Via Tribunali

When you order a prosciutto pizza, specify that it’s “cotto”. We were very disappointed to find our pizza cooked with regular ham (prosciutto “crudo”) :S

A quirky thing from this place: they give you scissors to slice your pizza!

The first and last time I went to this place, the wait was over 90 minutes. The pizza was just so-so, not as good as Tutta Bela, and definitely not worth the wait.

I went here a while ago. I was the first in my party to arrive, so I put our name on the list and was told it was going to be about 20 minutes total. One hour and thirty minutes later, after rude host comments, his friends being sat before us, and watching a poor old couple wait even longer (they were there before our party) than us, looking as though they were about to collapse, we finally left to go eat Indian food. I had been told good things about the food here, however, across the board I have heard the service has been consistently awful. I don’t know about everyone else, but for me, a night out means good food, and GREAT service. I want to feel welcome, and at Via Trubunali I did not. There are so many great restaurants in Seattle, and so many great servers, I will not waste my time going back here, despite how close I live. Also, recently I read the citysearch reviews on this place. Very interesting…..all I can say, is that I hope the manager is reading these reviews and taking the hint. Kindness is one of the keys to a successful business, and personally I’d rather eat a pizza that might not be as good rather than be treated like some of the reviews I’ve read.

The food: Always great…it’s about the pizza, fresh ingredients, subtlety and restraint. Think salami, prosciutto, hearty little pepperoni disks, sea salt, arugula, etc.

The service: I’ve had mostly good, one bad and a couple of flat experiences. It’s Capitol Hill, you’re bound to get cool hipster ‘service’. My boyfriend and I try to sit at the bar, if it’s just the two of us, as the bartenders have all been really cool and there’s a big olive tray up there.

The environ: This place stays hoppin’ so go early or expect to wait a little. I think it’s pretty romantic…dimly lit and intimate. The music is of Dean Martin variety, however one time we were seated right under the speaker blaring the Italian equivalent of bad pop music (booth adjoining the server-station), never again!!

Of the dozen or more times I’ve eaten here, everyone we’ve taken has loved it and I’ve only ever had the one bad service night (The hipster boy who is too cool to wait tables should really get another job).

A couple of tips: The menu is entirely in Italian (I love that they haven’t given in to translating it yet!), not all the salads have greens so ask! The espresso/gelato dessert is amazing!!

I used to live in Northern Italy, and can say with some confidence that Via Tribunali gets it right in so many ways. Via Tribunali is one of the only pizzerias outside of Italy to have the “Vera Pizza Napoletana” certification.

The Vera Pizza Napoletana Guidelines are:

1. A Wood-Burning Oven:

Pizza Napoletana must be cooked in a wood-fired dome oven. Gas, coal or electric ovens, while capable of produce wonderful pizza, do not conform to the Pizza Napoletana tradition.

2. Proper Ingredients:

Tipo 00 flour, San Marzano (plum) tomatoes, all natural fior-di-latte or bufala mozzarella, fresh basil, salt and yeast. Only fresh, all-natural, non-processed ingredients are acceptable.

3. Proper Technique:

Pizza dough kneaded either by hand, or with a low speed mixer. No mechanical dough shaping, such as a dough press or rolling pin, and proper pizza preparation. Pizza baking time should not exceed 90 seconds.

4. Proper Equipment:

A proper work surface (usually a marble slab) and a wood-fired oven operating at roughly 800F.

5. The Final Product, Pizza Napoletana:

Pizza Napoletana is not larger than 14 with a raised edge crust and thin (.11 inch) center. The pizza should be soft and elastic, and easily foldable, not hard or brittle.

The thin crust, menu listed in Italian, brick walls, poor light, yellow glassed wood light fixtures, and close quarters help me to forget that I am in the States. Now if everyone would stop speaking English it would be perfect….

To speak to some other’s complaints: You do have to wait and it is a little pricey.

As far as the waiting goes it is like when you were a kid at the amusement park and had to wait in that long line. But when you finally got your turn on the log ride you wanted it to last for forever. Be patient, accept the wait and be easy about it; it is worth it. Have a drink at the bar; if you can squeeze in, the martinis are fabulous. Or leave your cell number and see if they will call you when your table is ready. Waltzing into the place and getting seated with only a nod to the host really makes you feel like a rock star.

Via Tribunali is a little pricy, but worth every dime. The house wines are affordable and decent (not great, but drinkable). The salads are delicious, and don’t be afraid to have arugula on a pizza; the leafy bitterness balances the sweetness of the tomato and creamy weight of the cheese.