I’m into this one. A new concept from the team behind Pomo Pizzeria landing in downtown Phoenix feels less like a random restaurant opening and more like a confident next chapter — the kind of move that makes a dining district feel a little more alive.
Rosso Italian is set to debut in late February at First and Jefferson streets in the CityScape complex, and that location matters. Downtown Phoenix works best when a place feels like it belongs to the rhythm of the area, not like it was dropped in from somewhere else. This one already has that built in. It’s coming from Pomo Restaurant Group, and the group says the space is a 5,000-square-foot former home of The Strand Urban Italian. That’s a pretty good-sized canvas for a restaurant that wants to feel energetic.
What I like most is the mix of polish and looseness in the setup. There’s bar seating. There’s a pet-friendly patio. That combination tells me this isn’t trying to be stiff or precious. It wants people to linger, to show up for a drink, to make a night of it. And honestly, downtown Phoenix could always use more places that feel like they’re built for that kind of easy, slightly buzzy evening.
Owner Stefano Fabbri says he’s long wanted to expand Pomo Restaurant Group with “a new twist,” and that tracks with what Rosso Italian seems to be doing. It’s not just carrying over the Pomo name and calling it a day. The menu is set to include Pomo’s signature Napoletana pizzas along with dishes like tagliata di manzo, pork chop Milanese, house-made gnocchi burrata, fusilloni Rosso, yellowtail crudo tuna tartare burrata and beef carpaccio. That’s a lineup that reads like it wants both comfort and a little drama.
And that’s really the appeal here. Downtown openings can sometimes feel interchangeable, but this one has a clearer point of view. It’s Italian, yes, but it’s also aiming upscale without sounding sleepy. If Rosso Italian delivers on the energy it’s promising, this could be one of those places that gives people another reason to head downtown instead of just passing through it.
— Sloan Rivers
