This popular Scottsdale pizzeria is coming to Roosevelt Row. Here’s what you need to know – The Arizona Republic

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A tiny hole-in-the-wall Scottsdale pizza joint is getting a second, and much bigger, home on Roosevelt Row in Phoenix.

Opened by Bill Forrest in 2012, Il Bosco Pizza quickly became Scottsdale resident Jeff Carlberg's favorite restaurant. In February 2019, Carlberg and his business partner John Dorsey bought the restaurant with plans to expand and bring their favorite pizza to more people.

Now, after a few expansion attempts, Il Bosco has a second location. Located just south of Roosevelt Street on 5th Street, Il Bosco is moving into a bungalow that formerly housed Dvina Modern Fare. Though the duo hadn't initially planned to move to downtown Phoenix, the bungalow, and its two large outdoor patios, will give Il Bosco the space it needs to grow, Carlberg says.

"This is the place, we fell in love with the decor, the downtown vibe, everything," Carlberg says. "We are really happy to be part of the downtown community."

Owning and growing a restaurant is a new endeavor for Carlberg, whocame out of retirement to sell pizza. For 29 years, he worked in manufacturing and owned factories in Asia that produced electronics, office furniture and swimwear. After selling his swimwear company, Carlberg retired for three and a half years before buying Il Bosco.

"I was tired of being retired," he says. "It was just the most boring thing."

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So he and Dorsey bought the restaurant with plans to open 10 locations throughout the East Valley. The duo initially set their sights on Gilbert, but after a space fell through, they began to look again. Downtown Phoenix developer NielsKreipke of Desert VikingDevelopment showed them an available space in a modern multi-use building on 5th Street, across from Dvina Modern Fare.

Carlberg decided the new build didn't match the "eclectically cool, down-to-earth" vibe of Il Bosco.

"But I just kept looking at the building across the street," he says. "I said, 'whenever that comes available, I want it.'"

When Carlberg first saw the single-story grey and white bungalow in December 2019, Dvina Modern Fare was just getting ready to open.

The short-lived concept served an Italian-inspired menu of panini sandwiches and salads during the day and turned into a club at night, hosting DJs inside and on the large patio. After the coronavirus pandemic hit in March, the restaurant and club closed its doors.

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But in the process of opening Dvina, the bungalow was renovated and made into a fully functioning restaurant. For Carlberg, this means Il Bosco can move right in.

"We don't have to do anything," he says, explaining that once a few new patio tables and an outdoor wood-fired oven are installed, the restaurant will be ready to go.

The keys to Il Bosco's wood-fired pizza are simplicity and high-quality ingredients.(Photo: Phoenix Pizza Festival)

Carlberg plans to use the smaller back patio, complete with roll-up garage doors, for a private event space. The inside of the bungalow and front patio will be outfitted for dine-in service. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, outdoor seating is crucial, he says, and the large patio will have spread-out tables.

Carlberg plans to open first for dinner and later will add lunch.

Depending on the levels of coronavirus case numbers and potential restrictions on restaurants, Carlberg plans to offer takeout from the beginning as selling pizzas to-gohas proven essential to keeping the original restaurant profitable despite the pandemic, he says.

Carlberg plans to offer the same menu he fell in love with in Scottsdale at the new location.

"The one thing we are going to do is stick to what is working," he says. "Pizza, salad and appetizers."

Il Bosco's current menu includes a selection of more than 20 pizzas ranging from traditional red sauce and mozzarella to a Hatch green chile pizza and a fig jam and prosciutto pie. Each pizza is 12 inches and prices range from $13.50 to $17.50.

The Rosa pizza from Il Bosco comes with red sauce, spicy sausage, peppadew peppers and mozzarella.(Photo: Il Bosco Pizza)

The new restaurant also allows for the existing menu to expand, he says.

Dvina was outfitted with a full kitchen with ovens that Carlberg plans to use to add new baked desserts to the menu. The larger kitchen space will also allow for new salads and more appetizers, which are in the works.

The much bigger bar area at the new location will allow Carlberg to expand his spirits collection and offer a range of cocktails to accompany the beer and wine on the existing drink list.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought challenges and delays to opening the restaurant, but with the space already built out, Carlberg hopes to open soon.

"I'm a redhead so I don't have a lot of patience," he says, laughing. "That being said, I want it to be done right."

Il Bosco is planned to open in downtown Phoenix in mid- to late-December.

Reach the reporter at tirion.morris@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter at @tirionmorris, on Facebook at Tirion Rose and on Instagram @tirionrose.

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This popular Scottsdale pizzeria is coming to Roosevelt Row. Here's what you need to know - The Arizona Republic