Owner Daniel M. is one of my most favorite restaurateurs in Phoenix. His stamina and passion for the business of serving fine cuisine is a rare find. Daniel is from South America but you wouldn't know it; his knowledge of the secret kitchens of Tuscany, Umbria and Amalfi is uncanny. I know this because I traveled with him and his chef one year on their odyssey through Italy.

Daniel takes special pride in personally choosing a very select few bottles of wine to fit any budget. OK, it's not Etienne's Different Point of View's list of 4000, but know that any choice you make is going to be a good one. If you're not sure, just ask for Daniel and tell him what you have in mind -- likely he has (with a wink) a special bottle in the back.

When we traveled through the Italian countryside I was constantly astonished by the warm greetings and special invitations we had from local proprietors who shared with us exquisite homemade wines and dishes made with pride from the finest vegetables and livestock. We frequently stayed long past closing with the owners and into the night sampling rare port and grappa. At one restaurant in Orvieto the owner took us deep into the dank recesses of the wine cellar for a special sampling  of cheese and wine. Talk about knowing people? One afternoon while drinking our 5th bottle of wine, who walks by but Jan D'Atri! Wow. (That's another review.) And speaking of reviewers, I also ran into Phoenix Magazine's Nikki Buchanan (also extremely nice).

When Daniel first opened in this location with that little stone oven in the corner, it was a pizzeria and guests could belly up to long tables in a casual environment that was made easy by his banter with the heavy Italian accented waitress (name?) who made a comeback some years later. For quite some time the restaurant was Il Forno; that is until corporate giant Il Fornaio entered the fray and sued him to change the name. After much rigmarole he changed to aqua e sale -- and notice Il Fornaio has since closed its doors? LOL. Again after much hoopla, he made it Daniel's. The current wood-paneled decor makes me think of a city club in San Fran or London. Very posh, yet understated. Selections of sculpture and art from his travels dot the restaurant's three small dining rooms.

The menu is a very difficult one. I say that because it has all of your favorites and it is difficult to make your final selection. Great for steak, ravioli, the best carpaccio in the city, best buffala mozzarella, mmm.... I could go on and on. So does the menu, page after page.

Some might call the preparations simplistic. This is the Tuscan way. Simple ingredients and simple preparation. Let the ingredients make their own magic. Grilled rack of lamb is not drowned in some Smucker's lime jelly, but gently brushed with rosemary and garlic, tickled with salt and pepper and finished with a squeeze spray of lemon.

Unfortunately the artful one-of-a-kind plates and bowls handmade in Vietri chipped at the edges over the years and the health department made him throw them away -- UGH!! -- they were a beautiful motivation to make you lick your plate clean to see the painted pictures beneath your scrumptious dinner. Not that you needed an excuse to dab every last bit of sauce with the wonderful mini loaves of bread cooked right there in the hearth that started it all.

Daniel himself is a wonderful host. He loves to give his guests a wonderful experience. There are many choices for Italian food in Phoenix. Most of it is just American Italian. Daniel's is a unique touch of the simple yet elegant. Enjoy.

P.S. [post edit] OMG. How could I forget the Tiramisu? It's a generous portion, so you can share with your guest, but after your first bite you may not want to. Light and airy, yet fantastically flavorful, the quality of the coffee really makes this dish a reason to go back again and again. I'm not going to tell you the secret ingredient. You'll have to ask Daniel.