For nearly nine years, Lou Malnati’s served Chicago-style Italian eats at Uptown Plaza. Soon, a New York-style Italian restaurant will take its place.
This fall, DiMaggio’s is set to make its debut at the heart of the shopping center on Camelback Road and Central Avenue. It will be the second Valley location of the restaurant, which currently serves giant bowls of pasta at The Grove in McCormick Ranch.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for the restaurant’s chef and partners. DiMaggio’s got its start as a vendor at the Uptown Farmers Market, held each Saturday just north of the new restaurant. There, Brandon and Michele Gioffre started A Taste of Italy in 2021, selling hand-pulled mozzarella, cannoli and other Italian dishes along with pantry staples such as balsamic vinegar and olive oil. A year later, they took over the former home of The Blind Pig in Scottsdale and expanded their menu of nostalgic, New York-style Italian cooking…