Emerald City's East Coast Pie

We didn't quite know what we were in for when we visited one of Seattle's top rated pizza joints. Usually a lot of hype sets me up for a major disappointment. Ballard neighborhood's Delancey is a wood-fired pizza place that (on most weekends) has people lined up outside and sometimes waiting an hour for a table. We arrived on a Saturday around 6:00 p.m. and waited to be seated for only 15 minutes, which allowed us to have a drink with friends at a small table near the entrance. They have an area for outside seating, and you would think that in June they would have tables set up, but it hasn't exactly been speedo weather yet in Seattle. 

I figured the pizza would be decent, but nothing prepared me for phenomenal pies that were just as good as some of the best in New York City. I was actually in shock after the first bite. We started with the Sausage, which was ultra tasty with lots of fennel seed -- exactly the kind of Italian sausage that I love on pizza. The crust was near perfection -- nice and charred, crispy and chewy -- and the cheese-to-sauce ratio was as it should be. 

Next up, we ordered a Margherita -- with homemade coppa -- and a Hot Salami. Each of them tasted like a good! I couldn't even say which was my favorite, but Regan loved the Hot Salami. Delancey uses great ingredients, and I'm sure every pizza combination could make you weep with joy. This was the best pizza I've ever had outside of New York City. It even reminded me of my all time favorite, John's of Bleecker Street (the legendary coal-fired brick oven pizza that I talked about in my NY pizza post). It turns out that the owner of Delancey, Brandon Pettit, is from Brooklyn and frequented DiFara and John's. (The co-owner is Brandon's wife, author Molly Wizenberg, who writes the popular food blog Orangette.) His love for these places is apparent, and his attempt to recreate that love is so successful that if Delancey was in New York City, it would be right at home. Those of us in Seattle are lucky as pie to have a slice of East coast perfection in our Emerald City.  

Between four of us, we shared three pizzas, and it was plenty. We definitely wouldn't have left hungry if we had only split two. This is one of our new favorites, and I really can't wait to go back. If you've never been to New York, and you live in Seattle, trust me -- this is the real deal! Unfortunately, if you want delivery pizza, Delancey is dine-in only. For a home slice, I recommend Pagliacci. It really is the best delivery you will ever get. Try the Parma Primo! They use high quality ingredients, including Salumi products on several pies. Next week, we head to Rome for another slice! Ciao!