Sep 19, 2014, 11:43am MST | Brandon Brown Reporter- Phoenix Business Journal Email

Phoenix restaurateur Tomaso Maggiore is at it again.

The creator of Tomaso’s and 10 other restaurants around the Valley, opened Vivo! in Scottsdale at Lincoln Drive and Scottsdale Road. Vivo! features a menu Maggiore calls “modern Italian cuisine.”

Before opening Vivo!, Maggiore spent months in Italy researching and tasting different cuisines that he could bring back to Scottsdale. He returned with ideas for seafood pastas, wood-fired pizzas and a mozzarella bar.

Maggiore said people used to go to Italian restaurants and eat for two or three hours and only stopped when they felt too bloated to eat more.

“Those days are gone,” he said. “People want to feel good after they eat.”

Because his customers are more knowledgeable about food these days, Maggiore said Vivo!’s menu was designed around lighter dishes and fresher ingredients. Instead of using a lot of butter, Maggiore said he uses extra virgin olive oil. It is healthier and tastes better, he said.

“You can no longer fool the people,” Maggiore said. “They know what they want and about what they eat.”

The mozzarella bar is something very popular in Italy, Maggiore said, and he thinks it can catch on in Arizona. It is like a normal bar, but instead of drinks, people can sit there and order a variety of appetizers including an assortment of mozzarella, cured meats and vegetables.

Vivo! also features a little market that includes imported goods from Italy that Maggiore uses in the restaurant’s kitchen.

Maggiore has owned a number of restaurants throughout greater Phoenix, but currently he owns Vivo!, Tomaso’s and Tommy V’s Osteria Pizzeria.

Brandon covers retail, restaurants, hospitality/tourism as well aviation, small business and nonprofits.