Best Italian '95

Best Italian

Caruso's Restaurant
434 N. Fourth Ave.

READERS' PICK: Since it first opened its doors for business back in 1938, Caruso's has been a Tucson favorite. Three or more generations of some families have gathered around the tables at this restaurant to celebrate weddings, graduations and other special occasions. Some food critics might turn up their noses at the place but there is no question that all of those people gathered outside waiting to be seated on a Friday or Saturday could care less. They know that Caruso's has consistently satisfied for years and they trust it to do so once more. The pasta dishes are fresh, tasty and served with delicately seasoned sauces. Particularly good is the manicotti--large tube-shaped pasta filled with ricotta cheese and spices and topped with a subtly seasoned tomato sauce. Also popular at Caruso's is the pizza, which is good-sized, gooey and begs to be eaten with a fork. The salads are down-home and very un-nouveau--you definitely won't be finding any Belgian endive hiding on your plate--but crispy and tasty. The garlic bread is warm, buttery and bursting with good garlic flavor. It is not unusual for us to empty one basket and be well into a second long before our main course has made it to the table. The outdoor dining at Caruso's is some of the best in the city and is just the place to be on mild fall and spring evenings. It isn't fancy and it certainly isn't pretentious in any way, but Caruso's delivers what many people want--a solid selection of Italian specialties, comfortable dining areas and reasonable prices.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: For a change, we decided to go to Da Vinci Italian Restaurant for lunch. We started with a plate of focaccia, some olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a glass of Chianti. We could have stopped right there, it was that good. Patches of bright sun radiated from the skylights, Italian opera to match the chow. Statues of Michelangelo's David, Romulus and Remus watched us eat. The chef is a genius with the sauces, especially the light cream sauce with seafood. We thought we had tried everything on the menu but forgot about the daily specials--always a surprise and always savory. Did we mention dessert? You must try the Tiramisu, no excuses. Worth the planning, the anticipation, no matter whether for lunch or dinner. And worth a lot more visits. DaVinci is at 3535 E. Fort Lowell Road.

STAFF PICK: Boccata is not perfect. No. Perfection's moment is frozen in time, dead still. But Boccata remains one of the hottest, liveliest spots in town. Most nights Boccata generates enough high-voltage joie de vivre to make one believe the city lights seen from the bistro's foothills roost are charged by energy from the room. Boccata is Italian for "mouthful," and in northern idiom, a "bite of fresh air." Boccata is fresh, airy, breezy with just a bit of sass. And they who are Boccata Bistro Bar are gracious by nature, intense and passionate in their love of the food they offer, the wines they pour and the abundant hospitality they give. Boccata's sense of dining as a performance to entertain comes from the varied interests of three Boccata owners: actor and playwright Peter Van Slyke; his buoyant wife Ellen Burke Van Slyke, a painter and writer; and her brother, Matthew Burke, who is as likely to talk about the Scottish Enlightenment as about the soon-to-be-released vinified cognacs of the House of Hine. And the latest addition to Boccata's ownership really knows how to cook. Steve Braun has taken on the Boccata kitchen with great talent and buoyant taste. A signature dish of duck confit is a colorful bowl of bowtie pasta and thick-cut julienne of vegetables in a sauce reduction of peppercorns, brandy and duck stock that Braun brightens with ruby bits of sweet-tart cranberry. A citrus béarnaise for a perfectly cooked beef filet is also bright and new. And Braun serves a leg of lamb that gives grand culinary comfort, the meat falling from the bone in a fortified stock, and served with sweet-sour-bacon-hued red cabbage and earthy red lentils. Braun has added items that are innovative takes on the northern Italian, southern French and New American cooking which have become Boccata's hallmarks. Dinner at Boccata, 5605 E. River Road, is not just a bite. Boccata's is a full feast of flavors, served with enough charm, talent and slightly off-beat wit to keep it fresh time after time.

1998 Winner: Gavi
1997 Winner: Caruso's Restaurant
1996 Winner: Caruso's Restaurant