JOHN LOK / THE SEATTLE TIMES
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Nov. 18, 2004 Pizza love
Once you leave college and begin caring about what you eat, the old saw "Even when pizza is bad, it's still pretty good" no longer holds true. It takes a special kind of place to make a pie that's so good to the palate that you forget about what it's doing to your midsection, and a few Seattle establishments have that gift.
All-Purpose Pizza
(Mount Baker/Leschi)
While the space itself is stark, the pizzas served at All-Purpose are anything but minimalist -- you can get them loaded with prosciutto, arugula, gorgonzola, ricotta and much more. And their sandwiches are big, saucy, messy -- and delicious.
Cafe Lago
(University/Montlake)
At chef-owner Jordi Viladas' venerable Montlake trattoria, you can enjoy a martini as a precursor to a deftly grilled New York steak, order from a brief, intensely annotated wine list, deliberate the merits of Jordi's fabled lasagna versus his gnocchi and finish with homemade vanilla ice cream.
La Vita e Bella Cafe and Pizzeria
(Belltown)
The café offers memorable pasta, panini and daily specials while the adjoining pizzeria features 20 thin-crusted uncut pizzas and some seriously delicious seafood starters.
Madame K's
(Ballard/Crown Hill)
A fun, intimate courtyard in back is surrounded by green trees and other funky knickknacks. We like the thin-crust sausage pesto pizza and the mac 'n' cheese, and the fruit-filled sangria is something else.
Michael's Pizza
(Capitol Hill)
The service at Michael's may be spotty, but all is forgiven when the pizza arrives: The crust is dense and tangy-sweet, and the toppings piled on top make for big bursts of flavor.
A New York Pizza Place
(Maple Leaf)
The pizzas have thin, crisp crusts topped with quality ingredients, and you'll also find calzones, heros, salads and spaghetti with marinara or meatballs here.
Northlake Tavern & Pizza House
(University/Montlake)
The atmosphere is that of a sports bar first and a pizzeria second, but nonetheless Northlake is worth checking out for all the tasty toppings it literally heaps onto its pies.
Pagliacci Pizza (Capitol Hill)
(Capitol Hill)
Pretty much Seattle's number-one delivery outfit, Pagliacci offers a selection of sauces and toppings that make for a pretty darn good pizza. Don't forget to order some Gelatiamo gelato too.
Piecora's Original New York Pizza & Pasta (Capitol Hill)
(Capitol Hill)
Here you'll get some real New York flavor served up with your pepperoni pie.
Serious Pie
(Downtown)
Here you'll pay big(ger) bucks for pizza made with precious ingredients, like the pie with house-cured pancetta, Penn Cove clams and fresh lemon-thyme, and for starters like prosciutto, sliced-to-order. Serious pleasures, all.
Snoose Junction Pizzeria
(Ballard/Crown Hill)
Pizza, with a spunky sauce and top-notch toppings, is the crux of the menu at this Italian joint in Ballard. Toddler toys, pinball machines, a digital jukebox and two TVs make the place lively.
Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria
(Columbia City/Rainier Valley)
Joe Fugere studied in Naples to become a certified "pizzaiolo" (pizza-maker). You can taste the intensity of his education in every one of Tutta Bella's delicious wood-fired pizzas.
Via Tribunali
(Capitol Hill)
This Neapolitan-style pizzeria and hipster's bar features a wood-fired oven where a passionate Neapolitan pizzaiola churns out pizza Margherita, Marinara and Napoletana.
Wallingford Pizza House
(Wallingford)
The Chicago-style "dome" pizzas served here are loaded with enough cheese to keep everyone happily chewing for hours.
Zagi's Pizza Ristorante
(Ballard/Crown Hill)
Zagi's Pizza Ristorante in Ballard gets pizza right: crispy, blistered and nicely bready, and featuring organic ingredients such as imported tomatoes and Cascioppo sausages. Beyond pies, there are calzones, pastas and huge salads.
Zayda Buddy's Pizza
(Ballard/Crown Hill)
Ballard's only Minnesota-style pizzeria serves a pretty decent slice, with paper-thin crust and generous toppings. They don't go overboard on the cheese, and the slices are tender; you can easily cut them with a fork, if that's your thing. There's also Midwest comfort food and lots of beer.
Dependable, no-nonsense pizza. It's not the best pizza you'll ever have in your life, but it is good enough to make pizza from national chains taste like tomato-smeared cardboard. |
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