Bianco, who put artisanal wood-fired pizza in Phoenix on the map with Pizzeria Bianco, announced via Instagram that his trattoria will return to its original home.
Tratto opened in 2016 next door to Pizzeria Bianco at The Shops at Town & Country, at the northeast corner of 20th Street and Highland Avenue. The restaurant, known for its rustic Italian cooking with a Southwest influence, relocated to its current home on Van Buren Street amid the pandemic “to accommodate social distance requirements for patrons and some additional prep space for our team," Bianco wrote on social media.
The two-time James Beard award-winning chef and restaurateur plans to reopen the restaurant by mid-September.
“The only viable solution was to move to a larger space," Bianco elaborated in his post about Tratto's pandemic move. "The only problem was all I could do in a timely manor was put our 1000 sq ft Trattoria into our beautiful 4500 sq ft Historic Roland’s mkt building that I had slated for another project."
Tratto opened on Van Buren Street in 2020. Prior to housing Tratto, the red-brick building was home to the acclaimed but short-lived Roland’s Cafe Market Bar, a collaboration between Bianco and Tacos Chiwas owners Nadia Holguin and Armando Hernandez.
With Tratto’s return to Town & Country, the fate of Bar Bianco, the wine and antipasto-centric watering hole that filled the space next to Pizzeria Bianco, is unclear. The Instagram account for the Town & Country location has been deleted. The post implied the intention with the bar was to “use it for a waiting area for the pizzeria and figure it out.” Bianco did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
In the Instagram post, the restaurateur said the “jewel box of a home” for Tratto has grown about 400 square feet following renovations.
Bianco’s restaurants also include the pizzeria’s downtown location in Heritage Square and the popular slice and sandwich spot Pane Bianco, as well as outposts in Los Angeles.
Bianco teased that an announcement about what will replace Tratto on Van Buren will be coming soon. Both Bianco and Tratto’s Instagram accounts encouraged fans to stay tuned.
“I deeply appreciate all the support and peace love and understanding,” Bianco wrote. “I guess after all ..the more things cccccchange the more they stay the Same.”
Tratto
Reopening by mid-September
4743 N. 20th St.
