Lunch; to me it is the most important meal of the day. Oh sure, there are those that claim that breakfast is actually the most important but these are people who’d happily live on eggs, bacon and granola - or “light fare” as I like to call it. Okay, so breakfast does have its merits and there are many good ones out there but I’m not an egg person and I don’t typically get my appetite until at least 10 A.M. For me there is nothing better than sitting down for a mini-dinner at the mid-point of the day. When I worked in Fremont there were wide ranging choices for the midday repast, both within easy walking and driving distance. But for the past year I’ve been working in the suburbia that is North Kirkland and have been relegated to fast food, a run to the local grocery store or a seat at a national feed-bag spot - or so it seemed initially.

As I began to explore more and more of the area around my company’s office complex I started noticing little spots that held, at least potentially, promise. While proximity is still the biggest issue (A good many of these places aren’t within quick walking distance) I’ve decided to see what a short drive could accomplish in the way of a tasty meal. My first stop was at AA Sushi, a kaiten sushi restaurant that reminded me of the sushi lunches I used to enjoy at Blue C Sushi in Fremont. I’m not sure if the owners are former employees of Blue C, ex-partners or just piggy backing off of Blue C’s success by opening a shop in Kirkland but upon walking into the restaurant I noticed similarities that ran deeper than just the moving conveyor belt. For one, the space tries to be industrial chic. Unfortunately they fail to pull this off and the feeling is just cold, like that of a warehouse. Brightly colored art, wall treatments and even the chairs along either end of the belt mimic elements that are found in the kaiten sushi restaurant on the other side of Lake Washington.

But I didn’t come for the ambiance, I only have an hour for lunch and I was starving. “What are they offering on the belt,” I asked myself. For those who are new to conveyor belt sushi I will give a brief explanation. The chef or chefs prepare the sushi at a central location, plating each item on one of three or four different color plates. The colors of the plates represent a price so the more expensive sushi will be on one color while cheaper fare are on others. At AA Sushi the pricing for the plate colors are as follows: Green/$1.50, Yellow/$2.00, Blue/$2.50 and Red/$3.00. My first plate was Yam Tempura Roll ($1.50). The crispy fried tempura batter held tight to the inner roll filling of yam. Providing a nice crunch to a baked potato like texture though did not help the lack of flavor in the yam. This roll could have easily been flavorless expect for the rice. As you continue to read you will see how often I mention the rice. Cooked just right, so that it wasn’t crunchy or mushy, the rice was well seasoned with vinegar giving it a light sweetness that provided some flavor, and as you’ll see, enhanced the flavor of other plates.

My next plate was Salmon Nigiri ($3.00). The fish slices were long and wide but their thickness was relatively thin. Providing this much surface area allowed these two pieces of sushi to be creamy and buttery without a hint of stringy-ness. It also helped that the fish as very fresh and quite flavorful. A bit sweet in its own right the raw salmon had just enough fat content that it almost melted in the mouth.

As I was licking my fingers from the last of the salmon nigiri I spotted what I would later determine was a Kirkland Roll ($3.00). I was a little confused at first because a menu I had read described the Kirkland roll as having spicy tuna along with the tempura shrimp while the roll I choose substituted cucumber for said spicy tuna. But after a quick inquiry I was told it was something new that was being tried for the Kirkland roll. I’m actually glad the substitution was made. While the tempura shrimp was fresh tasting, slightly salty sweet and crunchy the real punch to the roll came from the generous layer of spicy chili sauce that sat atop each slice. The flavors did a little dance on my tongue as I used my chopsticks to tweeze bite after bite into my mouth. Sweet, spicy, chewy and crunchy all had their role in the flavor profile of what I think was the best roll I tried at AA Sushi. And I was thankful for the sweet, not just from the shrimp but also from the rice. That sweetness helped to quell the fire that the chili sauce started.

After such a bold choice of plates I turned to something a little tamer, Scallop Nigiri ($2.00). As with the salmon nigiri the scallop was of very good quality. Firm but not dry the scallop was creamy, sweet and fresh. Most times scallops lose a lot of their texture if they are frozen after being caught but based upon what I ate, the sushi chef must have been at the docks early that morning.

Since I missed out on spicy tuna in the Kirkland roll I decided, as a final plate, on a Spicy Tuna Roll ($2.50). One thing that I will say for this place, when they say spicy, they mean it. This is a shame in this case because the spicy sauce totally obliterates the taste of the tuna in the roll. All I could discern was chili sauce, cucumber and that strangely sweet sushi rice. If I had to do it again, I’d go for the tuna nigiri instead.

So with a little over ten dollars worth of sushi in my belly I paid my check and made the dash back to work. While AA Sushi is far from the best in the Seattle area, for a quick sushi lunch it’s not terrible. My main suggestion to anyone going would be to stick with the nigiri as the quality of their raw fish is well above average and be careful of rolls that include spicy sauce. That’s like playing with dynamite that sauce is.

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.