Press

Pomodoro Italian Grill & Seafood, set in the adobe-style building once home to Cartwright’s Modern Cuisine in downtown Cave Creek, is an upscale retreat for wine, pasta, and seafood.

In a sit-down setting, order the brown-bagged Frittura di Mare (hand-battered calamari and shrimp) from Pomodoro Italian Grill & Seafood.

Upon walking in, the first thing you might notice is how — thank goodness — the owners of Pomodoro Italian Grill & Seafood kept some of the fixtures from Cartwright’s Modern Cuisine, like the spindly, frozen wood décor that divides the bar area from the dining room.

Federico Venturini and Viola Tagliaferri, the husband-and-wife duo behind Carefree’s Pizzicata, are expressing their love for their home country of Italy with Pomodoro Italian Grill & Seafood in Cave Creek.

It’s Friday, and we have three big chunks of Phoenix restaurant news to cap off the week: a new Cave Creek restaurant, a new downtown artisan market, and free food for Arizona teachers. Let’s dig in.

Pomodoro Italian Grill & Seafood will open in the former Cartwright's location on Sept. 28. The restaurant comes from a trio of owners including husband-and-wife team Federico Venturini and Viola Tagliaferri and partner Philip Igneri. It will be a "fusion between an American steakhouse and high-end Italian" restaurant, Venturini says.