La Zozzona — Restaurant in Scottsdale

We went to La Zozzona for dinner and had some positive and negative moments that I'd like to share as constructive feedback. To start, the ambiance was incredible. The Grand Hyatt went through a massive renovation and it shows. We walked into the restaurant to a beautiful seating area and friendly host staff. We were seated and our waiter offered a prosecco toast which was a nice touch. My partner does not drink and they provided sparkling cider. There were a few non-alcoholic beverages on the menu which was nice. The wine list was comprehensive and the "rare wines" by the glass was also a nice touch you don't see often, at least here in the valley. I noticed that all the women, including myself, had their bags on the floor. The chairs were not designed in a way where you can hang your bag and they did not provide a purse hook. I even saw an hermes constance on the floor. Overall, we felt a little rushed by our waiter with ordering. We started with the squash blossoms which were incredible, 5/5, no notes (in a good way). Up next we had the signature zozzona pasta. The flavor of the sauce was spicy and balanced. The critique is the pasta, which our waiter said was made daily, was overworked. It had that distinct unpleasant chewiness of over-developed gluten. Next we had the new york strip, which was fantastic. It came with a black garlic sherry butter and truffle pecorino which was wonderful. Excellent medium rare cook on the steak and overall the dry age came through wonderfully. We also ordered the lobster raviolo. This is unfortunately where things took a turn. I had one bite and couldn't take another. My partner braved 2 bites and we left more than 3/4 of it. The lobster was mealy; the texture was beyond unpleasant, it was inedible. The pasta dough fared the same as the zozzona, overworked dough, but this was the least offensive part of this dish. The sauce had competing herbs with saffron. The roe was very out of place, adding gumminess to a mealy gummy lobster. Not a single positive thing about this dish, I can't even recommend how to make it better. Unfortunately, our plates were cleared before out waiter could even see that we hardly touched it and did not ask for any feedback. This was a common theme, very quick with plate clearing and bringing out courses. We were given a birthday dessert which was a strawberry cheesecake ice cream, and I won't complain about a complimentary dessert. All of these courses were completed in less than 90 minutes, and it did feel rushed. Would I come back? Maybe, for the squash blossoms. Though local to the area, I think I'd rather drive the 6 hours to Juniper and...

It’s disappointing that I feel the need to write this, but my wife and I recently had an underwhelming experience at La Zozzona. As longtime fans of Chef Blais, we were eager to try his newest venture. The restaurant had only been open for eight days at the time of our visit, and with Chef Blais personally overseeing the launch just a week prior, we had high expectations. Unfortunately, our excitement quickly turned into disappointment.

Let me start by saying the staff was outstanding. They were attentive, warm, and made us feel welcome from the moment we walked in. However, the food was where things fell apart.

We began with the Crispy Mozzarella, an appetizer our server described as both delicious and “fun,” promising that it would ooze with hot, melted cheese when cut open. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. While it looked appealing, the mozzarella was cold and lacked any of the gooey texture we were anticipating. There was no steam, no melty goodness—just a large, lukewarm mozzarella stick. The saving grace was the sweet sauce on top, which was the best part of the dish.

For our entrées, I ordered the bone-in veal chop parm, and my wife opted for the chicken marsala platter. The veal chop was deeply disappointing—it was greasy, overcooked, and painfully dry. The accompanying sauce was overly sweet, which only compounded the dish’s flaws. For the price, it was far from justifiable. My wife’s chicken marsala fared a bit better; her chicken was cooked well, and the portion was reasonable, but again, the sauce was far too sweet, which threw off the entire dish.

While I understand that new restaurants often go through growing pains, this experience felt like more than just first-week jitters. For Chef Blais to put his name behind food of this quality—especially at these prices—was genuinely surprising. In an area with no shortage of excellent Italian restaurants offering better food at more competitive prices, it’s hard to justify a return visit.

That said, I truly hope they work through these early issues. I would love nothing more than to come back and be wowed by the La Zozzona we had hoped for. But for now, it just isn’t worth...

My wife and I have been lucky to visit many "Michelin Star" restaurants, but it is rare that every plate we eat at a restaurant is a true "5 out of 5" stars.

We found La Zozzona to be incredibly impressive and truly one of the best. Every plate was (for the lack of a better word) perfect. For starters the "Crispy Mozzarella" may seem boring or typical, but let me tell you...you have not had a Mozzarella stick like this. The outside is perfectly cooked to be just a bit crunchy and the inside melts in your mouth. 5 out of 5.

For main courses, I can vouch for the Swordfish, Veal Chop, and New York strip. Again, all are 5 out of 5.

The Veal Chop is one of the best veal plates I've ever had. Lightly breaded and crunchy on the outside but tender and savory on the inside. This was my favorite.

The Swordfish is huge. You might need 2 people to finish it. It's prepared to mimic the look of a large steak. Bite into it and you'll get a burst of flavors that is unique yet brings out the best characteristics of a Swordfish chop.

The New York steak was my biggest surprise. I was a bit skeptical at first when they brought out the steak covered in flakes of cheese as I typically like my steak to stand alone. But the seasoning and truffle combine to make the New York Steak really stand out. It's a unique take on a NY strip but at the same time, it gives you the typical NY Steak taste. You'll just have to try it to understand.

Need a drink recommendation to pair with all this incredible food? Try the Amalfi Margarita- A perfect blend of limoncello and Tequila.

Finally, for dessert the best option is the Tiramisu. Typically I'm not a huge fan of Tiramisu and would usually choose another dessert, but this Tiramisu is soaked in rum and served super moist.

Bottom line - this place lives up to the hype. Everything I tasted...