Classic Italian Pizza owner Azhar Began is fond of saying, "Life is too short to eat bad pizza." A true statement that made it all the more sad when his Tempe restaurant closed its doors in 2013.
But now, just over a year later, Began and his wood-fired pizzas are back -- this time at 6428 South McClintock Drive in the same Tempe strip mall as Changing Hands Bookstore. Get ready for housemade mozzarella, pork sausage, and homemade bread.
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For now, Classic Italian Pizza is open for dinner only, from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. In the next few weeks, Began hopes to add lunch service as well.
The restaurant's new home is just a over a mile from the old location but in a much more lively strip mall, where you'll also find a Trade Joe's, Changing Hands bookstore, and 24 Carrots. The restaurant closed suddenly last year after losing the lease on the location at 1030 East Baseline Road.
The new restaurant offers a bar and dining room and features a menu that's "90 percent the same" as at the old location, according Began. That means you can look forward to a selection of top-quality wood fired pizzas with perfectly chewy and charred crust and top-notch ingredients -- think housemade mozzarella cheese, handmade pork sausage, and imported Italian cured meats.
The new menu will add paninis to the mix and will continue to offer beer and wine.
For more information and updates, keep an eye on the Classic Italian Pizza Facebook page.
