The Italian Daughter Celebrates Tradition

by RaeAnne Marsh

Family tradition plays huge with The Italian Daughter. The restaurant’s name is, itself, homage to the late Tomaso Maggiore, whose restaurant on Central Camelback, Tomaso’s, was a Valley favorite.

Following that tradition of hospitality, Melissa Maggiore Meyer sets a welcoming environment for fine dining with overtones of casual for diners to relax over their meal and enjoy the table conversation. And dinner hours are pulled back to open the restaurant at 2 p.m., accommodating a late business lunch.

Beet Salad

Red and chioggia beets, a goat cheese fritter, toasted walnuts and arugula with a mustard vinaigrette

$13

A colonnade of arches separates the dining rooms from the spacious bar and helps create the indoor-outdoor vibe. In the more formal dining area, tables are set with crisp white tablecloths. In the lounge, a portrait of daughter and father overlook more casual space filled with bare-wood high-tops.

Recipes are rooted in family tradition, as Meyer believes it’s important to “give people what they want” and not reinvent favored dishes. That said, though, the veteran restaurateur does give dishes a refresh with her own take on some recipes. For instance, her pesto is made as a light cream sauce , and it’s wonderful with the sun-dried tomatoes and succulent morsels of salmon in the Rigatoni and Smoked Salmon pasta dish. Another substantial pasta dish is Shrimp & Mussels Fradiavolo, with the broad noodles of tonnarelli and a light but spicy San Marzano tomato sauce. Other entrées include a fish dish that is different every night — created with “whatever is freshest,” says Meyer.

Choices for before and after the entrées include an appetizer of Spicy Clams & N’Duja, served in a roasted garlic and white wine broth that must be enjoyed with liberally soaked pieces of bread, and for dessert a chocolate-coated Bombas of tri-flavored gelatoes served as a creamy treat in split wedges.

With a distinctly feminine name, the restaurant shows its female consciousness with a logo that plays on Italy’s famous map contour by adding a stiletto heel to the “boot.” Meyer promotes women in the industry in more substantive ways as well, as she points out that women fill roles in her kitchen and the front of the restaurant.

SPAGHETTI “PICCHIO PACCIU”

Shaved garlic, tomato confit, e.v.o.o. and shaved grana

$23

The Italian Daughter is also a live music venue, starting at 6 p.m., seven nights a week from October through May and Wednesday through Sunday the rest of the year.

After success with her restaurants in California, Melissa Maggiore Meyer returns to Phoenix to reinvigorate her family legacy with The Italian Daughter. The