Local chefs, Devon Sanner and Mat Cable, have officially announced the opening of what they’re describing as their “culinary bromance” restaurant project.
Zio Peppe, located at 6502 E. Tanque Verde Rd., is opening up the restaurant for takeout and delivery — lunch and dinner — on Monday, May 10.
The new spot that’s located near the eastside is considered to be the Old Pueblo’s take on Italian-American cuisine, a “love letter to Tucson”, according to Tucson natives Sanner and Cable.
Zio Peppe, which means “Uncle Joe” in Italian, is in part a tribute to Cable’s uncle, Joe Sottosanti, who opened Tucson’s first Sicilian pizza place, Tesseo’s Pizzeria, nearly 50 years ago. Once the dining room opens to the public, you’ll notice some black and white photos of Joe and his pizzeria on the walls.
So, what’s on the menu, you ask?
The centerpiece of the new restaurant is its unique gas and wood-fired oven, equipped with a rotating stone hearth — perfect for firing up the pizzas, which have an emphasis on house-made and locally sourced ingredients. The pizza dough is constructed with the traditional Neapolitan formula, but with the addition of mesquite flour and hard red wheat grown and milled in Marana.
You’ll discover some classics on the menu, including the Margherita with basil and hand-pulled mozzarella, and keep an eye out for the Pizza Bianca, made with house-made fennel sausage and BKW Farms blue oyster mushrooms.
Ordering something other than pizza is also a pasta-bility. That’s right — pasta.
The pasta offerings at Zio Peppe are said to ‘similarly underscore Cable and Sanner’s ethos of culinary confluence.” The two have incorporated several ingredients into the pasta, such as wolfberry, green chile powder, and local Pima durum wheat.
A couple of dishes that really stand out on the menu include the Green Chile Pappardelle and Peppe Marinara — a Sonoran-Italian future classic — and familiar comfort dishes like the Fettuccine Alfredo.
With the dessert menu, it’s asked that you call (520) 888-4242 the day of when ordering.
Cable has been the owner of Fresco Pizzeria & Pastaria since 2008 and First We Eat Catering and Confections since 2019. He is also a partner in Dante’s Fire, the house caterer for Z Mansion, and a two-term President of Tucson Originals. Devon Sanner has spent the past 15 years cooking with Tucson culinary legend Janos Wilder, serving as chef at DOWNTOWN Kitchen + Cocktails and The Carriage House.
Zio Peppe’s hours of operation will be 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. daily for takeout and delivery, and dine-in inside and on the patio will be announced in the coming weeks.
Zio Peppe is located at 6502 E. Tanque Verde Rd. For more information, call (520) 888-4242 or visit ziopeppeaz.com.
