19 June 2008
Pesto Brothers: Pasta Perfect
Posted by hottie under: Fine Dining; Italian .
Pesto Brothers Piazza 4 out of 5 peaks
120 N. Leroux
in Old Town Shops at Birch & Leroux
774-3020
www.pestobrothers.com
Lunch: Tues. - Sun. 11 - 2 (closed Mon.)
Dinner: M - Th. 5-9 pm, F - Sat. 5-10 pm, Sun. 5-9 pm
Pesto Bros. is a long time Flagstaff favorite. Tucked into the Old Town Shops, Pesto Bros. offers nice yet casual, comfortable dining. In summer they open patio seating overlooking the popular Heritage Square.
Pesto can always be counted on for a solid, delicious Italian meal. In the past, service has been quite slow at times. However, on my recent visits, service was quite good. Minor improvements have been made. Also, I should note that Pesto Bros. has good looking waiters. I’m not sure if this is a conscious plan or not, but ladies take note!
Pesto offers a well balanced wine list for your dinner and some outstanding starters. All “Antipasto” offerings are solid. The calamari is cooked perfectly. The veal meatballs are delicious. But the shrimp in Fra Diavolo sauce is marvellous. That sauce is truly one of the best and most complex tasting in Flagstaff overall. Soak up every last bit with the bread that is offered to the table.
The pastas are wonderful too. Pastas are house made and you can taste the quality. Two stand out dishes are the Goat Cheese Ravioli with orange zest in garlic Alfredo sauce and Tortellini in Rosso - sundried tomato cream sauce with mushrooms and walnuts.
“Primo” courses (meats) are fine choices as well. Pork Tenderloin comes in a tasty orange garlic sauce. Standards like chicken or veal marsala and picatta are well executed.
The lunchtime-only offering of pizzas are terrific. Pesto Bros. is one of the few places in Flagstaff where you can find a (well done) thin crust pizza. The seasonings are just right, the toppings all tasty. Too bad it’s not on the menu for dinner too, but dinner’s a little more of a serious (yet casual) affair.
You probably won’t have room for dessert, but the typical Italian offerings are all decent.
Pesto also houses a small gourmet shop in the back selling cheeses, sandwiches to go, pastas and olives. A nice addition to the underserved gourmet market here in Flagstaff.
There is a reason Pesto Brothers is a Flagstaff favorite and it shows no sign of loosing that following. Pesto Bros. is always one of the better picks in town.