This Italian chef left Phoenix restaurants to make 'food I’d make for my family' in Gilbert
Chef Claudio Urciuoli who worked at Noble Bread for four years, opened Pa'La on 24th street in 2017 with a focus on coastal Mediterranean and South American food. Simplicity was key, with a less is more approach. In 2021, he and his partner Omar Alvarez opened a second location of Pa'La in a larger space downtown where they served an Italian meets Japanese cuisine menu.
"Pa'La is great and I wish for it do to well, but it's a different style than what I want to do," said Urciuoli, whose new project harkens back to simplicity, a small staff, a chalkboard seasonal menu and a focus on good quality ingredients like the ones he grew up with in Italy. "I didn't want to do fine dining."
He found someone whose values matched his own with new partner Akshat Sethi of Thai Chili to Go. Together, they came up with the idea for Source, which is opening at Epicenter at Agritopia in Gilbert.
"I want to make the same food I’d make for my family for people," said Urciuoli.
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What is the concept behind Source restaurant?
Urciuoli explained that Source is all about the integrity of ingredients, reflective of his home in Genoa, Italy and the small restaurants there, where people gather over good food and wine. It draws on memory of visiting bakeries with his father, a flour seller, and the smell of fresh bread, the flavors of coastal Italy and experiences he had during his travels across Europe. Mostly, it's about home cooking with ingredients he can buy from local Arizona farmers.
"I'm buying from Bob McClendon, whom you may know and buy your ingredients from," said Uriciuoli of the farmers market regular who sells his produce weekly at both Uptown and Old Town Scottsdale farmers markets.
With Source, he's brought back counter service and compostable and recyclable tableware for a casual and sustainable experience. The only thing that's different from the first Pa'La is that he'll have osteria-style stemless wine glasses.
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What is on Source's Menu?
Together with chef Trevor Routman of Lula Cafe in Chicago, Uriciuoli is putting together a menu of Italian cicchetti, or small bites, pizza, sandwiches and bowls.
Island Trollers albacore tuna with Salina capers, taggiasche olives, braised escarole will be sandwiched on housemade ciabatta. Smoked sockeye salmon will star in a koshihikari rice bowl alongside lentils, cabbage, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, ginger, pickled cucumber and toasted sesame seeds. Pizza margherita will be made with Bianco d' Napoli tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil from the Decimi family in Umbria and finished with Michele Ferrante custom blend of spices.
For dessert, expect seasonal fruit tarts and ice cream, nothing too sweet, just desserts that Uriciuoli says he'd crave.
Wines will come from all over the world and the United States. There will also be beer available.
And of course, there will be bread, like sourdough, focaccia, ciabatta and schiacciata (Tuscan flat bread), which he'll make using ancient grains, such as spelt and kalmut.
An onsite market will sell good olive oil, pasta, wine and bread.
Urciuoli expects the restaurant to open in November.
Details: 3150 E. Ray Road, Gilbert. eatatsource.com.
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Reach the reporter at BAnooshahr@azcentral.com. Follow @banooshahr on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Claudio Urciuoli of Phoenix restaurant Pa'La to open Source in Gilbert
