Restaurants in Tempe Junction

European travels inspired owner and certified-wine-specialist Jay Wisniewski’s theme for Caffe Boa and Caffe Boa Bistro. The seasonal menus of Caffe Boa and Caffe Boa Bistro are a delicious blend of Mediterranean and Italian regional preparations made with as many local, organic ingredients as possible. Extensive menus at both establishments have plenty of mouth-thrillers, including seafood, salads, and handmade in-house pastas. Start with pulled mozzarella ($10 Caffe Boa Bistro; $12 Caffe Boa) or shaved-fennel salad ($9 at Caffe Boa Bistro). For an entree, scope out the Voodoo penne, which combines roasted chicken with bell peppers, red onions, tomatoes, and penne rigate pasta in Cajun cream ($14–$16 Caffe Boa; $15 Caffe Boa Bistro), or try the strip steak with roasted asparagus, cipollini onions, crispy potatoes, and seasonal mushroom jus ($25 at Caffe Boa Bistro).

At La Bocca Urban Pizzeria, preparations for pizza crusts start a full day before they hit the brick oven. Chefs knead organic dough by hand, watch it rise for 24 hours, and then top the crusts with gourmet, locally procured ingredients such as Queen Creek Olive Mill olives, Schreiner’s Fine Sausages meat, and housemade pulled pork.

The rest of the Mediterranean-inspired menu proves equally indulgent. Chefs layer bruschetta planks with fig and smoked prosciutto and toss pastas with housemade sauces and meatballs molded from grass-fed beef. To grant molars breaks from the rigors of chewing, servers are happy to recommend pairings from the drink menu, which features handcrafted cocktails, European and Arizonan wines, and award-winning sangria.

The chefs at Tutti Santi banish hunger pangs with a menu gushing with gustatory prowess thanks to Old World classics served with a modern twist. The chicken della casa ($20.95) sautés in a brandy-cream sauce before donning a bonnet of prosciutto and fontina cheese alongside herds of asparagus and porcini mushrooms. Platefuls of pillowy gnocchi ($14.95 each) lull utensils to sleep with homemade dumplings snuggled beneath a blanket of fresh tomato sauce, and cuts of veal adorn tables in an array of culinary permutations ($22.95+). Appetite-priming bites include the freshly sliced homemade mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil of the mozzarella caprese ($11.95) and the homemade ravioli alla Nina ($10.95), which stealthily smuggles spinach, ricotta, and family recipes out of the back kitchen.

The kitchen at Miele's Italian Bistro is directed by two Italian brothers whose collective mind is a Rolodex of authentic homeland-recipes and saucing-techniques. Their menu of Italian favorites lets diners start off with a plate of doughy garlic knots ($3) or fried calamari ($9.50) before sating a massive Mediterranean appetite with seafood fradiavolo, which sets shrimp, calamari, and clams loose to frolic, gambol, and cavort through a sea of spicy garlic tomato sauce over spaghetti ($18). Pasta forks will be naturally drawn like divining-rods to the cheese-and-shrimp-stuffed Sergio's ravioli, topped with roasted red peppers, tomatoes, and feta ($14). And for those who insist on eating everything with their hands, even soup, Miele's bakes its own hot subs, including the tender chicken parmigiana ($7.50) and its Mirror Universe veggie doppelganger, eggplant parmigiana ($7.50).

Asia's menu combines the multiple East-oriented cuisines of Japan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore, bringing a full battery of exotic tastes to each dinner. Import some flavor with potsticking appetizers such as crab puffs ($4) or spicy buddha shrimp in plum sauce ($8) before climbing aboard a culinary catamaran with a noodle ticket of beef satay (egg noodles with beef and peanut sauce, $9). Get the raw deal in the right way with the Best of Asia sashimi plate (three pieces each of sashimi tuna, yellowtail, and salmon, $12), or with sushi servings such as an eel cucumber roll ($5) or a tasty tube of spicy crab ($4).

Each slab, slice, and link of Notorious’s meat spends three days tenderizing, flavorizing, and smokifying itself for you. Rubbed down in a secret mixture of spices, this barbecue mellows before diving into a pecan and mesquite-fired smoker for hour after hour of soaking in a veritable taste sauna. Cooked slowly overnight, it then falls apart tenderly on your plate in the form of delicious dishes such the eponymous Notorious P.I.G. sandwich, a massive pile of pulled pork topped Carolina style with blue-cheese coleslaw ($10), and the more traditional Texan, chopped brisket layered between thick slices of Texas toast ($10). Meaty platters of barbecued jalapeño sausage, pulled chicken, and hot links ($15 for all three meats) and wise-cracking full racks of loin back ribs redolent of paprika and brown sugar ($19) fulfill your belly's wildest dreams without having to fund its get-rich-quick schemes. If you're not in the mood for barbecue, reach no further than a catfish po’ boy ($9). Vegetarians can breathe a sigh of relief, since assorted grilled vegetables (with red-pepper dip, $6) get equal quantities of care from the meat makers.