Tutta Bella Pizzeria -- Seattle

[james]

Tutta Bella Pizzeria is a VPN certified pizzeria in Seattle. They have two restaurants, and work hard to keep their ovens around 800F, despite the fact that they use (so far) U.S.-made pizza ovens. Those ovens need a lot of wood to keep hot.

Tutta Bella uses Caputo 00 flour and San Marzano DOP tomatoes, and our pizza peels.

I haven't eaten there (sadly), and look forward to hearing reviews.
James

[PizzaPolice]

Re: Tutta Bella Pizzeria -- Seattle

We paid a visit to Tutta Bella in Seattle last week. We were a party of 12 or so. I immediately started taking pictures. Chef Brian came over. I blurted out that I was a pizza geek and showed him the big forearm burn from my wood oven. He knowingly nodded his head as this must happen all the time. Although the beautiful restaurant was very busy, Brian took the time to show me around and answer questions. I spotted the Caputo and DOP tomatoes which are stored on racks near the dining area. Drool...ensued. (In the pic, that's Brian on the left.)
He comped us a pizza and promised a parting gift if I would honestly give him my opinion of his pizza. Although my camera settings were off, You can get the idea of what the pizza looks like. The taste was phenomenal! Just the thinnest of perfectly baked outer crust that jealously guards the soft, cloud like cavernous interior. The toppings were delicious and perfectly balanced with the crust. After eating three bites, I learned more than I have after burning through several bags of Caputo on my own. Brian cheerfully shared his knowledge of pizza but wouldn't budge on proprietary information. Hey, I wouldn't either, but you gotta try.
I know there is so much discussion of what constitutes a REAL Neapolitan pizza oven. So many variables. In the case of Tutta Bella, I think they know their ovens intimately and use them to create the most heavenly experience you'll find ANYWHERE.
More pics - next post.

[PizzaPolice]

Re: Tutta Bella Pizzeria -- Seattle

Here's some more.

[maver]

Re: Tutta Bella Pizzeria -- Seattle

I've eaten a few times at one of their restaurants before I finished my oven - the one on Aurora (Hwy 99). I really enjoyed their pizza with tomato, arugula, and shaved parm on top. It's a fun family environment and quite inexpensive for the quality. I do think the crust could be a little crisper - the times I was there a slice was a two handed eating process. I think James is right that they struggle to maintain the proper pizza temperatures with those ovens. They had two in use (I believe one for pizza and the other for roasting), and I liked that each had a proper name posted above the oven. Definitely a good place to stop in for a nice pizza if you are in the area, but for me not a destination.