Tutti Santi by Nina — Restaurant in Phoenix

Everything was fantastic. I was traveling on business and dined alone, so rather than occupy an entire table I chose the bar. Probably got some of the best service in the house. When I travel I prefer smaller, non-chain establishments that are likely to have their own style and flavor. Tutti Santi's easily passes that test in a very positive way! First lemme say that if the red sauce is no good in an Italian restaurant, then nothing else matters... Period. This place has excellent sauce! I requested extra before the meal was even served. As you can see the plate is empty and bread almost gone. Sauce is that good. I ordered stuffed mushrooms and soup. Delicious! I also ordered chicken parmesan wuthering a side of pasta. Look how thin that chicken best fillet is... Less is more with chicken parm. This is how it should be. Restaurants that serve a thick chunk of chicken breast lathered with sauce and cheese miss the point. It's a balance. Nina got it right. Bread was excellent and I liked the parmesan cheese served in an open dish. I don't know if it was freshly grated. I would have liked shaved style more than grated like a powder from a store bought cannister. But I enjoyed the meal, parmesan cheese and all. If my server hadn't stuffed me so full with the main meal 😁 I would have ordered dessert. Maybe next time I'm in Phoenix. And look at the final bill... What a deal! PS as I wrote this review.... I noticed that my soup wasn't added to my bill! Had I noticed while there I absolutely would have mentioned it. Sorry about that!

Please give me a thumbs up "like" for this...

I was summoned here — by what I can only assume was the spirit of Octavian himself — for my birthday dinner while vacationing in Phoenix.

What ensued was a night of romance & intrigue.

On entering these hallowed walls, our party was greeted by portraits of Charles Barkley and Tom Cruise, amongst other prominent creatures who'd dined there, imbuing our brief wait to be seated with a mythological aura.

We were given our own room as a party of 13 — and seated there at the head of the table, I felt rather like Tony Soprano, basking in the exuberant red lighting.

This Soprano-esque vibe was amplified by the entrance of our waiter John, a titan amongst men.

I was given the impression that if I had murdered somebody in that room in front of him, he would unswervingly help me dispose of the body before offering me a free shot of sambuca to ease my nerves.

His descriptions of dishes of interest were elaborate and accommodating, and he paired the lamb I ordered (which I was assured had ‘been tossed for hours’) with a nice chianti.

The food was unsurprisingly excellent.

After dinner, I was brought a crème brulée, another celebratory glass of wine on the house — and was then serenaded with a spine-tingling rendition of ‘Tanti Auguri’ by none other than John himself.

I count it amongst the finest dinners of my life.

The only thing that could’ve made it better would be if I was given the chance to personally slap the putrid mouth of another reviewer here who has suggested that Tutti Santi...

Having grown up in NY and traveled throughout Italy, I know and love good Italian food. And that's what you'll find at Tutti Santi. Homemade meatballs spiced to perfection. Veal cannelloni that snaps with each delicious bite. And an outstanding wine list that pairs with everything on the menu.

Unfortunately, someone has to bring it to you, and this is where they fail completely. Within 5 minutes of arriving, I had two different servers ask me three times what I'd like to order. With an extensive menu and first time dining there, I needed more time. And wow, did I get it. The next person to check back was 15 minutes later. I ordered a glass of wine and meatballs to start and watched the glass sit on the bar for 10 minutes before both were delivered. Not long after finishing those, the cannelloni came, and I asked for a different glass of wine. That took so long the busboys tried TWICE to take my half-eaten plate away. I'm all for a leisurely meal, but that does not mean inattentive service.

As for atmosphere, the photos and kitsch around the bar are nice and homey, but the open side to the patio turns the indoor area into an echo chamber for the noise outside. Then if you have tables with babies or loud, obnoxious patrons asking the wait staff to show their genitalia, well that's just a bonus. I don't blame the restaurant for their patrons, but this is not the place for an intimate date or quiet...