More than a decade ago, I met Claudio Urciuoli when he helmed the kitchen at Prado at The Montelucia Resort. There, on many memorable evenings, he enlightened me on Controne beans, wild oregano from the Alburni Mountains in Campania, and Ligurian pastas such as stamped croxetti. During his tenure at Noca, I learned about orecchiette di grano arso made with toasted wheat flour, and the heights a risotto could attain through his flawless rendition studded with king crab and blue prawns. At Noble Eatery, he introduced me to Navarro Bowls packed with heirloom grains like Sonoran Wheat Berries, farro, and kamut. Later, when Urciuoli and Omar Alvarez founded Pa’La, he showed off Italian tapas such as tender wood fire-roasted octopus with fennel and grapefruit.
Now at his newest venture, Pa’La Downtown, Urciuoli, along with chef Jason Alford, has created a wholly distinctive menu to entice both loyal patrons and new fans. Chef Alford, who Urcioli has known for years, made a name for himself in Japanese fine dining as executive chef at Roka Akor, where he was recognized in the inaugural edition of Best Chefs in America. Visit Pa’La Downtown and you’ll find a menu that’s a glorious interpretation of both Urcioli’s and Alford’s culinary philosophies. “Between the two cuisines, there are a lot of similarities,” notes Urciuoli. “Both feature top-quality ingredients, not too much manipulation, and minimalistic presentations with layers of flavors.”
The original Pa’La opened in 2017 in a cozy 1928 Phoenix bungalow where the tiny kitchen necessitated a roster of dishes revolving around the wood-fired grill and oven. The award-winning menu continues to feature superior ingredients highlighted in tapas, the aforementioned Navarro bowls, and sandwiches. “Downtown, you’ll still find a Mediterranean influence,” says Urciuoli, “but it’s very different from the original.”
The new location is also much larger, encompassing two floors in a building that once housed the Sky Lounge nightclub. “That’s the beautiful thing about this Pa’La,” says Urciuoli. “It’s larger and we also have two walk-ins, a Neapolitan-stye wood burning pizza oven, pasta cooker, and grill.” The cozy bar area and dining room that seats 90 is decorated in a timeless palette of black and white warmed with exposed brick, antique chandeliers, and Edison bulb drop lights. Upstairs is a lounge with a balcony for al fresco dining that currently serves a lighter bill of fare.
Open for lunch and dinner, the main dining menu offers tapas, rice bowls, and sandwiches during the day. A larger menu of pizzas, mains, and vegetables are served in the evening. Like the original Pa’La, the focus is on letting top-quality ingredient shine. “That’s always the most important thing for us, so we search for wild-caught fish, olive oils from Italy, special salts and spices,” says Urciuoli.
Artisanal ingredients are woven throughout the menu. Spices like sumac and urfa biber are sourced from Le Sanctuaire, who deal directly with farmers. Controne pepper is procured from Michele Ferrante, who grows Italian heritage products on a small farm in Campania. Boutique vinegars are acquired from family-owned vineyards such as Minus 8 in Canada and Cellers Avgvstvs Forvm in Spain. Local purveyors also make an appearance on your plate including Nelson’s Meat + Fish, Arcadia Meat Market, McClendon Select, and Crooked Sky Farms. Even the plate itself is the beautiful work of local artist Christiane Barbato of Blue Door Ceramics. Chef Alford intertwines his Japanese sensibility in the dishes, both in execution and his use of Japanese elements to amplify flavors with miso (a fermented soybean paste), ponzu (a tangy citrus-based condiment), dashi (an umami-rich soup broth), shoyu (Japanese-style soy sauce), and seasoning blends such as furikake and togarashi.
Sip on a glass of wine, local brew, or craft cocktail as you choose tapas for your global journey introduction. Snack on elegantly simple plates such as pickled white anchovies with crunchy wild fennel cracker twists. Picholine olives and Marcona almonds sit comfortably alongside Salt Spring Island mussels simmered with Italian sausage, heirloom tomatoes, and dashi. Beef tataki (lightly seared NY strip steak) is complemented by black garlic shoyu, fermented red peppers and fire-roasted mushrooms. Puffy, blistered pizzas are turned out from the 900-degree oven and include the classic Margherita with mozzarella and Bianco DiNapoli tomatoes, or specials decorated with Pecorino cheese, dollops of miso pesto, and a shower of arugula. Entrees offer heartier dishes starring Cape Grimm grass-fed ribeye and Sea of Cortez halibut. Vegetarians will be delighted with dishes that sing of the seasons, such as Blue Lake green beans grilled with spiced harissa sauce and feta, or warm Chiogga beets napped in ponzu and strewn with thinly-sliced shallots and fresh tarragon leaves. As if the printed menu options weren’t enough, don’t miss the chalkboard specials where you’ll find select wines, beers of the week, pizza, pasta, and fish of the day.
Finally, end your visit on a sweet note with desserts that are just as inventive as the savory dishes – from fudgy chocolate pudding cake with pralines and olive oil ice cream, to chocolate cannoli stuffed with banana miso cream.
“The beauty of Pa’La is there are tapas at a price point that fit really well for lunch, but then you can have a more sophisticated coursed dinner and try something more exotic,” notes Urciuoli. “The menu concept is constantly changing as Jason and I work together and look at things we like to do. On the robata grill we’ve been experimenting with meat on skewers; what Japanese call yakitori, we Italians call spiedini. We’re looking at making pesto with trofie, a very traditional pasta from Liguria, and putting risottos on the menu. And in phase two, we’re going to have somebody upstairs in the lounge making snacks and small dishes to serve from behind the bar. It’s a work in progress.”
Pa’La loosely translates to “for the people.” With its unique culinary flourishes and innovative menu, Phoenicians couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Pa’La Downtown.
Interview by Christina Barrueta
Photography by Luke Irvin