Brugo’s Pizza Co & Bistro
While traveling one night through the picturesque town of Cave Creek we stumbled into a lovely little Italian Bistro located in the Stagecoach Village shopping center. This bistro is the second Brugo’s in existence, the first one being owned by the same owners in Carson City, Nevada. Owners Troy and Christina McDonald are following the same recipe of success as they did with their Nevada location. They use the freshest locale ingredients that they can find and make every item from scratch. This method carries over to their pizzas, which means it will take longer to be served because it isn’t started until you order it. These simple facts are why they were voted best Pizza both in Northern Nevada and they are aiming to get the same notoriety in Cave Creek as well.
We decided to sample some of the appetizers and then share a pizza, although there were quite a few intriguing pasta dinner options available as well as a large selection of salads. The first item we started with was the Homemade Cheesy Breadsticks ($9.95). This is a large basket of doughy goodness that is covered in cheese. It is served with a cup of their homemade sauce to dip into as well if you choose. This item is very delicious and hard to tear away from. It does take a little longer to create so be prepared for a little wait, but it is worth it.
The next item we ordered was the Meatballs and Sauce ($8.95). This is not only a delish little dish, but the presentation is very whimsical as well. It is served in a faux egg carton with their family sauce spooned over top with some imported Parmesan Cheese. The meatballs are very tender and are small so it makes a wonderful hot appetizer, especially when paired with the Breadsticks.
We then moved on to the Pizza section of the menu. This is a more daunting task then one might imagine. There are so many creative creations that they have already put together for you to order. There are pizzas with unique names as well as topping combinations. Some of the more unique we saw The Popular Pig, The Fancy Cashew, Troy’s Braveheart, and The Taco Pizza. There were so many great options that it was impossible to decide on just one to sample for our first visit. So we opted to go and create our own unique pizza. We were also able to create a half and half pizza. We decided to choose a Medium pizza ($12), which is a 12-inch in diameter pizza. We then added additional toppings each with their own individual cost. On one half we added Pepperoni and Pineapple, on the other half we added Charbroiled Chicken Breast and Ricotta Cheese. There are over 40+ toppings as well as 6 different sauces. You cannot mix and match the sauces if you do a half and half combination pizza. The toppings can add up quickly so I highly recommend looking carefully through the Specialty Pizza lists and finding one that has already been created. I tell you this so that it is more likely to be certain that the flavors will all mix together well, but it will also be possibly cheaper in the end.
The restaurant has both a good size indoor as well as outdoor seating areas. The restaurant filled up quickly so I recommend arriving earlier in order to not have a prolonged wait. That being said, the wait is worth it as the expression goes. The authentic homemade touches and friendly service will make you thrilled that you stopped in and ordered some of their Italian specialties or a pizza. The service was attentive, but when you are dealing with scratch cooking, you need to be prepared for food to take a little longer than you may imagine. So ordering an appetizer even if it is for the entire table to share is highly recommended. When you take a bite of one of there flavorful dishes you will suddenly want to learn Italian, so you can let everyone know that your dinner was Stupefacente!
Location and Website – 7100 E Cave Creek Rd #150, Cave Creek, AZ 85331 http://www.brugospizza.net