Metro Phoenix is home to an impressive concentration of talented Italian restaurateurs, chefs, and pizzaioli, and the roster of noteworthy Italian restaurants in the Valley only seems to be swelling. For proof, take a look at the Italian restaurant scene taking shape in the northwest Valley.

Two new stand-out Italian restaurants have opened in the “upper west side” of the Valley (as some locals have taken to calling it) in the past year, and they’re well worth the drive from anywhere in town. Bottega Pizzeria Ristorante debuted last spring, taking over the space formerly occupied by the Glendale outpost of Pomo Pizzeria.