Ca' del Sole Awards

Ca' del Sole Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: This Italian eatery, a timeless East Valley staple, offers a series of rustic dining rooms with spacious booths, a double-sided fireplace and a warm, cozy ambience. Weather permitting, however, head for the lovely patio --- the flowered, shaded space feels so much like an Italian country garden you quickly forget the Ventura Freeway is just a few blocks away.

Food & Drinks: The kitchen makes a fine first impression with the addictive black olive tapenade offered with some crusty bread. Good starters include burrata with roasted peppers or prosciutto, a generous plate of cured meats, and a refreshing beet salad with arugula and goat cheese. We've enjoyed the signature pumpkin-stuffed mezzelune (ravioli) with butter-sage sauce, but favor the spaghetti carbonara and agnolotti filled with pork, veal and chicken in a refined reduction similar to a demi-glace. The kitchen also does a topnotch job with osso buco and simply prepared whole fish. Save room for the homemade gelato, tiramisu or affogato. The moderately priced wine list offers intriguing choices from throughout Italy and beyond. A surprisingly sophisticated cocktail list devotes a large section to “Italian Touches” that range from Negronis to a Cynar Smash and other amaro concoctions.