Pizzeria Bianco: Before and After 
Cited as "the best pizza in America" in numerous on-line reviews as well as on Good Morning America and as published in, Slice of Heaven, to most pizza lovers the three to four hour wait for a table is so daunting that they push on to a more open table atmosphere for their pizza experience. But to the true pizza enthusiast, Pizzeria Bianco is as much about the experience as it is the food. This place is best known for the owner Chris Bianco, hand tossing each and every pizza pie served every Tuesday through Saturday, from 5-10 pm for nearly 15 years, of which I was one of those fortunate customers. However, early 2010 Chris was forced to retire due to illness and turn over the pizza paddle and oven duties to his protégé of 15 years, Horatio Hernandez. 
My decision to try Pizzeria Bianco for the first time came from a challenge I put upon myself: Find the best food in metropolitan Phoenix. After hearing about Pizzeria Bianco from a friend, I made gourmet pizza my first battle in 2009. I knew about the long lines forming an hour or more before the restaurant opened, and this beautiful fall day was no exception. I arrived 60 minutes before opening and my date went to Bar Bianco to start us off with a couple of pale ale microbrews while I held our place in line. Seeing that there were only about 20 people ahead of us, we assumed we would make the 5:00 seating with no trouble. However, just as we were holding a place for the rest of our party, so were the 20 or so people ahead of us, and when the door opened promptly at 5:00, there were now over 50 people ahead of us. Needless to say we were left waiting another hour since the restaurant seats only about 40 at a time. 
When we were seated at 6:00, the four of us started with the homemade mozzarella, local tomato and sweet basil starter with extra virgin olive oil drizzled all over as well as homemade crusty bread with a dish of EVOO with a touch of balsamic added. We ordered three pizzas, the Sonny Boy providing salami, marinara sauce and gaeta olives, the Wiseguy a sausage and mozzarella taste explosion and the Marinara with Prosciutto di Parma. All three pizzas were piping hot when they arrived, just crisp enough around the edges and loaded with the most amazing flavors your mouth has ever experienced. We left the restaurant without remembering the nearly 3 hour wait and were fully satisfied, eager for the next opportunity to drive to 623 Adams in Phoenix for another "slice of heaven". 
And so, after hearing of the departure of Chris from the kitchen, curiosity got the best of me. I had to challenge this place and find out if the changing of the guard made any difference in the wait time, the food quality or the overall experience I had truly fallen for. April 6, 2010 again I ventured down to 623 Adams in Phoenix to see if a Tuesday night or a new head chef had made any difference at all. My date and I arrived at approximately 4:00 pm, one hour before the doors would open. We found a line of about 25 people and looked at each other and said, almost in unison, "Well, the wait hasn't changed". 
Bob trotted off to Bar Bianco to find our pale ale, Four Peaks to help pass the time. We caught a glimpse of owner Chris Bianco and I told Bob how I would love to chat with him seeing as I was writing a comparison review, I also wanted to find out who was cooking tonight. Bob stalked Chris into Bar Bianco and asked him if he had any time, would he be willing to take a picture with me and answer a couple of questions. When Bob returned with another beer and Chris Bianco in tow, I was star struck and could barely speak. All I could muster up was, "Are you cooking tonight?" To which he replied, "No, I have Horatio at the oven. I can't cook anymore." I explained my evaluative writing topic and he assured me the experience would be the same. We took a picture and off he went, back to the bar. 
At 6:15pm, after 2.25 hours of complete social enjoyment we were called to our seats at the bar. We ordered the same items we had enjoyed last fall with the exception of the Marinara. The overall experience was better for me as I got to enjoy personal time with Chris. As for the meal, it was just as amazing as I remembered it from 6 months prior with Chris tossing the pie for every customer. The flavors were exactly as I remembered and the service from the staff was top notch, just like the first time. From the wait to the taste, it didn't appear that anything had changed! 
So what makes for the "best pizza in America" and how did Pizzeria Bianco get the tag line? Well, my opinion is flavorful ingredients, a phenomenal social experience, and an owner who lives by what he serves. To Chris Bianco and the Pizzeria Bianco staff, you haven't skipped a beat!