La Grande Orange is Certianly Grande

On the corner of 40th street and Campbell in Phoenix is the scrumptious La Grande Orange Pizzeria. Tucked away in a neighborhood, away from busy intersections and strip malls, sets the mood for this cozy and welcoming restaurant, that was packed full on a Monday night (always a good sign when customers are abundant on a “dead“ restaurant night).

I do believe Jocie’s first words when walking in was “this place is so cool,” emphasis on the word so. That might not sound like much, but from someone that has a keen sense of design and décor, it certainly is a compliment. The actual size of the restaurant is rather small, but does offer table, booth, or bar seating. One large table in the center of the restaurant holds all the serving utensils and dishware, complete with a decorative vase. Yellows, blues, and greens, fill the space with color. The adorable lamps gave off an amber glow which made everyone’s skin look fantastic. In addition to the look of the restaurant, the soundtrack consisted of fun, laid back tunes that were very enjoyable. All around La Grande Orange creates a warm and inviting atmosphere for their guests.

So how does the food stack up to the look of the place? Right away Lauren commented on the smell of baking pizza, quite a delightful treat for the senses. The menu is small but consists of classic salads and pizzas as well as unique items like the LGO “chop” (lettuce, spinach, bacon, picholine olives, tomatoes, artichokes, herbed goat cheese, pine nuts, raisins, with vinaigrette) and roasted corn pizza (goat cheese, corn, roasted tomatoes, and basil).

There were only three of us at dinner this week, so we decided to share two of the pizzas. The margherita (a classic cheese, tomato and basil) came to our table looking a little shiny from the grease. Because this particular pizza does not have sauce, the extra cheese made it a little on the heavy side, but tasty nonetheless. I was very impressed with our avocado pizza. Although the avocado had similar ingredients, the variation made a huge difference. This pizza had the tomato, basil, and cheese, but also a slice of avocado on each piece, marinara sauce, and sprinkled with lemon juice. It was a wonderful blend of flavors for the tongue to enjoy.

Each pizza at La Grande Orange is 12 inches with eight slices, ranging anywhere from $11-14. Two pizzas between the three of us girls was more than enough, and we ended up taking almost an entire pizza home. Other items on the menu include a couple of appetizers and burgers.

And if nothing on the pizzeria’s menu is what you desire, salads, sushi, sandwiches, wine, baked goods and an assortment of other food items and knick-knacks are available next door at La Grande Orange Grocery. An adorable gelato shop is another dessert option, connected to the pizzeria itself, offering traditional flavors like pistachio and strawberry, or something more daring like catrino (almond and lingberry).

All in all, I do believe this corner of 40th street and Campbell has a superb combination of eating options that deliver atmosphere and taste. I encourage many to come and try the flavors of La Grande Orange. If you do, be aware. Bring $3 for valet parking, carpool, or wait in line for a parking spot. This bustling combination of grocery, pizzeria, and gelato make finding a parking spot complicated. Thankfully there is hired staff to help out the process and point out the options, but this tucked away location with limited parking is just one sacrifice made to complete the impressive package of La Grande Orange.

La Grande Orange
4410 N 40th st.
Phoenix, Az 85018
602-840-7777