The first rule of neighborhood Italian restaurants is that everybody’s neighborhood Italian restaurant is the best. That’s what everybody tells me, anyway. Kidding aside, I get it. The local Italian joint is an archetype we hold dear — a comfy, welcoming place to spend a little time with family and friends and some no-frills food. It’s only right that the one where you spend the most time is the one you’ll come to love the most.

Still, a dining critic has to be a little more objective. I’ve already shared my list of the best Italian restaurants in Phoenix and while there are a few cozy neighborhood joints included, they’re in the minority. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love or appreciate little family-run joints that don’t have the same cachet.