. The white slice was incredible. Baked clams were way too bread-y and the whole clam was shriveled and inedible. (Probably steamed first to open so it was over cooked) Antipasto - very nice. Highlight was fresh mozz and roasted peppers. Chicken Parm- I asked for super light sauce and crispy but it was covered w sauce on top and underneath the chicken. Small portion. Was good otherwise. Fettuccine Alfredo - didn't taste right. Didn't eat it. If I am in the area, I will def go back. (I live 30miles away but travel the valley for work)
Delicious dinner! We came here for dinner because it was very close to the Hilton resort. The service was wonderful. Our waitress was so genuine and kind. I chose the sea bass special with tomatoes and capers. My husband had the shrimp Parmesan. Both dinners were spectacular.
This place always makes me feel a little nostalgic. The classy Italian vibes definitely makes it much better then a Olive Garden it's true Italian spirt and culture shines in how it breathes. The food all their food, is always amazing and the staff is so accommodating and professional. When you sit you get bread with oils and vinegar and the candle light dinner just makes it amazing.
Great little restaraunt, food was great and a great atmosphere. Easy parking, great wine and dinner choices. As soon as you walk in you loved the aroma, the staff, the atmosphere. Highly recommend lasagna.