Grayhawk Golf Club announced the opening of Isabella’s Kitchen on Thursday, October 11, 2012. Located in North Scottsdale across the street from the main entrance of Grayhawk Golf Club, Isabella’s Kitchen features handmade, homemade pizzas, pastas, salads, sandwiches, bruschetta, antipasti and much more—using fresh and seasonal ingredients. The appeal of the rustic, peasant-style cuisine rests on simple recipes and presentations allowing the fresh ingredients to take center stage. And the wine menu is populated with a variety of California and Italian selections.

“We’re very eager to begin welcoming guests,” said Chef Logan Stephenson. “The food we serve covers the Italian favorites that most of us grew up with, and then we take it up a notch by preparing these classics by hand, homemade with fresh ingredients.”

Styled after an Italian country bistro with an artisan’s edge, this vine-covered, 4,400-sq-ft roadside retreat houses several distinct indoor and outdoor seating options ranging from the traditional four-top to the unique fireside picnic tables on the Backyard Patio overlooking Grayhawk’s Talon course and the Valley below. The interior features a colorful, eclectic and electric blend of old and new with comfortable furnishings, numerous TVs, wood floors, wine barrels and rusted-steel accents. Isabella’s comfortable atmosphere welcomes diners to relax and stay for awhile. Dress code is casual with an average entrée price of $14. Take out is welcome.

The dining room opens to the courtyard and exterior terraces by way of several large roll-up doors. Isabella’s signature Blue Bar wraps around a corner of the building, allowing for outdoor seating and indoor seating.

“We equipped Isabella’s Kitchen with a few interesting features that will no doubt appeal to a variety of diners,” said Brian Bevard, Director of Operations for Grayhawk Golf Club. “The gigantic garage doors and ample patio space provides a seamless transition to the outdoors. We have comfortable seating for those who’d like to hang out and enjoy the views of the surrounding desert and the Talon course. We have a rooftop patio with 360-degree views. It’s just much more than an eat-and-run-type place.”

The Backyard Patio offers open-air and covered outdoor seating near two signature fire pits, a huge grassy area, Talon course and Isabella’s Juniper-topped feature table overlooking it all. The patio also offers warm touches designed to encourage guests to relax and enjoy the ambiance. They may unwind on one of a handful of rocking chairs; or perhaps, fill a picnic basket with a selection of meats, cheeses and wine to enjoy while lounging on the neatly manicured lawn.

Built around a 150-year-old Saguaro cactus with its arms reaching through an overhead trellis, The Saguaro Room offers covered open-air dining with a fireplace and air conditioning.

The courtyard serves as a versatile outdoor space to dine, drink or enjoy light fare in a casual outdoor-living setting. It also accommodates large parties and group gatherings of up to 200 guests.

The ground floor of the nearby Snack Shack operates as the halfway house for golfers on the Talon course as well as housing additional kitchen facilities for events. The Rooftop is perched above the Snack Shack – a unique place to enjoy a glass of wine with friends while overlooking 360-degree views of the Talon course and Valley lights below.

“As everyone knows, the golf business has changed dramatically in the past several years and here at Grayhawk we are continually enhancing and repositioning our brand moving forward”, said Gregg Tryhus, developer of Grayhawk. “We think Isabella’s will be a fantastic addition to everything we have to offer not just to our guests, but the community as a whole. We’re very excited.”

Isabella’s Kitchen is located at 8623 East Thompson Peak Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Call ahead at 480-502-3100 or to make a takeout order. To learn more, visit www.isabellaskitchen.com , like them on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Isabellaskitchen , and follow on twitter https://twitter.com/grayhawkgolf.