It all started with food. And you could also say a dream. For years, 13 to be somewhat exact, Bob Verderame had a vision about a pizzeria in Flagstaff that was more than just pizza—all while he was laying down ink on body parts at Tat-Fu Tattoo, which he opened in 2001. In July of 2014, he got his chance. With a handshake from a local property o...

The much-anticipated Sopra opened Wednesday on the second floor of Paravicini's Italian Bistro in Old Colorado City. "This is a place where I can play with food and have fun creating dishes that are a little different from what we serve in Paravicini's," said Franco Pisani, owner of both eateries. "It's a spot where customers can have a cocktail an...

If you love Italian food and music, you’re in for a treat at Arcosanti’s Italian Night event on July 8. The well-known “urban laboratory,” founded in the 1970s by Paolo Soleri, is the venue for the evening. This Arcosanti tradition celebrates the heritage of Soleri, who was born in Torino, Italy, and features a special meal served outdoors under th...

Adia Barnes continues to dominate the recruiting trail. The Arizona head coach reeled in another highly-touted recruit this week, as five-star international prospect Valeria Trucco committed to the Wildcats. The 6-foot-3 forward becomes the second five-star recruit in UA’s 2018 class, along with 6-foot-2 forward Cate Reese, who is the No. 12 prospe...

Most states have communities named Florence. Not all are cities. There are towns and villages and unincorporated communities in several states that still are important enough to get attention from Wikipedia. It seemed likely that some would have been named for Florence Nightingale but I found none. Several were named after Florence, Italy, the I...

Celebrated chef and restaurateur Tomaso Maggiore launched his first restaurant in the Valley in 1977. Four decades later, he opened his latest venture, Tomaso’s When in Rome. The new 5,000-square-foot restaurant is on the northeast corner of Scottsdale and Pinnacle Peak roads in north Scottsdale. It's the first spinoff of Tomaso’s Italian Restauran...

Arizona restaurateur Tomaso Maggiore is unveiling a new concept in North Scottsdale. The new restaurant, called Tomaso's When in Rome, will open Wednesday, June 14, in a 5,000-square-foot space at 23655 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 120 at The Pinnacle of Scottsdale center. The concept, which representatives are calling the "first derivative of the ori...

The idea began with the band Hundred Waters, but given, in part, the general vibes and communitarian spirit, they don’t really take credit for it. “I believe that the stars align in a lot of things like this,” says Zach Tetreault, the band’s drummer, and a cofounder of FORM Arcosanti, which, with its location and tiny, by-application-only audience...

The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art has announced an October event, unveiling a groundbreaking and unprecedented retrospective of seminal Italian-born American artist and architect, Paolo Soleri. Organized by SMoCA Curator of Contemporary Art Claire C. Carter, Paolo Soleri: The City Is Nature focuses on drawings, sculptures and models that Mr...

She was raised in Italy in a family that loved to cook. Her father ran restaurants in their homeland. But occasionally, Hera Ambrosio, co-owner of Casa Mia Italian restaurant, is stumped by a new customer asking for shrimp scampi or chicken Vesuvio. “People ask me for dishes that I don’t know,” Ambrosio said in an energetic voice that flaunts an al...