It’s hard to find; if you’re travelling from downtown one’s likely to drive right past it. Coming down off Capitol Hill, don’t blink or you’ll miss it. Il Forno is tucked into a wedge shaped building off Olive Way with only a sandwich board outside their door to announce their presence to the road. I was hoping this was because it was a hidden treasure, however, I was to find out differently.

Chef Boyardee, a name I’ve used too often in my reviews of Seattle pizza but, and perhaps this is my palate, an apt description. While I’ve used this moniker before to describe elements of a pizza, at Il Forno, it encompasses the whole of my Il Forno Original ($9.95). Let’s start with the crust; pale and anemic, it was more like thin bread dough without the compliment of crispiness. Nearly flavorless I can liken it only to those breadsticks you get at a national chain pizza place, only thinner. The sauce was the best part of the pie. While it tasted as though it came from a can it was at least spruced up with a bit of garlic flavor. As a matter of fact the distinct aroma of garlic wafted freely into the air as the pizza cooled gently on the wire rack that accompanied my table. As for the cheese, well, while it make look golden and delicious in the photos it quickly turned to rubber after a couple of bites. Fairly generic, and awfully greasy, it turned into yet another disappointment for my meal.

Let’s not rule out Il Forno just yet. After all, this was just one meal of one pizza; there were other menu items to be had. But don’t expect a return in the near future. With something as simple as a cheese pizza being such a disappointment I’m more than a bit gun-shy.

While some may not think that three restaurants qualify as an in-depth review of pizza delivery for my so-called Delivery Pizza Week, I challenge anyone to eat five pizzas over a six day time period and not get tired of cheese and sauce. I’m sure there are some people here in Seattle who could easily eat pizza every day of the week but dear reader; I’m not one of them. So I decided upon one more restaurant that was within my zone of delivery, Pudge Bros. Pizza. For an overall ranking of all three pizza places; scroll down the page.

I called in for the New York, New York ($10.99/Small [10″], $13.99/Medium [12″], $17.99/Large [14″], $21.99/Xtra-Large [18″]) to keep this tasting simple. With a short list of just four toppings I was reminded of a sausage grinder when I placed my order. In fact, when the pizza arrived, the sausage consisted of sliced link Italian sausage. Mild in pork flavor but juicy and bursting with fennel and spices the meat could easily have stood on its own. The vegetables were julienne thin, retained their crunch and were amply provided. An extra cheesy pie, the thick layer of creamy, mild mozzarella tended to not want to separate from other slices, pulling cheese and toppings away from its neighbors. Sauced liberally, the tomato base tasted of canned tomato paste. Though zesty and slightly spicy it was overly thick and a little off-putting. As for the crust, it suffered from Jekyll & Hyde syndrome. Near the center it was soggy and doughy while out closer to the edge it was lightly crispy with a slightly chewy, pillow-like interior - close to perfect for me. It was just a shame the whole crust couldn’t have had that texture.

So what have I learned during Delivery Pizza Week (Our “Delivery Pizza Week and a Half” if you will)? Here is my breakdown of the three local pizza deliveries I sampled, in recommended order:

1) Pudge Bros. Pizza, Pagliacci Pizza (Tie)
This was a tough one as both places had positives and negatives. Pudge brothers had soggy crust closer to the center of the pie while the “butt-end” had what I consider to be very good crust - crunchy exterior, pillow-y interior and a slight chew to it without my feeling as though I’m chewy bubble gum. The toppings were plentiful and fresh while the sauce tasted canned. The cheese was creamy and slightly sweet as what I’d expect mozzarella to be though it was a tad stringy. Pagliacci’s cheese on the other hand, to me, was a negative. With a splotchy texture and overly nutty flavor it just wasn’t what I think of when I imagine pizza cheese. But on the plus side, the crust was pretty good and I think it could easily stand up against shops like Via Tribunali and Tutta Bella. Likewise the sauce was fresh, a little sweet, a little tart, like I’d expect from restaurant pizza. Between these two I think an individual can find something that they’d enjoy in the way of delivery pizza. In the end, I felt they both came in neck-and-neck.

2) Zeeks Pizza
The pizza from Zeeks has been re-classified in my book as a good stand-by. From pale, meek dough to ho-hum toppings and an expensive price tag, this is a spot that I would call if the delivery times are long for one of the above two.

There are a lot of options when it comes to pizza delivery in Seattle. From national and local chains to mom and pops, everyone has their favorites that they are loyal to. Hopefully this past week has been helpful in making a decision on where to turn for a pizza, delivered to one’s home, which straddles the line between artisan-style pizzeria and fast food chain. The truest answer to what to order, pizza-wise, is to ask yourself what you are looking for. Is it great, crisp crust, complex sauce or mild, fresh mozzarella? If the answer is that all three need to be perfect, you may need to go to a sit-down restaurant. But if you’ve open to two out of three, and you want the convenience of eating your pie in track pants and a ratty t-shirt, then there are delivery options awaiting you.

There are so many different ways, styles if you will, of making pizza; from Neapolitan, Sicilian, New York, California and even French, with their pissaladiere. I personally grew up eating two styles, New York(ish) and, when visiting my dad’s side of the family, Chef Boyardee box pizza. Don’t get me wrong, that branch of my family can cook. Grandpa was one inventive cook and made many a family dinner worth making a reservation for today. But one thing none of my family could ever quite master was bread making; so pizza dough was resigned to what could be made from a mix. The reason for this history lesson about my family has to do with the recent pizza delivery I had from Pagliacci Pizza. No, the dough didn’t taste as though it came from a box but the cheese, well, the cheese hit a definite note in my memory of pizza from a time long since passed.

I ordered two pizzas from Pagliacci, The Original ($8.99/Small [11″], $12.49/Medium [13″], $14.99/Large [17″]) and a Salumi’s Spicy Pepperoni ($12.99/Small [11″], $16.49/Medium [13″], $18.99/Large [17″]). I was reminded, upon opening both boxes, of the cheese pizzas that my family would produce from their Chef Boyardee boxes. The mottled texture, the slightly orange, butter fat layer of grease that comes from a finely grated, drier texture cheese. I bit into The Original first, the crust a nice contrast between chewy (Not rubbery) and crunchy. While, again, not a wood oven fired crust this pizza had that combination of crispness and pliability for folding which is most often found in New York style pizzas. The sauce was plentiful, fresh tasting, sweet and just a little tangy with hints of basil here and there. The cheese though was not what I was expecting; it tasted like the cheese that used to come in the boxed pizza kits. While I was hoping for a mild, smooth and slightly sweet mozzarella what I actually got was drier with a nutty flavor. While I don’t think Pagliacci uses powdered boxed cheese they definitely are using a cheese blend that includes something other than mozzarella. If I had to venture a guess I’d say it is a heavy dose of Parmesan or Pecorino.

The Salumi’s Spicy Pepperoni was virtually the same pizza with the exception of thinly sliced (Shaved) rounds of fresh pepperoni scattered across the small surface area of the pizza. The meat topping was rich with pork flavor and hints of fresh spice and a slightly vinegary undertone that just flitted on the tip of the tongue. After getting through a bite or two though is when one experiences the heat. Not heavy-handed but spicy and piquant enough to let you know that you are indeed eating spicy sausage.

If I had to sum up Pagliacci Pizza in one word it would be unique, much like the city of Seattle itself. While many of the elements of the pizzas I tried from Pagliacci can be found in other cities, in other forms and in different venues; Pagliacci has found a way to bring them together as a whole. I won’t say that I disliked my recent pizza experience with them but for me, when it comes to pizza, they just don’t have what I’m looking for. Though if I’m looking to reminisce about my childhood, and I need something to kick start my memories, then Pagliacci might be the place for me to turn to.

November is an unusual month for me. The time changes, light fades, the birthday rolls around and, of course, there’s Thanksgiving. With so many changes in one thirty day time period I find myself neglecting things that normally are a major part of my day-to-day routine, like eating out (And updating this website). As I downshift into “Winter Mode” and begin to plan for happenings during the holiday months I tend to crave easily made, home cooked meals and whatever I can have delivered to my house. As Thanksgiving faded away the last thing I wanted to think about was cooking, and with shopping, college and professional football playoffs and winter get-togethers on the horizon, I felt I should put together reviews of a delivery food that is near and dear to most people’s hearts - pizza. So welcome to delivery pizza week.

Pizza week, most likely, will be broken into several different review weeks over the next year but for now, we’ll look at three or four of the most common Seattle pizza delivery institutions. As for national chain pizza places, well, they have their own marketing departments and I’m sure you all know what to expect from them so they won’t be included here. The first review on the block is Zeeks Pizza. Zeeks has come to be my delivery pizza standard, primarily since it was the first place I ordered a pizza from when I moved to Seattle. Much of my loyalty to Zeeks has to do with the fact that I can place an order completely online. No waiting for someone to answer a phone, no misheard order and no being placed on hold. One can go to their website, design your own pizza, order salads or request one of their specialty pies.

So it was I decided to place an order for a Puget Pounder ($18.25/Medium [12″], $20.95/Large [16″]) and a Grand Salami ($18.25/Medium [12″], $20.95/Large [16″]). The pizzas arrived within thirty minutes and after spending a few minutes taking some glamour shots I dove into the Grand Salami. The first thing I noticed was the slightly tart, vinegar-y, piquant-ness of the pepperoncini slices which gave a nice counterpoint to the slightly sweet mozzarella cheese. The salami was mild in flavor and a bit drier than I would have liked. Perhaps it could be placed beneath the cheese to allow the butter fats to give it some moisture. As for the roasted red peppers, either the slices need to be larger or they should just be omitted altogether as they lent nothing to the overall pizza. As for the standard elements of the pizza, the crust and sauce: the crust was chewy and rubber-like with little in the way of golden-brown deliciousness and the sauce was meek. This is definitely cooked-in-a-metal-pan, delivery pizza.

For the Puget Pounder the crust had the same deficiencies but the sauce had a bit more bite, a little bit spicier. This may have also been due to the pepperoni topping; plentiful, moist and meaty tasting. The Canadian bacon left much to be desired though, the texture was rubbery and fake with little flavor present. Italian sausage also made an appearance on the pizza with sweet, fennel-spiced bits dotting the each slice here and there. Of additional mention were mushrooms and olives. Worth mentioning as they were larger pieces than one gets from most pizza places yet not flavorful enough to rate any further review than just a mention.

As I sit here writing this and reviewing my impression I wonder, as I’m sure you do dear reader, why I’ve stayed with Zeeks for so long. Well, I recognize that the pizza is not Via Tribunali nor is it a Tutta Bella. But for a delivery pie it’s not bad (Though it is quite expensive for the level of quality). Hosting a group for a big game? Having a few beers while playing poker? In the middle of scary-movie-thon? Then this would be good pizza for those events. Just remember to choose toppings wisely and stick with the traditional ones for the best flavors.

Yesterday was the last day of summer. Maybe not officially, but as I look out my window this morning, at the light rain falling across Seattle, and the weather forecast calling for much of the same over the next ten days, I think it’s safe to say, “Summer is over”. While I enjoy the misty, overcast days of the Pacific Northwest I will miss the past few months of warm nights with their lasting sunshine. But I was able to take advantage of the “last day of summer” by visiting an Italian restaurant that has been on my list for some time. The restaurant that I refer to is Bizzarro Italian Cafe in Wallingford.

I was a little hesitant about Bizzarro initially and it had everything to do with the name. Yes, I know the old saying - Don’t judge a book by its cover. Bizzarro though is not the first word that comes to mind when I think about quality Italian cuisine. After stepping through the door, it was quite apparent to me that Bizzarro is an apt name. Like a TGI Fridays on acid, objects hung off the walls and ceilings here and there and everywhere. From old-master style oil paintings to lighted signs to the numerous chandeliers and mismatched furniture the dining room is well-suited for those with A.D.D. To match the decor the staff has their own quirkiness but not so much that it interferes with their professionalism. Service was quick, attentive and I never found myself looking around searching for someone to help me with drinks or an order item.

I started with an order of Prawns alla Bizzarro ($9.95) which arrived as large, plump shrimp swimming in a buttery, spicy broth. Just a tad overcooked the prawns were firm, offering some resistance to the knife, but still retaining a bit of their ocean saltiness. This reminder of the sea played well with the sliced rings of red pepper and the slight sour notes from the brine that the peppers had been sitting in. While the peppers added heat it was not a “in your face” heat but rather a lingering prickliness that danced on the back of the tongue after each bite. The thin, broth-like sauce had something of a buttery richness with herbal undertones but was more like a soup in its consistency. Every last drop of which was sopped up by the slices of rosemary bread that were presented when I was seated.

For the main course I selected the Bolognese ($14.95), a large plate of ribbon pasta coated in a rich meat sauce and topped with a more than generous portion of grated cheese. The sauce was smoky and meaty with bits of slow cooked beef, pork and bits of bacon here and there. By itself it would have been overpowering but when tossed with the pasta, with its fresh made, tender goodness, it became more of a partner to the dish than a lone star. Each bite of this combination was bound together by a layer of cheese that quite easily could rival that of a lasagna layer. In fact, the entire entree could easily have masqueraded as an overly generous portion of lasagna. While I hate to admit that any one dish is more than my eating prowess could handle, the bolognese proved too much for me to handle. I surrendered after getting through only half of what was placed before me.

With my hunger sated I sat back in my chair with the last of a glass of wine; enjoying the daylight streaming in through the wall of windows that makes up the front of the restaurant. It is hard to imagine a similar experience now that the weather has changed. For one the warm breezes flowing in from the upper windows will be gone, the sunlight replaced with grey haze. But what will remain is the no nonsense Italian cooking in a nonsense environment. Summer may be gone but Bizzarro remains for our dining pleasures.