We got a sneak peak at the posh pizza and wine bar Humble Pie before it opens tomorrow. (Earlier this week, the Scottsdale-based chain held a soft opening for media and friends.) So if you're looking to hit up La Encantada for some Black Friday deals and need a bite, here's what to expect:
THE CONCEPT
Approachable menu of sandwiches, salads and personal pizzas from the wood-fired oven. Single dining room with fresh but minimalist decor and a full bar. Lots of happy hour specials and deals. Altogether, the restaurant feels like a casual alternative to North Italia across the street.
THE MENU
If I had to pin this place on a map, I'd probably move toward California rather than Naples.
Starters are basic but sophisticated: meatballs, cheesy bread, caprese, etc. Our fried calamari came with a zesty basil dipping sauce and a lemon wedge wrapped in cheese cloth and tied up like a gift.
Pizza pies are divided on the menu between white — buffalo chicken, roasted mushroom with pancetta — and red — margherita, meat lovers, etc. They've also got some funky ones like the Egg Pizza and the B.L.T. with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise piled on top.
We split a chicken caesar and one of the fancier pizzas, the Schreiner’s Sicilian Sausage with housemade mozzarella and wrinkly little fronds of dark roasted fennel, which brightened everything up a bit. The pock-marked puffy crust was truly exceptional, with just enough chewiness to back up that fluff.
DON'T MISS!
All of this is pretense to the main attraction, the sublimely soft chocolate chip pizza cookie with vanilla ice cream on top! I'm a sucker for these things so I really am in no position to judge them accurately. But man, it's a pizza cookie at La Encantada!
