Delancey
You may have read about the emotionally straining opening of this Ballard pizzeria in Molly Wizenberg’s revealing memoir Delancey: A Man, a Woman, a Restaurant, a Marriage. The author paints her husband, Brandon Pettit, as a serial obsessive with a hard time following through—until, luckily for us, his focus landed on wood-fired pizza and he created this place. Now it’s the model for pizza excellence in town. Bright, simple, down-to-earth decor lets you focus on your pie. Make it a comparative study if you can: Order one cheese pizza—say, the Brooklyn—to fully savor the perfect blend of salty Grana Padano and melty mozzarella, but also get a cheese-free version, like the anchovy-tomato Romano, to better contemplate the flavor of the thin crust, dappled just so with oven blisters. Delancey’s big, crunchy romaine salad is the perfect quencher for a mouthful of screaming-hot pizza. Pettit just opened Dino’s on Capitol Hill, specializing in square pizza served with a certain Jersey nostalgia that you may not even know you have. (See the vintage website for a taste.)
PRO TIP: Reservations are for parties of six or more only; otherwise, sip something at the couple’s fine next-door bar, Essex, while you wait.
THE DETAILS: Closed Mondays.
