Source Makes Simple Ingredients Shine in Gilbert
The dream of the original version of Pa’La is alive in Gilbert. Well, close. Claudio Urciuoli isn’t stoically toiling away in the kitchen every moment of every day, but the place is definitely his. There are (nice) paper plates. There are ingredients straight from the Mediterranean. Everything is simple, but somehow better than you ever think it well be. And there’s wine. Lots of wine. Truthfully, as someone who lives near Pa’La, it’s one of those places that will excite food critics more than average Gilbertians. Nothing is big or flashy and the place itself doesn’t feel abundantly special. But there’s some magic going on—possibly wine fueled—that people need in their lives. The food is really good, and more importantly, it makes you feel good.
Website: eatatsource.com
Reservations: Nope
Tip: If you live in the area, having a regular country loaf in your house from Source is a must. It makes the very best toast.
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Source Has 8.5 Yumpoints
FEB 1, 2024
Phoenix New Times: The Top 100 Restaurants
Claudio Urciuoli’s ethos is simple: “I don’t believe in expensive food,” he told our dining critic. As the name of the Epicenter at Agritopia restaurant implies, Urciuoli and business partner Akshat Sethi are focused on sourcing the very best ingredients while still offering a reasonably priced evening out. The kitchen lets the ingredients shine and makes plates that are stunningly simple and satisfying — grilled dates paired with parmesan and house-made bread; a chopped salad; pizzas with great chew and toppings such pistachio pesto that can be rich and comforting.
JAN 24, 2024
James Beard Foundation: 2024 James Beard Awards Semifinalist
Best Chef: Southwest
JAN 16, 2024 / Bahar Anooshahr
AZ Central: 100 essential restaurants in metro Phoenix: The best places to dine in 2024
Claudio Urciuoli’s newest restaurant Source is all about simple, beautiful Mediterranean food made with the highest quality ingredients. The menu is simple, with fresh baked breads, salads, sandwiches and pizzas, like my favorite the coppa, which comes topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, baby artichokes, oregano and capicollo — a dry-aged Italian salumi made from pork neck and shoulder on a pizza crust that’s so thin and airy it’s somehow light and satisfying at the same time.
JAN 3, 2024 / LAUREN MILLINGTON
Female Foodie: 12 Best Sandwiches in Phoenix
We’re thrilled to see the East Valley starting to make its mark on the food scene and Source is no exception, offering Mediterranean food and a selection of creative sandwiches. Their house-made bread is the star of the show, like on the red lentil croqueta sandwich. This vegetarian option with red lentil croquetas, a crisp cabbage slaw, and a tart and creamy lemon labneh sauce all stuffed with their warm and fluffy za’atar flatbread.
DEC 28, 2023 / FELICIA CAMPBELL AND BAHAR ANOOSHAHR
AZ Central: The 10 best new restaurants and bars that opened in metro Phoenix in 2023
Chef Claudio Urciuoli earned his aclaim at the helm of Pa'la woodfired restaurants in Phoenix. This year, he struck out on his own to open an ingredient-driven, affordable Mediterranean restaurant and market at Epicenter at Agritopia in Gilbert. Urciuoli said he developed a simple menu he would serve to his family, with starters like smoked prosciutto, Parmigiano Reggiano and house bread and Controne chickpea hummus, chermoula and za'atar flatbread; sandwiches like Island Trollers albacore tuna or a vegetarian made with hummus spread, roasted poblano, mushroom, baby artichoke braised kale and fennel on ciabatta.
DEC 28, 2023 / DOMINIC ARMATO
Phoenix New Times: Critic's Picks: Dominic Armato's 10 favorite dishes of 2023
Few dishes stopped me dead in my tracks this year like chef Claudio Urciuoli’s chopped salad at Source. Part of the appeal is that a simple little chopped salad has no business being this good. And there are plenty of sexier dishes at Source that I enjoy just as much. But you couldn’t ask for stronger evidence that Urciuoli is some kind of kitchen warlock with the power to transform ordinary foods into something special.
NOV 1, 2023 / NIKKI BUCHANAN, MARILYN HAWKES, CRAIG OUTHIER
Phoenix Magazine: 2023 Best New Restaurants
There are a handful of exceptional bakers in this town, and Claudio Urciuoli is one of them. The Pa’La co-creator and veteran of countless Valley kitchens puts his savant-like skill set to good use at his small, sleek outpost in Gilbert – part market, part fast-casual eatery – where he bakes ciabatta, sourdough and baguettes to make the angels sing. His slow-fermentation, high-hydration breads are exquisite on sandwiches and with light, simple salads.
AUG 9, 2023 / NIKKI BUCHANAN AND CHRIS MALLOY
Eater: 21 Essential Phoenix Pizza Joints
At his small, sleek restaurant and market in the new Epicenter at Agritopia, Claudio Urciuoli does what he does best — focaccia, cibatta, flatbread, pizza, in short, anything involving flour. At his former restaurant Pa’La, he was famous for cooking everything in a wood-burning hearth. Here he makes use of a Swedish oven (better for bread-baking, he says), and it works incredibly well for his four, 11-inch pizzas too, each a lesson in simplicity.
Jul 6, 2023 / NIKKI BUCHANAN
Phoenix Magazine: Dining Review: Source
Star chef Claudio Urciuoli is in startup mode again – this time conjuring terrific pizzas, flatbreads and bruschetta out of a fancy Swedish oven in Gilbert.
Mar 10, 2023 / Geri Koeppel
Phoenix New Times: First Taste: Go for the Dough, Stay for the Vino at Source
Rustic breads and pizza crusts are the stars of the show here, thanks to the light and airy yet slightly chewy and subtly tangy characteristics of everything that comes out of the oven. The smell of freshly baked loaves permeates the entire space, making it a danger zone for anyone who can’t or won’t eat carbs. But industrial white flour is verboten here — only specially sourced whole grains are used, and Urciuoli plans to bring in more ancient grains like kamut, einkorn, and emmer.
