Pa’La is Now Fancy, and Might Be Even Better
7 Yumpoints | Tied for #23 in Phoenix | #9 in Downtown
Before Source, Claudio Urciuoli had this idea that amazing food should be cheap and served on paper plates. That idea became Pa’La, and I remember lots of Instagram posts starring the sexiest looking cannellini beans imaginable. Then he left, Jason Alford took over, and he has slowly (then quickly) transformed Pa’la into a higher-end situation, keeping the same quality DNA, but replacing paper for ceramic and Instagrammed cannellini beans for foie gras. You’re now looking at one of the nicer seasonal “world food” places in town.
Website: palakitchen.com
Reservations: Tock (Downtown), Tock (24th St.)
Tip: The downtown location is much fancier than the 24th St. location. Dress accordingly.
Reviews, Articles, and Awards
+1 Yumpoint | APR 26, 2024
Foodists Awards: 2024
Exceptional Culinary Experience - Finalist
+1 Yumpoint | FEB 1, 2024
Phoenix New Times: The Top 100 Restaurants
Pa'La has undergone an evolution, with a new team taking over the kitchen. Thankfully, the commitment to quality food remains. At the small bungalow on 24th Street, chef and owner Claudio Urciuoli served delicious bites on paper plates for five years. His casual cafe was a destination for a chill lunch on the shade-dappled patio. But now, chef Jason Alford has taken over and brought in chef Nick Bennett to lead the kitchen. The plates are now ceramic, the cutlery is metal and the vibe is elevated. Pa'La is more of a date night destination now, where customers can splurge on a special occasion.
+1 Yumpoint | Oct 25, 2023 / Dominic Armato
Phoenix New Times: Pa'La shifts focus to fine dining, but value remains at the core
It’s no surprise that Alford, once executive chef of the swanky (and expensive) Roka Akor, has carried through Urciuoli’s commitment to top-notch sourcing. But $20 sandwiches and $60 imported pork steaks, while a good value considering their quality, are hardly the $9 pizzas and sandwiches of Pa’La’s early days.
+1 Yumpoint | APR 27, 2023 / ASONTA BENETTI AND LAUREN TOPOR
Thrillist: The Best Restaurants in Phoenix Right Now
Those who need to peruse a menu online prior to heading to a restaurant, take note: Pa’Ladoesn’t exactly roll like that. The wood-fired Italian fusion restaurant with two locations is all about ingredients that are available daily, which means a menu might be available on the restaurant’s Instagram, but that’s about it. Instead, just trust that if you like seafood and well-prepared food, you’ll enjoy Pa’La. With an emphasis on tapas and small bites meant to be shared, diners get the chance to experience the variety of what Pa’La offers, alongside sandwiches and expertly prepared entrees.
+1 Yumpoint | APR 24, 2023
Top Chef: Jason Alford - Finalist
+1 Yumpoint | Jan 11, 2022 / NIKKI BUCHANAN
Phoenix Magazine: Review: Pa’La Downtown
Those hip urbanites get their wish here – along with a slightly manic atmosphere. But I’m not complaining, not when the food is often so crazy-good.
+.5 Yumpoints | DEC 28, 2023 / DOMINIC ARMATO
Phoenix New Times: Critic's Picks: Dominic Armato's 10 favorite dishes of 2023
Urciuoli may have moved on, but Jason Alford and Nick Bennett — Alford’s man in charge of the 24th Street location — have taken up the mantle at Pa'La with aplomb. Stellar sourcing and simple preparations still rule the day at Pa’La, and no dish makes that more clear than the chuletero. A $60 pork steak might be the antithesis of Urciuoli’s everyman pricing, but let us be clear — the chuletero is worth every penny of that and more.
+.5 Yumpoints | MAR 6, 2023 / NIKKI BUCHANAN
Eater: 11 Top-Notch Italian Restaurants Around Phoenix
Since its 2021 inception, Pa’La Downtown evolved into a different animal from it’s simpler and far more humble predecessor Pa’La, which opened on 24th Street in 2017. Both are seafood-centric and Italian-influenced. Both cook almost everything in a wood-burning oven, but Pa’La Downtown offers full-service, breakable dinnerware (not paper plates), cocktails, and an artsy vibe that draws a younger, hipper crowd.
