San Diego-based Ambrogio15, which announced a planned expansion to Phoenix in 2022, is finally opening at the Biltmore Fashion Park.
Owned by friends Giacomo Pizzigoni and Andrea Burrone, the Italian restaurant is located between The Cheesecake Factory and Macy’s.
Modern, sleek glass, metal and wood define the exterior. Inside, a 1,000-bottle glass wine tower sets the stage at the entrance. The restaurant is divided into sections: a private dining room with a view of the kitchen for an 8-course chef’s tasting menu they plan to add, a bar and lounge and the main dining area with leather booths and wooden tables. When the weather warms up, the L-shape patio will also open for service.
The vibe is high-end night out, and as the evening progresses, upbeat lounge music decibels increase.
When it comes to the food, the menu is similarly modern but rooted in Italian tradition.
What’s on Ambrogio15’s menu?
“A key Italian cultural point that we strongly promote in our restaurants is great respect for the ‘materia prima’ (or the raw ingredient),” said Burrone. “Together with the desire to develop and give voice to Italian culinary regionalities, particularly Milano, we are constantly pushing ourselves to innovate and redefine the boundaries of what is commonly perceived as Italian cuisine. We are so excited finally to share our ingredient-based philosophy with diners here in Phoenix, and beyond.”
The menu was co-designed by Michelin-starred chef Silvio Salmoiraghi of Ristorante Acquerello in Milan and Ambrogio15 executive chef Fabio Pizzigoni.
Unique to the Phoenix location, the menu will go beyond pizza and offer a refined cocktail program. According to Fabio, the menu offers both traditional Italian plates and international dishes with an Italian flair with pane (bread) course, crudo, antipasti, brick oven pizzas, pasta, seafood and steaks, sides and desserts.
What’s on the drinks menu at Ambrogio15?
On the wine list, they offer 100 different labels of natural wines from small sustainable producers in Italy. “We built the menu around the style of the wine rather than the grape,” said Giacomo.
For the cocktail menu, the owners tapped Marco Russo of Bar 1930 in Milan, one of the World’s 50 Best Bars.
Russo designed a global cocktail menu that celebrates Italian ingredients. El Milanese, for instance, is made with rye whiskey, Fino sherry, hydroalcoholic shallot and saffron. The Overtime cocktail is made with rum, Galliano, Arabic gum, absinth, curry, lime, egg white and nutmeg.
Highlights of the Ambrogio15 menu
The pizzeria is known for Milanese pizza, which is made using Petra flour (a stone ground wheat) to make a paper-thin crust.The partners have a special recipe for the dough that consists of a 48-hour proof process. The dough is formed into 15-inch pizza rounds and cooked in a rotating brick oven. A gluten-free crust is also available.
Some highlights of the new menu include:
- Classic and bone marrow focaccia.
- Hamachi crudo served with ponzu, basil wasabi cream and pink peppercorns.
- Lobster paccheri for two, made with whole lobsters, fresh tomato and seafood bisque.
Plan a visit Ambrogio15
Ambrogio15 opens for dinner on Feb. 16. The team plans to add lunch, weekend brunch, happy hour and late-night service in the future.
Prices: $9-$25 for bread and crudo, $16-$49 for antipasti, $18-$39 for pizzas, $23-$75 for pasta, $32-$185 for mains, $12-$36 for sides and desserts. Wines range from $13-$55 per glass.
Hours: 4-10 p.m., Monday-Sunday.
Details: 2400 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix. ambrogio15az.com.
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