Amy's Baking Company

Best pizza in America.

I think the owners name was Sammy. This Sammy guy knows his shit. The pizza I give a solid 9.6 out of 10. That's the highest pizza review I have ever given.

I wish this place was open because I crave this pizza.

So, this is going to seem strange and unbelievable, especially with all the hate Amy's Baking Company has received. The food, in particular the sweet and spicy andouille pizza was actually pretty good.

My concern was the state Sammy (one of the owners) left the restroom. The guy you can see images of online came out of a stall directly before I did. He gave me this awkward half smile. The odor he left behind was, BY FAR, the worst I have ever encountered. It smelt like a dying animal. He also left a little toilet paper in the bowl, unflushed. I could hear his half assed handwashing too. The sink ran for less than 10 seconds. It literally made me sick to my stomach. I will not be returning.

I really understand why my review would be seen as a troll. Honestly, I don't care if you don't trust me because they already get the hate they deserve.

I was disappointed to see that they've changed their menu from pastas/pizzas to sandwiches/salads. Apparently, they're trying serve healthier, easier-to-make foods.

My boyfriend and I got the cheese panini and caramel cheesecake. The panini tasted like any other you could make at home and the salad was drenched in its dressing.

The cheesecake was good ONLY if you had the caramel drizzle and crust in the same bite. Otherwise, the middle of the cheesecake itself was bland.

Samy and the waitress who served us were really friendly and at the end of our meal, Samy came by to thank us and shake our hands.

I went here before it closed on while on vacation in wonderful Arizona.

The food was mediocre and almost inedible. Restaurant looked nice though to have causal dining.

Owners were very rude to others while there. Not very hospitable.

Dinner for 1.

- Preface
I went to Amy's Baking Company with an open mind. After all, reality TV does have a tendency to make things appear more extreme. However, I was nervous. What if Samy smelled a Yelper? There were many things I was afraid to order. Damn you Kitchen Nightmares. While the menu is filled with gnocchi choices, I deviated since I didn't want to eat non-refrigerated, packaged gnocchi. The burger was out since it looked like a greasy mess. And I didn't like the idea of eating raw dough, so no pizza. They were out of soup that night, which I found mildly annoying. In order to write an objective review, it was important to me to remain a neutral, regular customer, with no unnecessary provoking.

- Ambiance (4/5)
ABC is clean and chic, but quite empty inside. I was 1 of 3 tables. Perhaps it would have been excusable, except the place next door was quite busy.

- Service (3/5)
Samy did most of the work with the only waitress in the restaurant unmotivated; Samy even had to ask her to refill my water. If Samy took the tip, I wouldn't have faulted him. He was professional all night, bordering friendly dare I say? Service was also fast. I did catch a glimpse of Amy, who had an iPhone earphone on--either listening to music or on the phone in the kitchen. She seemed quite calm and collected. Every time Samy came to the table with food, he would tell me how delicious it would be. Also, instead of asking how the food was, he would ask "it's delicious, isn't it?" So even when I had some serious concerns, I just let it pass. I'm not really a confrontational person. Just come home and Yelp about it!

- Bread (N/A)
Considering the upscale vibe ABC is going for, I was quite surprised not to receive any bread.

- Lemon Garlic Hummus, $5 (2/5)
The lemon garlic hummus had good Mediterranean flavor, but I think Amy must have added a "drizzle" of oil on top, because it was too oily. Of the bits I was able to taste, it was actually decent, but the oiliness really put me off and deterred me from finishing.

- Herbed Flatbread, $5 (5/5)
I felt deceived. I ordered the hummus expecting there would be some sort of bread or cracker included. So, when Samy asked casually about the flatbread with the hummus, I assumed it was included. It wasn't. The flat bread comes in a huge portion, about 10 big pieces. Quite good! Garlicky, toasty on the top, but soft in the middle. I'd certainly come back for the flatbread. Ironically, the one thing I didn't intend to order turned out to be the best.

- Pesto Spinach Ravioli, $16 (2/5)
Gordon Ramsey dissed the ravioli on the show, but he seemed to make more a hubbub about the fact that they were frozen. I highly suspect these were the same frozen raviolis that Gordon got since fresh raviolis have a different texture. These raviolis were also quite flavorless, which is ironic considering the really salty and oily (sensing a theme?) sauce they were drenched in. I was "foraging" for raviolis. The spinach was cooked quite nicely, and I do appreciate the fresh tasting prosciutto and mushrooms. The concept was nice. If the sauce was a bit less oily, Amy used a little bit less salt, and we had homemade raviolis, this would've been a passable dish.

- Key Lime Pie, $10 (1/5)
ABC had been criticized due to revelations that the desserts were store bought and not actually homemade. Who cares? I'm sure this kind of thing happens far more than we know. To my severe disappointment, it was not at all good. It had a bit more of an oily foamy consistency. It was also much more sour than key lime pie should be, and the crust tasted a bit burnt. And what's with the edible glitter! I think this pie is the perfect representation of ABC--glittery on the outside, but once you dip your fork in past the surface, you find some unappetizing elements.

- Value (2/5)
Considering the prices ABC is charging, I expected a fine dining experience. Unfortunately, the food is just not up to par. Even if the key lime pie had tasted good, $10 for a piece of pie? C'mon... it's only $8 at Joe's Stone Crab in Miami!! The portions are large--Samy mentioned that everything they do is large. And while quantity might be important to some, quality is more important to me.

- Final Word
I'm disappointed that Samy and Amy did not take Gordon Ramsey's advice. With instruction, Chef Amy could serve good dishes. I would love to see the owners take a chill pill and fix things. If I hadn't seen the way they treated customers on the show, I would have felt sorrier for them. They looked quite rundown by all the attention. To the reviewers who keep leaving 1 star reviews without having visited the place, stop. Go try it; then let your Yelp review do the talking. The other 2 tables there looked like regulars, and they seemed to like the food. Not sure if they've lost their taste buds, but to each his own. To the owners--swallow your pride and figure it out! I hope I can come back one day when your food is better. Good luck.

A group of twelve of us came here after a movie one evening and even though the service was slow, the dessert and espresso was "A-OK" good.

Yes, we watched in horror the meltdown on TV a few months ago. But, the night we were here, there was no sign of that stuff. Sammy was our server and he seemed somewhat confused, since we initially asked for six separate checks. But in the end, one of us picked up the tab after getting tired of waiting.

Since Amy's was half empty, he came over and chatted with us. Hard to believe, but he was friendly, personable and yes, funny. The desserts were outstanding. I don't know who made them, but they were very good.

My friend Richard S was with us that evening. He has gone back a few times and loves the place. And no, he hasn't watched the TV episode. At this point I have mixed feelings about recommending Amy's. Yelp friends Ursula, Cheryl and Monica have all had positive experiences, while my friend Marvin hates the place.

So, I'll let you decide.

I went to Amy's Baking Company last week for a UYE dinner/going away dinner for Chrystalle B. http://www.yelp.com/events/scottsdale-say-goodbye-in-style-uye This whole event came about during a discussion at the May International Supper Club. We were fresh off the UYE to view the Ramsay Nightmare's show and of course the curiosity was overwhelming. Somehow the suggestion to celebrate Chrystalle's going away at Amy's Baking Company came up. Being the naturally tentative, yet curious person I am, I immediately warned... ----DON'T"T POST THIS AS A UYE...--- and ---- I'll show up, but I'm parking in the parking lot and waiting for a "coast is clear" sign-----. NONE of my concerns were founded last Friday. and I mean NONE. Here's a picture of the group http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/amys-baking-company-scottsdale?select=lE1vhXtPeqqIj6jK0Yvy_A#yL4vewWhBwOHTdNi_PfInQ

Everyone else arrived around 7pm. I got there about 8. I was welcomed at the table by our very friend server, Debi, and she took my order. I ordered the Blue Ribbon Burger, Med-well http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/amys-baking-company-scottsdale?select=lE1vhXtPeqqIj6jK0Yvy_A#jU7gnEXMYaH08tlFOj4RbQ. Yes, I ordered the burger that Ramsay famously trashed on the show. That burger was so very good. The bun that it was served on may have had a little bit too much butter on it, but it was delicious. The burger was awesome. I love bleu cheese and bacon and mushrooms... do you see the pic? they were piled on top of that burger. The burger it self was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I could only eat half of it, but I finished it off the next day.

The pastries looked AMAZING. i did not try any, but everyone that ordered said they were delicious with the biggest vote going to the candy bar pastry.

To top it off, they split our bill x-number of ways in the most painstaking way. I was so appreciative of the effort that they put forth on a Friday to accommodate our ever growing party.

I'm giving them a 4-star primarily based on that burger and the service. When I consider the the fact that the restaurant was very nicely decorated and it was super clean I would say it was a solid 4 star experience for me.

I must say that we saw amy and samy, but like any good restaurant, the owners were not show-boating their way around the restaurant, because they were worried about preparing amazing food. And great food was served at our table that day.

Let me start off by saying I am not paid by anyone and am writing a true and honest review about my experience while dining at Amy's Baking Company.

My friend is leaving the valley moving to DC and I wanted to have a farewell dinner with a bunch of friends and Amy'a was the place we picked. I did send a reservation request via email and never heard anything back and when calling them the phone just rings, but I decided this wasn't going to stop me from going. Showed up around 6:30 Friday night and spoke directly to Sammy, explained that I needed a table for 14 by 7 that I had been trying to call to give heads up but no avail. Sammy explained that its been a lil hard keeping up with the calls and email and he had a table set up and ready for us. Sammy was nothing but nice, friendly and helpful. While the table was being set my friend and I were eyeing the beautiful dessert display and Amy came out said hi to us and even joked around with my friend.

Our sever was Debbie and she was amazing, made sure our table was taking care of, there were some new severs and Sammy was teaching them the proper way of severing, but not in a mean way but as in a father teaching his kid. Sammy also came to our table to see how we are doing.

I ordered the lemon chicken panini and my friend ordered the portabello burger, we spilt our dish to be able to try both, the lemon chicken panini was good, the chicken was very tender and juicy, the bread was cooked perfect, this was a good panini, perfectly toasted and very favorable. The portabello burger, that was surprising good, the bun was amazing, this too is a great lil sandwich.

We ordered the candy cake for dessert and let me tell you, AMAZING!! Oh my gawd that's a good lil piece of dessert.

The check came and Sammy split it up for us, at this point we were a party of ten and there wasn't any issue with us all splitting it up. It was a great meal, service was excellent, Sammy and Amy were friendly. I do see me coming back, those desserts are calling my name.

I also have to add I went there with an open mind but unsure how the night would go and that I had a pleasurable time. After everyone paid and left my friend and I went to talk to Sammy, we told him we are Yelpers who wanted to give there place a try and thanked him and Amy for the great evening. Sammy was not upset by this but told us thank you and didn't say a bad word towards us or Yelp but was happy we gave them a chance, would I go back to Amys? Yes I will.

This is an update from my previous visit on 9/30/13. I went back to the restaurant on 6/5/2014 while on business yet with my niece's husband that was a local in Phoenix. Like the first time, I went to lunch and had the bleu ribbon burger on my mind.

After arriving, Sammy greeted me almost immediately and remembered me from last year. I noted to him that I was in town for lunch and had hoped to try the bleu ribbon burger, to which he noted that he had changed the menu and had taken the bleu ribbon burger off of the menu. He recommended a pizza for myself and niece's husband to share, to which I accepted.

The pizza was quite good! Not too heavy, not too light and definitely not greasy at all. It was a standard pepperoni and sausage pizza that was cut into eight pieces. The presentation of the pizza as well as the flavor really lightened the mood as well fulfilled my appetite. Along with unsweetened iced tea, this made for a good lunch.

An additional server asked if we would like desserts. Although I absolutely never order desserts (especially on lunch) due to the sugar content, I made an exception this time out. Its just hard to say no when you have at least three dozen selections of cakes encased in the glass cabinet directly over my shoulder from where we were sitting in the restaurant. I ordered a delectable chocolate mousse cake (not the one with peanut butter), which was served with whipped cream and green mint garnish on the side as well as with two small berries. As expected, the dessert was phenomenal! So good, in fact, that I couldn't finish all of it due to how rich it was with the chocolate. Well worth the $$$ for dessert. Among the best that I've ever tasted.

I was finally able to meet Amy this time, who came out of the kitchen to greet the two of us as well as give thanks for our business. Sammy was incredible, as expected. Very candid and likable, Sammy took the time to converse with us both about the food selections as well as the show that was featured with Gordon Ramsey. He recommended for us to view the follow up show, of which I noted that I would.

All and all, I felt very comfortable in this establishment. The food is absolutely exceptional both in its presentation as well as quality. I've had two very good experiences here for lunch, and my niece's husband even commented that he enjoyed the food + the venue. On both occasions, I arrived here with an open mind without bias (from the show) and was not disappointed. Even more so, it is refreshing to be around down to Earth proprietors such as Sammy & Amy Bouzaglo. Great conversation, and Sammy even posed for pictures with me, which I thought was pretty cool. 5-stars.

"Are you lovers or haters?"

That's how Amy's Baking Company owner Samy Bouzaglo greeted my platonic girl friend and I when we walked into the notorious eatery made famous by Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. Well, we do love each other, so we hesitantly answered "lovers" before taking a seat outside on the patio of the nearly-empty restaurant.

Samy was our server and was extremely cheerful and smiley - how a welcoming host should be. He was helpful in talking about the menu, explaining the 12-inch Garlic Mushroom Chicken pizza ($15) my friend ordered would be big enough to share - it definitely was - and he brought out our drinks cheerfully.

The food seemed to take a little long to deliver, more than 20 minutes, considering there were only maybe a couple other tables filled inside, but hopefully that's because Amy, whom we met, was actually making everything by scratch.

We both really enjoyed our food. I thought my dish, the Tomato Spinach Ravioli with a tomato cream sauce and fresh spinach, was really tasty -- though I have no idea if the pasta was fresh or frozen. I really liked the cream sauce, and the ravioli filling was scrumptious, too. I did think, at only about four ravioli per dish, it was a little overpriced at $14, though.

Most of the menu's entrees are around $15, which makes eating lunch here pretty pricey. And though the pizza was massive enough for my friend to take half home, it'd be cooler if there were smaller, less expensive portions to choose from at lunch.

I did get a to-go dessert, a slice of delicious blueberry pie. Samy did insist Amy makes all the desserts, so I'll give kudos to her since they all looked great. But my pie slice was $10 - again, pretty pricey.

I have to admit I was really scared to go to Amy's Baking Company, since I'd seen the episode of Kitchen Nightmares they were featured in, and they're back on again on Friday, February 28 on FOX. As we were leaving, Samy and Amy said, "There's about to be a war" - possibly alluding to what happened during the filming of the new episode. I'm super-curious what went down and will not go back until the next airing - but for now, I'm glad I at least made it out alive with a happily full stomach.