Serious Pie had a lot going for it. We loved our Westlake experience, which was less hustle and bustle, accommodating, and laid back. Unfortunately, Serious Pie also hit a few sour notes. This is the problem with going somewhere that has a reputation that not only precedes it, but precedes it by blocks. And blocks. And blocks. (Because it's a Tom Douglas restaurant)
Let's jump right into it. Serious Pie's duck prosciutto appetizer was phenomenal. Slap your mamma good. Write home about it. The prosciutto was arguably the best I've ever eaten. The beets were nicely done and seasoned, and the pistachios added a delightful crunch.
On the other side, my friend told me the bread soup was under-seasoned and a bit bland - really too bad because it looked so good. Hit, and miss.
The party I was with ordered a number of pizzas amongst the group. If you are a light eater, you might decide to split a pie with a loved one, but generally you need one pie per person. We ordered so many, the waitress got an order wrong. This wouldn't be a problem, if not for how ravenous you are by the time your pizza actually lands in front of you (aka, the wait is a bit long). The waitress thought my friend had ordered a mushroom pizza, which most assuredly she had not because she hates (hate hates) mushrooms. That was boxed, and comped, and her actual order was put in, but it was still 10-15 minutes later until it was delivered. So that was a miss, and then a hit (because I consider this good customer service).
 |
| The Pizza in Question... |
The pizzas were good, some even great. For example, the fennel sausage and soft egg with arugula pizzas were great.
 |
| Delicious Fennel Sausage |
 |
| Delicious Arugula and Over Easy Egg |
The buffalo mozzarella pizza was good.
 |
| Good - Meat added |
The vegetarian offerings, the squash and a pear special, were also good, even very good.
 |
| Special, Squash and Pear - and YES, these ingredients belong on Pizza! |
The Penn Cove clams pizza, however, was only ok. It had a substantial amount of promise, but with the pancetta and clams, along with what seasoning was added, it was almost inedibly-salty. Also, maybe because of the thin crust, maybe because of neglect, a few of the pies had singed sides (read: burnt). This was another round of some hits, and misses.
 |
| Over-salty Clam Miss |
The desserts were all hit. The budino, coconut cream pie, and ice cream were decadent and delicious. I would call in and take just their desserts on the road with me, and I am a savory man, no sweet. In my opinion, this is high praise. My wife still talks about the coconut cream pie...
The final verdict... at the price Serious Pie commands, it must not just be good, or very good, it must be great all the time. You expect orders to be correct, wait time to be reasonable, and dishes to be correctly seasoned. Because of this, I have to say it only merits 3.5 of 5. With proper seasoning and uniform doneness, Serious Pie would sit at a 4, and if everything were as delicious as the prosciutto (about which I still talk and think, and dream), it would be a 5 all the way!
Serous Pie
401 Westlake Avenue North
(206) 436-0050
Seattle, WA 98109
3.5 of 5
The Penn Cove clams pizza, however, was only ok. It had a substantial amount of promise, but with the pancetta and clams, along with what seasoning was added, it was almost inedibly-salty. Also, maybe because of the thin crust, maybe because of neglect, a few of the pies had singed sides (read: burnt). This was another round of some hits, and misses.
Tom Douglas is revered in Seattle, but my experiences with his restaurants haven't been stellar. I have a minor complaint with his coconut cream pie and it's this; he thickens it with flour instead of cornstarch so there is a residual flour taste and the finished filling isn't as silky. It's yummy but it could be perfection. On the positive side, I'm glad he's a major player in the Seattle restaurant scene and we'll continue to eat at his places.
ReplyDeleteHave you eaten at "Satay" in Wallingford? The chicken satay is crave worthy.