Culinary history is rich with examples of proteges who surpassed their mentors. Gordon Ramsay, for example, has become a restaurant impresario with nearly 100 restaurants bearing his brand. He was mentored by legendary English Chef Marco Pierre White, an intense and volatile personality who helped shape Ramsay’s approach to leading a kitchen. Chef Grant Achatz, perhaps more well-known for playing himself during a guest cameo in the season three finale of The Bear, led Alinea in Chicago to three Michelin stars. He was mentored by demanding culinary visionary Charlie Trotter.
Chef Horacio “Lacho” Hernandez earned his stripes under the tutelege of multi-time James Beard award-winning chef Chris Bianco. The personable Lacho spent most of thirty years mastering the art of wood-fired pizza at Pizzeria Bianco — perfecting the airy, perfectly charred cornicione that defines true pizza Napoletana. Already considered one of the very best pizzaiolo in the world, Lacho is renowned as a creative, meticulous artisan. He transforms simple, imported DOP – Denominazione di Origine Protetta (Protected Designation of Origin) – labeled foods into unforgettable pie, one fire-kissed crust at a time. Whether Chef Lacho will eventually surpass the inimitable Chris Bianco remains to be seen, but he’s certainly got a great headstart.
Il Forno Bello translates from Italian to “The Beautiful Oven.” Beautiful may be an understatement. The oven strongly resembles intricate Roman mosaics crossed with the intricate geometric designs of Acoma Pueblo pottery. The traditional Italian oven was shipped to Mesa and put together on the premises by an Italian costruttore di forni (oven builder/constructor). Chef Lacho told me the only wood burned in the oven is pecan which delivers a sweet, nutty, and mild smoke flavor that is gentler and less pungent than hickory. As stated on Il Forno Bello’s website “the scent of smoldering wood and the warmth of stone carry you straight to the beauty and sublime tastes of Italy.”
It’s not only the enticing aroma of smoldering wood and warmth of stone that transport you to Italy. The website adds: “Each food item used in our kitchen is selected from either locally sourced organic growers or from authentic Italian producers for distinctive taste and superiority. From our pure Italian extra-virgin olive oil to our pomodoro San Marzano tomato sauce, we only use imported DOP – Denominazione di Origine Protetta (Protected Designation of Origin) – labeled foods to ensure authenticity, premium quality ingredients and production, and implementation of Italian heritage and tradition.
Il Forno Bello’s pies honor the Neapolitan pizza tradition, a a historic culinary art from Naples, Italy, defined by strict rules for hand-stretched dough, local ingredients, and a rapid wood-fired bake. Recognized by UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, it centers on simplicity, craftsmanship, and specific classic variations.. From the airy, perfectly charred, and crunchy cornicione (Italian term for the raised, puffy outer rim or edge of a pizza) to the ideal texture and balance of il formaggio (the cheese blends) in its distinctive pizza, Il Forno crafts masterpieces one pie at a time.
Chef Lacho explained that all pizza dough undergoes a 72-hour fermentation process. Lengthy fermentation transforms pizza dough by developing complex flavors, improving texture and stretchability, and enhancing digestibility. By slowing down yeast and enzyme activity—usually through a long cold ferment in the refrigerator—the dough undergoes chemical changes that same-day doughs miss out on. On pizza you get at one of those fast food pizzerias, at a very minimum, it takes 3 to 6 hours for the dough to rise and get ready. The extra time and painstaking process of 72-hour fermentation makes a significant difference you can taste.
Although Chef Lacho has carved out his own identity and niche, he recognizes the importance of legacy. He made sure to ask a team member to retrieve and show me a photograph of the Pizzeria Biano staff in the 1990s. That’s when Chef Chris Bianco moved his flagship Pizzeria Bianco from a neighborhood shopping center into a historic, dirt-floored former machine shop building in downtown Phoenix’s Heritage Square. He personally baked every single pie during these formative years, giving rise to legendary multi-hour waitlists and prompting the opening of the cozy Bar Bianco next door. Chef Lacho ultimately gained Chef Bianco’s trust and for a quarter-century, increasingly manned the ovens.
Chef Lacho was Chef Bianco’s right-hand man during Pizzeria Bianco’s ascendency from neighborhood pizzeria to worldwide phenomena. Having no idea that he would become a driving force in the artisanal pizza movement. Bianco first won the James Beard Award for Best Chef (Southwest) in 2003 —the first pizzaiolo to receive the honor. Chef Bianco helped spawn a generation of independent and artisanal pizzerias, lending his advice, wisdom, and food philosophies to dozens of fellow chefs and restaurateurs. In 2022, Chris again won the James Beard Award, this time for Outstanding Restauranteur. It was a given that Chef Lacho would eventually strike out on his own and maybe someday supass his mentor.
Il Forno Bello’s streamlined menu offers seven wood-fired pizzas ($21-$29), including the eponymous Il Lacho with mozzarella, parmigiano Reggiano, candied pancetta, spicy jalapeño, and hot honey. It’s the pizza I would have ordered had I been dining alone. Two antipasta plates, two salads, and two desserts round out the options. The restaurant features a special house-reserve balsamic vinegar made in Moderna, Italy, in small batches and aged for 12 years. We enjoyed some of that special balsamic vinegar on the Il Caprese (mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, and basil, with sea salt, cracked black pepper, olive oil, and our signature balsamic vinegar). My Kim never tires of Il Caprese. This one was among the very best we’ve had. The housemade mozzarella was mild and delicate with a nice milkiness. The tomatoes were meaty and of perfect near ripeness. Basil was fresh, bright and sweet with warm notes of anise.
My Kim selected the pizza we would share. It was the Finocchio (mozzarella, caramelized onion, olive oil, and fennel sausage) which bore a strong resemblance to Pizzeria Bianco’s “Wise Guy.” Same ingredients, same inimitable quality. Finnochio (an Italian word that primarily means Florence fennel (a vegetable with a bulbous, celery-like base)) is a perfect name for this perfect pizza. Most noteable about any pizza you’ll experience at Il Forno Bello is the absolutely perfect (if I’m using this adjective too often, it’s well deserved) crust. Picture in your mind the very best straight out-of-the-oven bread you’ve ever had and double that. It’s swoon-worthy bread. The fennel sausage is superb, the mozzarella sublime, the caramelized onion sweet. Every bite is sheer pleasure.
Desserts are imported from Italy, too. The refreshing lemon sorbet is made with real lemons imported directly from Sicily. The sorbet is poured into a hollowed lemon and topped with the lemon’s stem end (the top tip where the stem or pedicel attaches the fruit to the tree). The sorbet is fresh and lip-pursing tart with just a small amount of sweetness. It tastes like frozen lemonade, blending a sharp, sweet-tart citrus punch with a smooth, icy-yet-velvety texture. It is intensely bright, refreshing, and clean on the tongue without any heavy dairy or creamy thickness. You’ll want a half-gallon.
Il Forno Bello also serves artisan gelato also imported from Italy, featuring popular flavors such as pistachio, vanilla, and chocolate, which you can also get as an affogato drowned in a hot shot of espresso. While pistachio would have been my first choice, my Kim had one scoop each of vanilla and chocolate. Both were superb. Italian gelato is exceptional due to lower fat content, less whipped air, and a warmer serving temperature. These distinct qualities allow the dense dessert to deliver a more intense and immediate burst of flavor to your palate. Mesa, Arizona is our favorite destination for gelato.
Chef Lacho Hernandez will take a backseat to no one when it comes to mastering flame-kissed pecan to tease out tantalizing flavors in every pie he bakes.
Il Forno Bello Pizzeria
3121 East McKellips Road
Mesa, Arizona
(480) 956-2379
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LATEST VISIT: 1 August 2026
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$$$
BEST BET: Chocolate Gelato, Vanilla Gelato, Lemon Sorbet, Il Caprese, FinocchioChocolate Gelato, Vanilla Gelato, Lemon Sorbet, Il Caprese, Finocchio
REVIEW #1540