Giada De Laurentiis is leaning into her family history at Luna by Giada, the Italian spot inside Caesars Republic Scottsdale, using menu staples and a slate of events as a personal homage. The dining room pairs lemon-focused signatures with a touch of theater, from a lemon pizza and a Signature Lemon Spaghetti to a pasta cart service folded into this spring's programming. For locals, the pitch is a hotel restaurant that aims to feel like Giada’s family table, loaded with lemon and a side of showmanship.
In an interview with 12News, De Laurentiis said Luna was designed as a tribute to her grandmother, and that the menu’s lemon dishes tie directly back to family recipes. She also told the outlet that her daughter, Jade, is heading off to college, a life shift that has made the Scottsdale project feel particularly meaningful to her.
Set on the first floor of Caesars Republic Scottsdale, Luna opened alongside the hotel as one of two Giada-branded concepts and helped anchor the property’s dining rollout when the resort debuted. Caesars Entertainment framed the concepts as a way to bring Giada’s Roman-California cooking to both Scottsdale visitors and locals.
The restaurant’s menu puts Giada’s lemon staples front and center: a Lemon Pizza shares the pizza section with a Signature Margherita, and a Signature Lemon Spaghetti sits among the house-made pastas. Luna By Giada's menu also leans into citrus desserts and cocktails, while the venue’s events calendar lists a pasta wheel and pasta station alongside a series of spring wine dinners. Early local coverage noted the lemon focus and reported that the team made service and kitchen adjustments after opening-week hiccups, according to AZFamily.
Reception so far has been mixed: some diners have praised the food and the design, while others have grumbled about price and inconsistent service. Coverage of the restaurant’s mixed early buzz captured that split in the weeks after the opening, and the Phoenix New Times weighed in as well.
Family roots and pasta pedigree
De Laurentiis was born in Rome and often describes a childhood built around food: her great-grandparents ran a pasta factory near Naples, and her grandfather later built a career in both film and food. An episode of her show that visits the family’s pasta operation, along with biographical profiles, documents that lineage and the way it shaped her cooking. Food Network and biographical entries note those roots, which she has cited as inspiration for Luna’s emphasis on handmade pasta and simple, citrus-forward flavors.
What’s next for the brand
Giada’s restaurant expansion is not stopping in Arizona. PENN Entertainment has announced that Sorella by Giada will be part of the new Hollywood Casino Aurora when the property opens June 24, 2026. PENN’s press release presents the upcoming Chicago-area venue as another step in the chef’s growing national footprint.
Luna, meanwhile, is booking ticketed tastings and seasonal events intended to keep the concept evolving. The restaurant’s calendar currently lists a “Giada’s Grand Tasting” and a Mother’s Day brunch that features a pasta station. Luna's events page has details on upcoming dinners and reservations as the kitchen settles into its second season.
