The Maggiore family's culinary legacy continues to grow with the addition of a new north Valley restaurant. For her latest endeavor, restaurateur Melissa Maggiore Meyer is paying homage to the place that started her father Tomaso's decades-long hospitality empire.
Patricia’s Pizza will open in far north Scottsdale in October. The restaurant takes inspiration from the first restaurant her father opened in Garnerville, New York, which he named for his wife.
“It actually pays homage to, honestly, the hard work that they did and the life they created together,” Melissa says.
“It was a really special moment for her because it brought back so many memories,” Melissa says.
For the Scottsdale version of Patricia’s Pizza, Melissa hopes to call back nostalgia from her childhood and 1970s New York while recognizing her mom.
“I decided to open this up obviously as an homage to (my parents) story, but also my mother has always been the backbone of everything,” she says. “She really was instrumental in all of the restaurants and instrumental in my brother and I being able to do what we do today, so I wanted to pay tribute to her as well.”
Patricia's will also serve shareable appetizers and sandwiches, and host live music.
“It will be kind of a coming of old and new world together," she says, "so my past and my present.”
Melissa plans to recreate some of the dishes from the original Patricia's, including a Sicilian pizza topped with ricotta, toasted herbed breadcrumbs, caramelized onions and a touch of anchovy. The pie was something Melissa says she often ate at her parents' East Coast pizzeria as a child after ballet practice.
Sicilian-style pizza is something Melissa wants to add to more Valley diners' repertoire. The style features a thick, fluffy crust, is generally baked in rectangular form and cut into squares for serving.
“It’s the one thing I always crave and I can’t find,” she says.
The restaurateur’s only regret is that she doesn’t have her father’s recipe.
“I hope that I do him justice,” she adds.
Patricia’s Pizza will also serve lasagna and a tableside cacio e pepe, where pasta will be tossed in a large cheese wheel in front of guests before it is served.
In addition to a full bar that will include plenty of Italian wines, Melissa says the restaurant will offer boozy frozen treats. Customers can expect granitas, a semifrozen dessert, in limoncello and Aperol spritz flavors along with about 20 different gelato milkshakes, which can be made with or without alcohol. Some of the milkshake options include Nutella, s’mores and cheesecake.
“You name it, we’re doing it,” Melissa says.
The interiors of the restaurant will take inspiration from the Amalfi Coast and Naples, with lots of blues and yellows. Patricia’s Pizza will also have an outdoor patio and offer takeout and delivery options. Melissa says her aim is to provide a casual neighborhood spot, hosting everything from family dinners to date nights.
Melissa hopes that the nostalgia and family bonds she’s tapping into are palpable for guests.
“I want them to feel the love and really resonate with the story,” she says. “We all have parents that we love and we all have a past that inspires us to be who we are today, and I hope that people feel that when they walk through the door.”
Patricia’s Pizza will open in far north Scottsdale in October. The restaurant takes inspiration from the first restaurant her father opened in Garnerville, New York, which he named for his wife.
“It actually pays homage to, honestly, the hard work that they did and the life they created together,” Melissa says.
Tomaso emigrated from Sicily to New York in 1969, working in the Bronx before opening Patricia's. Melissa says her father told her his fondest memories were made at the restaurant.
“That’s really where his roots were,” she says.
The Maggiore family’s history is often a source of culinary inspiration. Melissa's brother, chef Joey Maggiore, owns many restaurants around the Valley and is working on opening his latest homage to his heritage, The Italiano, this fall.
Melissa previously opened The Italian Daughter in north Scottsdale in 2021. The eatery is a tribute to her father, who died earlier that year.
Melissa's new restaurant will open at The Summit, a shopping plaza located near Scottsdale Road and Ashler Hills Drive. As Melissa considered her concept, she and her brother both had ideas about carrying forward the name. Calling it a sign from their father, Melissa surprised her mother with the plans on Patricia's birthday.“That’s really where his roots were,” she says.
The Maggiore family’s history is often a source of culinary inspiration. Melissa's brother, chef Joey Maggiore, owns many restaurants around the Valley and is working on opening his latest homage to his heritage, The Italiano, this fall.
Melissa previously opened The Italian Daughter in north Scottsdale in 2021. The eatery is a tribute to her father, who died earlier that year.
“It was a really special moment for her because it brought back so many memories,” Melissa says.
For the Scottsdale version of Patricia’s Pizza, Melissa hopes to call back nostalgia from her childhood and 1970s New York while recognizing her mom.
“I decided to open this up obviously as an homage to (my parents) story, but also my mother has always been the backbone of everything,” she says. “She really was instrumental in all of the restaurants and instrumental in my brother and I being able to do what we do today, so I wanted to pay tribute to her as well.”
Neapolitan and Sicilian-style pizzas will be made in the wood-burning brick and deck ovens of Patricia's Pizza.
The Italian Daughter
Two styles of pizza, boozy milkshakes on the menu
The Scottsdale pizzeria will serve puffy square Sicilian and Neapolitan-style pizzas. Melissa has outfitted the restaurant with a deck and wood-burning brick oven to turn out the two styles of Italian pies.Patricia's will also serve shareable appetizers and sandwiches, and host live music.
“It will be kind of a coming of old and new world together," she says, "so my past and my present.”
Melissa plans to recreate some of the dishes from the original Patricia's, including a Sicilian pizza topped with ricotta, toasted herbed breadcrumbs, caramelized onions and a touch of anchovy. The pie was something Melissa says she often ate at her parents' East Coast pizzeria as a child after ballet practice.
Sicilian-style pizza is something Melissa wants to add to more Valley diners' repertoire. The style features a thick, fluffy crust, is generally baked in rectangular form and cut into squares for serving.
“It’s the one thing I always crave and I can’t find,” she says.
The restaurateur’s only regret is that she doesn’t have her father’s recipe.
“I hope that I do him justice,” she adds.
Patricia’s Pizza will also serve lasagna and a tableside cacio e pepe, where pasta will be tossed in a large cheese wheel in front of guests before it is served.
In addition to a full bar that will include plenty of Italian wines, Melissa says the restaurant will offer boozy frozen treats. Customers can expect granitas, a semifrozen dessert, in limoncello and Aperol spritz flavors along with about 20 different gelato milkshakes, which can be made with or without alcohol. Some of the milkshake options include Nutella, s’mores and cheesecake.
“You name it, we’re doing it,” Melissa says.
The interiors of the restaurant will take inspiration from the Amalfi Coast and Naples, with lots of blues and yellows. Patricia’s Pizza will also have an outdoor patio and offer takeout and delivery options. Melissa says her aim is to provide a casual neighborhood spot, hosting everything from family dinners to date nights.
Melissa hopes that the nostalgia and family bonds she’s tapping into are palpable for guests.
“I want them to feel the love and really resonate with the story,” she says. “We all have parents that we love and we all have a past that inspires us to be who we are today, and I hope that people feel that when they walk through the door.”
Patricia’s Pizza
Opening in October
32607 N. Scottsdale Road, #107, Scottsdale
