| About Franco
Franco Fazzuoli was born in Italy
in the city of Florence in 1942. From a long line of
Tuscan epicureans and landowners, Franco inherited a love for
food and entertaining and nurtured his first known passion in the
picturesque place of his youth. Like many chefs and
restaurateurs, Franco's start in the restaurant world came as a
job washing dishes. In his late teens, Franco left
Florence to serve in the Italian Army as a paratrooper who also
cooked for his fellow officers, friends and family during his
leisure time. Once he rejoined civilian life, Franco
co-founded a Trattoria in Florence that was later destroyed in a
massive flood that affected the entire town in 1966. |
Franco Fazzuoli
Owner / General Manager
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| So, at the ago of 25,
Franco left Italy for America to pursue his own adventure.
Once he settled in New York City, Franco founded his next
restaurant, which was reminiscent of his Tuscan roots. Il
Ponte Vecchio opened in 1972 and was called a "throwback,
to a neighborhood Italian restaurant like those of the forties
and fifties... the food is cheap. On occasion, half of
Greenwich Village seems bent of having some." After
seven years, Franco grew out of this small, but successful,
authentic Italian restaurant.
So, Franco opened a second restaurant called Zinno in
Greenwich Village and New York magazine soon declared,
"no matter what the kitchen does with pasta, it's
splendid." But, Franco's third restaurant, Cent'Anni
(meaning one hundred years), was the restaurant that brought the
young chef and his partner national acclaim. Forbes
magazine said in 1987 that "for the very good reason that
it is very, very good, tables in the attractive, friendly, and
somewhat small restaurant are in great demand. The pastas
are superior, and traditional veal, chicken and fish dishes are
all sauced with extra zest."
Then, Gourmet magazine chimed in with "what the
menu leaves out is how heavenly it all tastes." The
features of Cent'Anni were reflective of the palates of the
heartiest meat eaters in Italy, found in the city of
Florence. Guests could choose between Antipastos, Pastas,
and "Pietanze Nostrane" adorned with a variety of
meats and seafood.
In 1987, Franco once again uprooted himself, this time from
the streets of New York to the Arizona desert. In less
than six months, Franco debuted a small restaurant, called
Franco's Trattoria, in Scottsdale's McCormick Ranch
neighborhood. If Franco was thinking the small restaurant
would attract little attention, he was wrong. The Arizona
Republic's then food critic, Elin Jeffords, declared that
the restaurant "has built a devoted clientele, and for good
reason. The food and service are simply
superb." Apparently, many agreed. The New
Times Reader Survey named Franco's Trattoria the "Best
Italian Restaurant" throughout the 1990's.
In 1994, Franco caught the attention of a visiting food
writer and a New York Times story resulted with Franco's
featured as the only Italian restaurant among Arizona's top
restaurants. Franco's was also listed in the Zagat
Guide for the Southwest with a top tier rating and
identified as one of the finest Italian restaurants in the
West. When Franco once again outgrew his little
restaurant, he moved to a larger location where Franco's
Trattoria remained a local favorite for a span of fourteen
years.
February 2003 marked the next evolution for Franco Fazzuoli's
cuisine: the opening of Franco's Italian Caffé in the
Camelback Esplanade. As indicated by the name, Franco's
Italian Caffé is a casually elegant Italian restaurant
featuring high quality food at a terrific value, with most
entrees ranging from $12 - $20.50 in price. Franco's
well-known authentic style and presentation draws
his loyal following from his Scottsdale restaurants and appeals
to an entirely new Phoenix-based clientele.
The Franco's Italian Caffé menu celebrates the hearty and
flavorful cooking of Italians, including rotisserie meats,
traditional pizzas, and fresh pasta dishes. The restaurant
delivers a casual, comfortable and festive environment to be
enjoyed by friends and families alike.
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