Mike Bipar, owner of Bellagio Pizzeria, seamlessly blends old and new to produce a family-friendly neighborhood restaurant with wide ranging menu selections.
Papa Jay’s Pizza was a family-run pizzeria in Tempe for more than a decade. Mike moved the restaurant to its current location near McKellips and Greenfield roads, across from Mesa’s Falcon Field Airport.
Even though Papa Jay’s Pizza is now Bellagio Pizzeria, Mike has maintained the many delicious original recipes made popular by the former owners and, in addition, offers much more. For example, Mike has expanded the culinary offerings to include Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes.
Also on the menu are hand-tossed pizzas, specifically, the New York-style variety. These pizzas can be ordered on whole-wheat crusts. In keeping with the Mediterranean theme, custom pizzas are served on lavosh bread, which is a thin, leavened flatbread baked similarly to a cracker. Your choice of toppings includes artichoke hearts and spinach, eggplant, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese.
Souvlaki-style, shish-kebab meats are on the menu, as well as homemade pasta dishes.
The lamb shanks are marinated in herbs and served with dill rice topped with dried walnuts and cranberries. A Greek salad is included, too.
If your appetite dictates starters only, you are in luck. Your options are varied and range from hummus and taboule, to chicken wings and mozzarella cheese sticks. A particular favorite is the Mediterranean combo sampler, which includes baba ghanoush, falafel, taboule and dolmas, served with tzatziki sauce and warm pita bread. Topping off the sampler are two kinds of hummus.
Homemade desserts include zeppoles. This popular bite-size menu item comes to your table as a warm stack of puffy fried dough covered in powdered sugar. Cannolis, baklava and tiramisu round off the homemade dessert favorites.
During the dinner hour, this family-friendly restaurant becomes especially busy. Booths line the Old World-style wall, which offers a sense of a little Italy and the Mediterranean. The patios also fill up quickly.
Restaurant hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday hours are 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Bellagio Pizzeria is located at 4545 E. McKellips Road.
For more information, call (480) 325-1600, or visit the Web site at www.bellagiopizzeria.com.