A tiny, quiet, 28-seat Italian eatery in North Scottsdale is cooking some really good Italian-American food. The other night, the charming place was almost empty for early dinner hour. This changed when a woman hurried in. She must have been hungry, for she asked for whatever dish took the shortest to make, and tacked on a soup once she learned a pot of tomato-basil was ready.

She demolished the soup, sitting at a communal table under the shadow of a wall-spanning mural of a lush vineyard in the Italian heartland. The main course of her meal was ready in under five minutes. Heels clopping, she exited and made for her car. She then proceeded to eat the remnants of her dinner in the driver's seat.