On a Saturday night, after a long hard run, I wanted pizza. The Black Knight had never been to Delancey’s, which some say, is the best pizza place in town. Well, on a Saturday night at 6:30, we were going to find out.
spicy salumi pizza – flavorful with fresh ingredients, but the magic of this pizza is the crust which has a great chewy consistency throughout. IT’s chewy and crunchy, but not so chewy to make your jaw tired and still a little fluffy in the middle. The pillows of fresh mozzarella only highlight the textures of the pizza. The char bubbles on the crust are not my cup of tea, but most people says it adds the bitter dimension and increased texture.
Well, we didn’t actually find out until 8:30, because that’s how busy Delancey is on a weekend, to the point where they were turning away people at 9pm because they had been booked up for the rest of the night. The restaurant is small and I think they like it that way, but I wonder if they could have added a few more tables instead of building the Pantry for cooking lessons. The Pantry is probably a better ROI for margins. That’s neither here nor there though – my point is, you will have to wait at least one hour before you get a seat, so be prepared. The Essex next door is there holding area – bar with some small plates, but I wouldn’t want to spoil my appetite for pizza.
To the real question, is this the best pizza in Seattle and is it worth the two hour wait in the freezing cold for it? It is definitely one of the top contenders, depending on the type of pizza you like. The closest comparison in its class is Serious Pie, but this crust is just a little more delicate than Serious Pie and the ingredients are simpler. There’s any airiness in the crust that no other place has been able to replicate. The toppings are similar to what you’d find at Via Tribinalli, except for they seem more flavorful and brighter. Via Tribinalli has nothing on the fresh mozzarella Delaney uses.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our pizzas. The Black Knight enjoyed his margherita with spicy coppa quite a bit. It’s definitely worth a one hour wait. A two hour wait, after a long hard run, might be pushing it, but I’m glad we did it.
SUMMARY
Overall: happily ever after
Highlights: crust, fresh mozzarella, spicy coppa
Footnotes: an arduous wait given that they don’t take reservations, eat a snack beforehand or grab a drink at the Essex next door – they will call you on your cell phone; if you see the burrata on the menu, you must try it; the shrub is very vinegary – be prepared
