Babbo Italian, a local chain of contemporary Italian restaurants, opened its fifth Valley location Monday on the northwest corner of Ray and Rural in Tempe. It’s the first in the East Valley.
The menu offers 29 pasta dishes starting with linguine Alfredo at $8.50 and topping out with shrimp & sausage puttanesca at $14. A popular special is a $5.99 bowl of spagheti and meatballs (pictured below) on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Thin-crust pizzas come in 10-inch gourmet ($10.50) and 12-inch Napoletan-style ($12). Build-your-own, 16-inch pizzas with traditional hand-tossed crust start at $14.
Eight sandwiches, including flank steak and Buffalo chicken Caesar, all are served on foccacia and are $9 apiece.
Babbo also offers “chalkboard” entrees. Diners select either roasted chicken ($13) or portobello mushroom ($12), then choose one of seven “preparations,” such as sauteed Brussels sprouts and beets or tomato, basil, and feta.
Desserts include three different kinds of pizza cookies – chocolate chip. white Macadamia nut, and double chocolate chunk (all $7.95).
Babbo also has locations in Phoenix, Glendale, Surprise, and Cave Creek.
