Name: Avanti Restaurant
Telephone: (602) 956-0900
Price range: $$$
Rating: 4.5

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Pat HunePat Hune

Avanti is a well-established restaurant in the heart of Phoenix near Thomas and 24th Street. It has been there since 1974. We went because my sister asked us to pick up some takeout for her birthday. We had never eaten there so we decided to try it. The décor is nicely done with a lot of rich red and black colors accented by interesting art. There are some lights poorly placed that reflect off the mirrors into our eyes in the booth where we were seated. We were served warm bread with butter and spices. We could have made a meal from just the bread. It was great it had butter instead of olive oil the way most Italian restaurants serve it. I ordered Cannelloni Florentina. This dish is a crepe like pasta filled with a mix of chicken, veal and spinach and topped with a cream sauce called bechamel. I have a hard time finding this dish in Italian restaurants or that can do it well. I have tried to make it but can never get the bechamel sauce right. Avanti’s bechamel sauce was excellent. I thought the meat filling was a little dry although it was spiced perfectly. Victor had the tomato based Fradiavolo sauce with Shrimp Scampi and Scallops on pasta. They also offer this dish with a creamy garlic sauce. The scallops and shrimp were cooked perfectly and there was a reasonable number of both. The shrimp were rather small compared to other restaurants. The Fradiavolo sauce had way too much garlic for me, but Victor liked it. It came with a side of steamed vegetables that had no flavor. Broccoli was included in the side of vegetables which neither of us like. We were disappointed Avanti was out of Beef Carpaccio which was one of the dishes my sister wanted. This is an Italian appetizer of thinly sliced raw meat served with cheese, capers and salad. They did have the Ossobuco Milanese which is braised veal shanks in a tomato sauce. Avanti serves it on risotto but will substitute a pasta which made my sister happy. I have tried to make this at home and it did not turn out all that great. I looked for a replacement dish for the Carpaccio and decided the meat lasagna would travel and reheat well. My sister was thrilled with both dishes. The meat filling in the lasagna was spiced nicely. It was a bit of a surprise it came with a white sauce versus the traditional tomato sauce. My sister liked the white sauce better. The Ossobuco was some of the best she had ever had. The service was excellent though a bit snippy when I did not pronounce the dish names correctly. He seemed perturbed when I wanted to put ice in my wine. He also seemed disappointed we were not ordering a lot more food. The busser was almost too attentive as he was ready to pull plates before we were done. We really want to box up our own leftovers but that was clearly not acceptable. I had to fight a bit to get our leftover bread, and some additional bread, to go. I thought bread should have been included with the to go order and maybe it was. I asked for it just in case it was not going to be included. I thought it was great bread so wanted my sister to have some with her meals. Our bill was $224.00 with 2 glasses of wine and one beer. For the price what we had was not great enough to go back to dine in. However if my sister wants takeout again we will try something else on the menu that will travel and reheat well.

Chris AChris A

Avanti came recommended to me from a coworker. I came on New Years Eve and arrived shortly after 7:00 to a packed parking lot. I sat at the bar; patient as an oyster. Jeanie was the bartender, and my server. She was swamped; and received no help from others. I started with water, and a glass of wine 🍷 Somehow we found one that was in stock. A red blend that tasted as good as a Chianti. To start I ordered the escargot, and mozzarella Caprese salad. Jeanie apologized for how the orders were rushed out. She then took my entree order — Cannelloni Fiorentina. That was the longest wait. Jeanie wasn’t pleased having drink orders to fill, and no one would grab her food orders. My wait was close to 30 minutes before someone brought my order. Not the most friendly service. Despite the chaos, I enjoyed my dinner. When it came time selecting the dessert, Jeanie advised the tiramisu which is made in-house. That order came out fast. It was small, and good. It’s a nice restaurant. They had a lively crowd; and a live piano performing music that reminded me of restaurants back in Chicago. My check came, and I’d say it’s reasonable. See the photos for more detail.

Armando SArmando S

Simply an amazing experience! This is a first time review for Avanti restaurant, dinner for 4 on a Sunday. Yes, simply amazing. There is ample parking right in front of the restaurant directly off of Thomas road, and with a large sign off the street you can't miss it. Our reservation was for 7 pm and upon arrival we were greeted and seated promptly. The restaurant is roomie and tables are well-spaced with a great low-light ambiance and soft music in the background. Our table was clean, well-laidout and perfectly sized for a group of four. Geraldo looked after us and his service was outstanding. We ordered the antipasto dish to start and was very impressed by the presentation and size of the dish. Our meals were also just as fantastic in taste, freshness, presentation and quality. Geraldo continued to impress us throughout our meal. So with a starter, 2 bottles of wine and meals for 4, our total was about $300. Factoring Gerlado's impeccable service and the quality of the food, we all agreed this was well worth the price and a great bargain. For the record, this is an unbiased review and no consideration was recived for writing it. Enjoy!

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Featured dishes

View full menu

Bruschetta Toscana

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail

Crab Cake & Shrimp Combination

Italian Antipasto For Two

Minestrone

Mozzarella Caprese

Benito Salad

Cannelloni Fiorentina

Fettuccine Alfredo

Homemade Lasagna

Pappardelle

Cioppino Mediterraneo

Chicken Parmigiana

Ossobuco Milanese

Grilled Lamb Chops

Reviews of Avanti Restaurant

4.5

(413)

4.0

1y

Avanti is a well-established restaurant in the heart of Phoenix near Thomas and 24th Street. It has been there since 1974. We went because my sister asked us to pick up some takeout for her birthday. We had never eaten there so we decided to try it. The décor is nicely done with a lot of rich red and black colors accented by interesting art. There are some lights poorly placed that reflect off the mirrors into our eyes in the booth where we were seated. We were served warm bread with butter and spices. We could have made a meal from just the bread. It was great it had butter instead of olive oil the way most Italian restaurants serve it. I ordered Cannelloni Florentina. This dish is a crepe like pasta filled with a mix of chicken, veal and spinach and topped with a cream sauce called bechamel. I have a hard time finding this dish in Italian restaurants or that can do it well. I have tried to make it but can never get the bechamel sauce right. Avanti’s bechamel sauce was excellent. I thought the meat filling was a little dry although it was spiced perfectly. Victor had the tomato based Fradiavolo sauce with Shrimp Scampi and Scallops on pasta. They also offer this dish with a creamy garlic sauce. The scallops and shrimp were cooked perfectly and there was a reasonable number of both. The shrimp were rather small compared to other restaurants. The Fradiavolo sauce had way too much garlic for me, but Victor liked it. It came with a side of steamed vegetables that had no flavor. Broccoli was included in the side of vegetables which neither of us like. We were disappointed Avanti was out of Beef Carpaccio which was one of the dishes my sister wanted. This is an Italian appetizer of thinly sliced raw meat served with cheese, capers and salad. They did have the Ossobuco Milanese which is braised veal shanks in a tomato sauce. Avanti serves it on risotto but will substitute a pasta which made my sister happy. I have tried to make this at home and it did not turn out all that great. I looked for a replacement dish for the Carpaccio and decided the meat lasagna would travel and reheat well. My sister was thrilled with both dishes. The meat filling in the lasagna was spiced nicely. It was a bit of a surprise it came with a white sauce versus the traditional tomato sauce. My sister liked the white sauce better. The Ossobuco was some of the best she had ever had. The service was excellent though a bit snippy when I did not pronounce the dish names correctly. He seemed perturbed when I wanted to put ice in my wine. He also seemed disappointed we were not ordering a lot more food. The busser was almost too attentive as he was ready to pull plates before we were done. We really want to box up our own leftovers but that was clearly not acceptable. I had to fight a bit to get our leftover bread, and some additional bread, to go. I thought bread should have been included with the to go order and maybe it was. I asked for it just in case it was not going to be included. I thought it was great bread so wanted my sister to have some with her meals. Our bill was $224.00 with 2 glasses of wine and one beer. For the price what we had was not great enough to go back to dine in. However if my sister wants takeout again we will try something else on the menu that will travel and...