The benchmark pizza restaurant in the United States — James Beard Award–winning chef Chris Bianco's wood-fired pizzeria in Heritage Square, operating since 1987, where the Rosa (red onion, rosemary, Parmigiano, pistachios) and the Wiseguy (smoked mozzarella, fennel sausage) have been argued to be the finest pizzas made in America.
Why It Belongs on the List
Pizzeria Bianco began in 1987 in the back of a grocery store in Phoenix, and Chris Bianco's wood-fired pizza has been argued to be the finest in the United States by food critics, James Beard judges, and the New York pizza establishment that initially resisted the claim. The restaurant now occupies a space in Heritage Square, downtown Phoenix's historic district, and is a pilgrimage destination for serious pizza eaters who have traveled to Phoenix specifically for the experience. No reservations — the line forms before opening. The Rosa pizza (red onion, rosemary, Parmigiano, and Arizona pistachios on a blistered sourdough crust made with high-quality flour) is the signature item: a white pizza of remarkable restraint and depth. The Wiseguy (house-smoked mozzarella and fennel sausage) is the more crowd-pleasing second choice. Chris Bianco's Tratto, the pasta restaurant down the block, opened in 2016 with a weekly-rotating menu of handmade pasta and locally sourced meat — the complementary experience for anyone making the Bianco pilgrimage.
What Stands Out
- The benchmark pizza in the United States — James Beard Award-winning, operating since 1987
- The Rosa: red onion, rosemary, Parmigiano, Arizona pistachios — the signature pizza in America
- No reservations — the line forms before opening; arrive early or go on a weekday evening
- Heritage Square location: downtown Phoenix's historic district, the right setting for the city's legendary restaurant
- Tratte, Chris Bianco's pasta restaurant nearby, for the full Bianco dining experience