Pizzeria Pulcinella - (206) 772-6861

dined there last friday night. we sat at the bar, which provided a great view of the pizza oven. we were amazed at the speed! did you know that it only takes 90 seconds to cook the pizza? we had the Capri. the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce was delicious! pizza was followed by their dessert pizza - Il Segreto di Pulcinella - a "secret" combination of marscapone, espresso and coffee liqueur spread expertly on a pizza skin and then baked. yum! we'll be back.

Pulcinella is so seriously committed to great pizza that they imported their enormous wood-fired stone pizza oven from Naples! The oven is the centerpiece of the restaurant, blending in perfectly with the decor. I'd describe the atmosphere as friendly, upscale and good for either a group outing or a romantic dinner. The pizza is incredibly good. I remember waiting for three hours to eat at Sally’s Apizza (in New Haven, CT) and being blown away at the ever-so-slightly burned, perfectly chewy yet crisp crust. I’m thrilled to report that Pizzeria Pulcinella is even better! The flour and the tomatoes are imported from Italy, everything else is local and the quality of the ingredients really makes this pizza excellent. This is a family affair. We had a chance to talk to Vince, the owner, and learned that his family has owned a local Italian restaurant since the 50’s. VInce’s wife, Carla, was our hostess and their daughter, Gabriela, was our waitress. The love they’re pouring into Pulcinella comes out in the entire experience of going to this restaurant. I’d strongly recommend going, enjoy it when you do!

We have been to Pulcinella now at least 5 times, but this time we invited friends along. The location is a bit offbeat, but once one steps inside, the high ceilings, old tavern benches mixed with beautiful decor and amazing view of the wood burning oven takes you to another place. Perhaps a restaurant in Naples?? The service was as always fantastic, even thought the place was once again packed (on a Saturday night I highly recommend making reservations) but we were lacking for nothing. The food was delicious and very nicely presented. We ordered two salads to share, which the waitress had split for us. The bread is extremely fresh and has a lovely pesto topping. We ordered four pizzas, two Sorrentos, one Pompeii and one Capri. They arrived smoking hot, bubbling with goodness and as always tasted like a little slice of heaven. The owner Vince stopped by to make sure we were all taken care of and so did Osmon the chef. The pizzas are cooked in this incredible oven that cooks the pies in 90 seconds or less. The flavor that this creates is just amazing. Even though we were fairly stuffed we had to order dessert. Our friend Mark ordered the Spumante and loved it. The three of us shared an "Il Secreto", Pulcinella's dessert pizza. This is one of those desserts that makes you want to lick the plate and make sure you leave no drop behind. A place that is always busy, were service is never lacking and the food is consistently fantastic is my kind of place. Mille Grazie! p.s. cosi si mangia la pizza a Napoli ;-)