By Teri Carnicelli

    When you walk in the door at Ammaccapane’s, you might do a double-take and think you’re in the wrong place. The first thing you’ll notice are the pool tables, the large oval bar and enough TV monitors to give your brain an overload.

    Don’t let the sports-bar atmosphere intimidate you. There’s exceptional Italian fare to be found at Ammaccapane’s, mixed among your usual bar food like potato skins, chicken fingers, burgers and subs.

    The Italian selections move beyond the usual pizzas, although those can be found on the menu as well, with a thin, crispy crust and a nice selection of toppings.

 

But the real attractions are the dishes crafted from owner Ralph Ammaccapane’s 30-plus years in the restaurant business, as well as some recipes created by his father, Ralph Sr., with whom he once owned a restaurant.

    Some of the specialties, highlighted on the menu under “Ralph’s Suggestions,” include Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo and Sausage & Peppers with Spaghetti. Ammaccapane still makes the sausage himself, a densely packed casing with very little fat or grease and the right mix of herbs, just like nonna used to make. Other Italian selections include Meat Ravioli, Spaghetti with Meatballs (also made by Ammaccapane), Stuffed Shells, Eggplant Parmigiana, Lasagna, and Linguine with White or Red Clam Sauce. No dish on the Italian menu is more than $10.

    A native of New York, Ammaccapane, 70, has roots in the Moon Valley area. Both his daughters attended John Jacobs Elementary and Thunderbird High School.

    His eldest, Danielle, graduated from Arizona State University where she won the 1985 NCAA Championship and the 1987 Pac-10 Championship while on the ASU golf team. She was inducted into the ASU Hall of Fame in 1997, as proudly proclaimed on a banner hanging in the restaurant.

    Danielle began her professional golf career when she entered her rookie year with the LPGA in 1987. She has seven professional victories under her belt.

    Ammaccapane’s youngest daughter, Dina, entered her rookie year with the LPGA in 1993, the same year that Ralph opened Ammaccapane’s. When not on tour, Dina spends time at home helping Ralph out at the restaurant of his namesake.

    Ammaccapane says that many of his customers are neighborhood people who grew up in the area, just like his girls. And many of those customers also are regular golfers at the Moon Valley Country Club. Thanks to his daughters’ successes with the LPGA, Ammaccapane is a name well recognized in the community.

    So when he was looking for a location for a new business in 1993, he thought the strip center at the northwest corner of Thunderbird Road and 7th Street suited his purposes. “I thought this would be a good location, and it turned out OK,” he says. “There’s a real neighborhood feel about it.”

    There are 20 large television monitors throughout the restaurant, including six flat screens on each side of the long bar, making it a great place to go on game day. Ammaccapane says during football season he has a different game on each of the six screens on Sundays.

    Everyone comes to root for their favorite team, and everyone gets along, says server Cheryl, who has been at Ammaccapane’s for 13 years. “We have some definite regulars,” she says. “During the day its golfers and some business people or neighborhood people, and at night its a younger crowd. But on weekends, it’s all about the sports lovers!”

    The food also is a draw, Cheryl says, heaped on the plates in large portions and at very reasonable costs. Plus the kitchen stays open until midnight.

Ammaccapane’s is located at 13470 N. 7th St. For more information, call 602-863-1199.