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Last week, I reported the sudden closure of Tutto, chef Joseph Gutierrez’s Italian restaurant at SouthBridge, which took the place of Digestif last summer.
At that time, there was a rumor going around that the new tenant would be Marcellino Ristorante, chef Marcellino and Sima Verzino’s award-winning north Phoenix eatery. Sima Verzino didn’t want to jinx the impending deal, so she promised to call back to talk about it publicly as soon as they signed their lease.
Saturday afternoon, the Verzinos officially told me about their plans to leave their current strip mall home and relocate to developer Fred Unger’s upscale retail and dining complex in Old Town Scottsdale.
They anticipate a six-week-long renovation to the space, which still looks essentially like Digestif did when it opened, minus the groovy artwork. Expect the same menu of handmade pastas and other classic Italian dishes, as well as the addition of pizzas from the wood-burning oven. Chef Marcellino will also be hosting by-reservation tasting dinners at his “kitchen island.”
