For anyone who enjoys eating out around greater Phoenix and spends any amount of time reading up on restaurant owners or the individuals behind various brands, it is difficult to miss the eclectic Joey Maggiore. Self-dubbed “Chef Joey,” he, as well as his family, have opened a number of restaurants around the Valley, Most of the restaurants are given over-the-top press coverage by other media outlets (especially when compared to nearly any other restaurant launch), and now, with the unexpected closure of a Chef Joey restaurant, it will likely receive more attention than other failures. Especially when the closing restaurant had been around for less than a year.
Over the weekend, The Rosticceria closed its doors. Whether the name didn’t connect with local eaters or food lovers in the Valley don’t have the same soft spot for Italian wood-fired grub, the restaurant failed to make it a full year before closing. It launched in December of last year, and while there was media buzz around its launch, the restaurant failed to generate continued attention.