La Bocca Wine Bar & Urban Kitchen
480-515-9777
5415 E High St., Ste 127, Phoenix, AZ 85054
4-1/2 stars out of 5 stars
Located in the High Street space formerly occupied by “Skinny Italian”, La Bocca is a cozy urban pizzeria and wine bar with a great outside dinning area. The menu is a collection of Mediterranean inspired cuisine made from locally sourced ingredients.
We found the service and atmosphere to be outstanding. The manager and wait staff guided us through the menu and made excellent suggestions. The “spaghetti western” movie projected onto the back brick wall gave the restaurant a unique charm, and provided a delightful entertaining experience.
Our group of critics sampled the following items:
Antipasti Plate $14
The antipasti plate was a perfectly portioned mix of freshly sliced meats, cheeses, olives and spreads. It was great for sharing and an absolutely delightful surprise. The salami and manchego cheese were fresh, the roasted garlic was beautiful, and the prosciutto wrapped goat cheese was a delicious fusion of salt and cream. Additional plate items included queen creek olives, pesto, dijon and artisan toast that made it the perfect introduction to dinner.
Bruschetta Planks $12
(Smoked Prosciutto, Roasted Baby Beets, Roasted Chicken, Gorgonzola,Mozzarella) The Bruschetta Planks are small boards of bruschetta, topped with a variety of ingredients. Of the five planks we sampled, our group favored the Smoked Prosciutto that is served with fig and mascarpone. The Roasted Baby Beets, with its goat cheese and honey drizzle, was also outstanding.
Salads $8
(Goat Cheese & Pear, Heirloom Beets) The Goat Cheese & Pear and the Heirloom Beet salads were delicious. The servings are large and enough for two. Because the flavors are strikingly similar to their counter-parts on the bruschetta planks, we suggest picking one or the other.
Pizza $13
(Brussels Sprout, Garden, Sicily, Truffled Mushroom) While the planks and salads were delicious, the real hit of the evening was the pizza. They are fantastic rustic style pies with a delicate blend of toppings. The evening’s favorite was the Brussels Sprout! For those that hold a childhood reluctance to this vegetable, we strongly encourage you to let go and order this table favorite! It had small leaves of Brussels sprouts, garlic, pancetta and fresh mozzarella. Our second favored dish, and a close second we must add, was the Truffled Mushroom pizza.
Desserts $6
(Sweet Republic Ice Cream, Flight of Three) We recommend finishing the evening with a flight of banana fosters, peaberry espresso and fresh mint chip ice cream. They were so delicious; we couldn’t pick a favorite of these rich, creamy ice creams and sorbet. We added an order of cookies, which the menu stated were worth were the wait, and we agree!
