(belltownpizza.net) – Belltown, Seattle, Washington

How I heard of this place: Every day, since moving to our first apartment together in Seattle, we walk by Belltown Pizza; and everyday, we are hypnotized by the gorgeous aroma of freshly baked pizza. Each day we exchange an eye-closed inhale and a smile upon exhale, making a note to – someday – partake of a warm, thin-crust slice. Our first excuse: visiting friends from Edmonds, hungry and ready for a little walk!

Type of cuisine: “Belltown Pizza first opened in 1998 as a 500 square foot, six stool bar. It began as an original concept of high-quality food specializing in New York-style pizza combined with hard liquor as an option to the usual beer and wine service. Our new Game Room is now home to 3 Classic Pinball Machines, Skee-Ball, and Big Buck Hunter! Come play with us!  We open at 4:00 pm on weekdays, 11:30am on weekends, and are open until 2:00 am – 7 nights a week, 362 days a year. Come on in, and enjoy a great eclectic crowd, and slices of pizza until 2AM – EVERY DAY!”

Ambiance: A long rectangular shaped establishment, one walks in to a whack of cheesy, doughy, delicious smells wafting forth from the slice order window. Booths immediately available to the right, along the street-facing windows, the bar and its Seahawks fans to the left, the red walls, exuberant cheers and cups clinking “salut!” welcome patrons through as they enter.

What I ordered: Among the four of adults and the one-year-old, we shared an order of the Hummus Plate ($7.99) and the large Fire in Belltown ($22), with roasted red peppers, fresh garlic, red onion on a spicy red sauce.

What I loved: Thin crust! The oil-drenched feta a nice, tangy addition to our hummus plate. And everything is just as good cold!

Why I loved it: The pizza is as good as it smells, it’s only two blocks away, and the energy of the 12th man ever present.

Cost: Average to high ($14 – $25 per pie)

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