06/10/2026
A true Brugos story for Wine Night Wednesday.
A woman in diamonds. A hot dog stand. And why Brugos is not a pizza joint.
Chicken Marsala tonight. Pat at the bar. Shannon on the floor. Come over.
Almost 20 years ago, before Brugos became Brugos, we were thinking about doing a simple Pizza and Take-N-Bake pizza place.
Easy enough, right?
Paper plates. Plastic cups. Soda machine. Fluorescent lights. Maybe a few arcade games.
Nothing wrong with that.
Except I could already feel my left eye twitching.
I know myself. I would have been out there picking up straw wrappers, tossing paper plates, giving the soda machine the Sicilian look, and wondering why nobody had a real wine glass.
Then I saw her.
We were in one of those huge shopping strip malls, the kind with a little bit of everything and somehow no charm at all.
And there she was.
A gorgeous woman. Beautiful clothes. Diamonds. Clearly successful.
Wrapping dough around hot dogs.
Again, nothing wrong with that business.
But her face.
She looked like the money might have been there, but the joy had packed a bag and left.
And I thought, oh no.
That is what I am afraid of.
Not work. I know work.
I was afraid of building something that did not feel like home.
So Brugos became something else.
Real plates. Real glasses. Linen napkins. Music. Warm light. Proper cocktails. Family sauce. Garlic bread. Hand-tossed pizza. Pasta. People who know your name.
Basically, I accidentally built a little Cave Creek Italian supper club inside a pizza restaurant.
Which sounds more elegant than it probably looked at the time.
There was a lot of “Troy, are we crazy?” involved.
Wine Night feels right here because this is what I wanted.
A good glass. A real dinner. Pat at the bar. Chicken Marsala coming out of the kitchen. People settling in instead of rushing out.
The room. The music. The good pour. The happy chaos.
A little like Thanksgiving, if Thanksgiving had reservations, garlic bread, half-off wine, and someone named Pat who already knows half the room by name.
And yes, over the years, people have tried to copy little pieces of it.
That is okay.
Brugos is Brugos.
People can copy a pizza. They cannot copy the room.
It is the regulars who become family.
It is the new people we hope feel at home before they even find their chair.
It is the staff trying to keep up with me while I try to make sure everyone feels cared for.
Food is my love language.
Always has been.
It is love, garlic bread, muscle memory, and mild panic.
So yes, I am grateful I saw the hot dog lady that day almost 20 years ago.
Funny how one little moment can change the whole direction of your life.
I still think about her. I hope she found her joy. I really do. Because if you cannot find some love in what you do every day, I do not know how you keep going for almost 20 years.
That day made me sure of one thing.
I did not want to build just a paycheck.
I wanted to build a place I loved walking into.
And somehow, with wine glasses, garlic bread, Chicken Marsala, happy chaos, Pat at the bar, Shannon on the floor, and me doing my little ATC scan of the room… that is exactly what Brugos became.
And yes, if you see me looking around the room like an air traffic controller, I am.
And I’m fine.
Probably.
I’m just doing my little scan.
Tables good?
Door good?
Phone ringing?
No, Pat has it. Of course Pat has it.
Food coming out?
Faces happy?
And dear Lord, are those very expensive crystal wine glasses polished? Because I will see a water spot from across the room like a hawk in readers.
They have to sparkle.
And please, nobody break one tonight.
Dearest Pat, you know who I am talking about. Amen.
Tonight’s special is Chicken Marsala. Have it over pasta or fresh spinach with delicate fresh mushrooms, warm Marsala sauce, and our pretty famous garlic bread.
Wine Night is dine-in only, 4 to close, with half off bottles and glasses restaurant-wide.
$8.50 Happy Hour at the bar is 4 to 6.
Walk-ins are welcome. Reservations are smart. Call starting at 4 for takeout or Take-N-Bake.
Easy parking in Stagecoach Village, beautiful drive from Carefree and North Scottsdale, and no grocery store parking lot drama.
Tonight’s plan: Wine Night, Chicken Marsala, Pat at the bar, Shannon on the floor, and our little Cave Creek supper club doing what we do.
And somewhere out there, I really do hope the hot dog lady is happy.
But here? No hot dogs. No fluorescent lights. No soda machine giving me attitude.
I know who I am.
Reservations: https://www.opentable.com/r/brugos-italian-bistro-cave-creek
Menu: https://www.brugospizza.net/menu.html
Call starting at 4: (480) 575-3044
See you tonight.
Ciao!
