First some background for context. \n\nOne of the two of us who contributed to this review is of 100% Italian heritage and grew up in an Italian neighborhood in NY. Pizzeria Bianco was recommended to us by another couple who are long time friends, who used to live in Paradise Valley and who ate at Bianco frequently. They are \"foodies\" whose judgement in food we trust and the husband is also a native New Yorker with 100% Italian heritage. So, when they highly recommended Bianco, we were looking forward to great pizza. And since great pizza is among the world's most perfect food, we didn't even mind the long wait we knew would be a part of eating at Bianco. \n\nBUT...well, we felt completely duped by this experience. \n\nThe pizza just was not that good. And it certainly wasn't good enough to justify the nearly two hour wait for a table. Even if that wait was made easier by being able to sit outside on a lovely Arizona evening while enjoying a good glass of wine from the wine bar next door and getting to meet a nice family of New Yorkers, also with Italian heritage, who had come all the way from Queens to try Pizzeria Bianco. \n\nWe went in for our table ahead of them. On our way out, as they were eating their pizzas and we had finished ours, the father gestured with a big \"thumbs down\" and we said we agreed. \n\nI guess it made us feel better because we felt very much like the little boy in the story of the Emperor who has no clothes who, while all others are admiring the Emperor's finery, cries out \"But he's nude!\" \n\nThe good news is the salad that started off the meal was delightfully fresh and dressed just right with a lovely vinaigrette. The pizza itself was just not \"all that\"...the crust was OK but burned on the outside edges. Not burned as in nicely charred, burned as in incinerated. We've had lots of good wood fired pizzas and this is not a \"requirement\". Toppings were minimal, which is a good thing to let the crust shine when the crust is great, but in this case there was just too little topping. And the poor, harried waitstaff acted as if they were doing diners a favor to let us eat there. \n\nAll in all, we're glad we tried this one time to simply experience first hand a place that was getting so much hype. But with so many really great dining options, including pizza, in the greater Phoenix area we won't be back here during our upcoming visit. Fool us once, shame on you, fool us twice...
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