09/27/09

Other Pizza, why?

by Montana74

Having been burned by deceptive long lines out the door in Seattle...We almost bailed during our 45 minute wait. Sooo glad we didn't. The staff was apologetic for our wait (without our complaining), service and timing otherwise were prompt and friendly. Every square inch of every single ingredient was delicious and perfect and wonderful. The dough is not bread. The sauce is not acidic/sugary paste from a can. The meat is not loaded with chemicals, food coloring and SALT. The cheese is not goo. Coffee is a delicious Cafe Vita blend. Glass pours of wine are fabulous. A marvelous experience through and through that I hope to repeat as many times as possible!!

• Pros: Delicious food and service
• Cons: Long wait

07/27/09

Top Shelf Pizza Napolitana

by CrashnBurnINC

I don't think it would be fair to call this place the best pizza place in Seattle if only for the reason that the term "best" is relative to a style. That being said, and being a fan of Naples Style Pizza, this is FANTASTIC pizza. Really....not a tad shy of fantastic. If you're looking for a low priced, thick crust pizza loaded in shredded cheese, buddy, this is not your place. If you know what 1) a perfectly shortened, leavened crusts tastes like, 2) what a correctly seasoned sauce is, 3) high quality fresh mozzarella tastes like and (maybe most importantly) 4) having the whole bit cooked just right in a proper wood fired oven does for a pie. Treat yourself to a dinner here because it will be just that....a treat.

• Pros: All except the Con
• Cons: Prices are somewhat high, albiet justifiably

06/25/09

the pizza is great!

by dave98112

The truth is, Via Tribunali makes pizza that is authentic, so it is going to be very different from Chicago or New York-style pizza. They use a wood-fired oven, and the ingredients are almost all imported from Italy. I go there fairly regularly and have always had good service and food. Friends who've been to Napoli have said that the pizza is just like the pizza they've eaten while on vacation. If you are used to pizza hut, then maybe you shouldn't go here. If you are open to experiencing what authentic, napoli-style pizza tastes like, then go to Via Tribunali.

06/06/09

Terrible Pizza

by seattle_thistle

Oh dear... we tried the new Via Tribunali on Fremont Ave. This place looks the part but the pizza is disappointing. I ordered a Salsiccia E Provola pizza. It tasted like dry naan bread with a few bits of sausage sprinkled on it - and a distinct lack of cheese. My partners Qauttro Stagioni was made with watery tasteless tomato sauce and the ham and salame were of low quality. Italian food has flavour and zest to it - this place does not. Avoid!

• Pros: Nice decor.
• Cons: The food.

02/06/09

Via Tribunali is authentic and delicious

by westseattlefoodie

I absolutely love Via Tribunali!!! I feel I should defend them from the New Yorker who can't seem understand that Neapolitan-style pizza is not New York-style pizza. First of all, Neapolitan-style pizza comes from Naples, Italy, and was created way before the New York style, and therefor is more authentic. Secondly, Via Tribunali interprets and executes Neapolitan-style with perfection, I know this because I have been to Naples, it is not meant to be a greasy, cheesy slice of pie like the pizza in New York. Also, in Italy people tear their pizza with their hands, and fold it or roll it to eat it. This is why the pizza at Via is not served sliced, it IS authentic. They do have pizza scissors available if you can't handle tearing your pizza, you just have to ask. If you can't venture outside the box of New York style pizza then you should go back to New York.

02/02/09

logistics a bit difficult

by seattledog

Went there after superbowl 2/1/9. Slightly drunk but well-behaved. Its really really DIM. As in about as dark as my bedroom. It's one thing to avoid bright flourescent lights like so many Asian places. But honestly I had to get out my little keychain flashlight to read the menu! One dim little table candle, and maybe 25 watts worth of weak light coming from the bar. And the menu is about in 8pt font. Small type. OK. So the pizza arrives, all in one big piece, we asked: can you run the slicer thing over it? NOPE! No can do! This is authentic! Its how the Italians do it.

We cut it with the convenienty provided butter knives, not knowing if this is some kind of insulting Italian faux pas or not... Its not that easy to chop up a pizza using butter knives in the dark, and it somehow felt a little inauthentic to me.

The pizza itself was tasty with chewy, thin crust. But not sure the slightly snotty attitude, and sticker price of $32 for a pizza and 2 beers, is really a very good value.

• Pros: Romantic and warm, if very dim and dark, atmosphere
• Cons: High prices and a bit overly sophisticated

01/21/09

Worst Pizza I ever ate in my entire life !!!!

by paultk1981

As a native New Yorker I must say they have the worst pizza I have ever eaten in my life,

below even Tony's, Red Baron or any store bought frozen pizza.

The pizza hade crumbs of sausage on it, probably about two to three tablespoons at most

the tomato sauce was probably poured out of a can, the cheese was garbage, and last but not

least the crust was undercooked and thin as paper. My guess is that the total cost of the

ingredients at most added up to two dollars, and I paid sixteen dollars for the pie.

I will never eat any any Via Tribunali "Pizza" restaraunts again in my life. Six dollars for a bottle

of beer too!!! Good luck to any people who have nothing bettter to do than throw their money

away on garbage food.

• Pros: Nothing pro here
• Cons: If you have six months left to live and have money to spend recklessly

11/30/08

Amazing pizza

by thewhis11

Ok, after having eaten at Via Tribunali for probably my 50th time, most recently tonight, I decided I had to write a review and this is my first ever Citysearch review. I LOVE Via Tribunali. In particular I love the salame pizza. My boyfriend and I eat here anytime we can b/c we both love it so much. In fact, there have been occasions when we have eaten here on both a Saturday and Sunday night.

I was shocked to read the last reviewe b/c I don't think there is anywhere in Portland where you can get Armandino Batali cured meats on your pizza (granted I haven't been to portland for a while so I could be wrong).

Finally, the staff is super friendly and many times now the bartenders greet us by name. You will have to wait if you go on a Fri or Sat anytime after 6:45 however but we think the atmosphere is great and don't mind hanging out.

Having lived in Italy for 6 months, and having spent time in Napoli, I can say that Via T is tied w/ a place called "Il Pizzaiola" (in Firenze) for my most favorite pizza ever.

Just one last thing...get the salame pizza. Do it.

11/30/08

Snobby Snobby Snobby

by jessie1409

Ok so I'm from Portland and have dined in ALOT of different cities/countries and I don't know what else to say but I have never felt so unwelcomed as I did here. I have had "real" italian food/pizza and I do think Via is good bc it's very similiar to how it is in Italy. However, there are a few places in Portland that are almost identical to Via Tribunali and if you were to blind fold me I would only be able to pick out the one from Portland bc the sauce is a little better. So I'm not sure where they get their cold stuffiness from bc they aren't the only ones who make "authentic" pizza. I seriously have never seen staff act the way they do. Are they trying to prove something? Our waiter was italian with a strong accent and by the way he acted, he wanted us to know this. You're a f@@king server for crying out loud (not that there is anything wrong with that...I too use to wait tables) I mean these guys seriously made me laugh. Another guy who gave us water (wasn't a waiter) acted like he was a runway model ( a sleezy one) And God forbid he showed any emotion bc that would make him "not cool." I just can't say enough about this place. It was truly a comical abrasive experience. Just weird all they way round. When I left I almost felt as if I had been mugged in a dark alley the way we treated. Plus we left still hungry.

08/12/08

Not a restaurant I would go back to

by Just1More

I called 2 times during the prior week to ask if I should make a reservation for a group of 7. No, it?s not necessary was the response. My niece arrived a few minutes after 7pm last night to be placed on the list for dinner. We were not seated until after 9pm on a Monday night. Our party of 7 had 2 plus size people. I and other people in the group felt squished. We would have waited a few more minutes for roomier seating. We were seated in a booth opposite the restroom. It was unpleasant seeing inside the restroom. Also, the odor, occasionally, was not pleasing. The waitress said our desserts would be comped because we had such a long wait. If it weren?t for the fact that my daughters wanted to stay, I would have walked out. The restaurant was the choice of my daughter to celebrate her 21st birthday with her family. The pizza dough that was served with the salads was burnt. My party was so hungry that they ate it! The insalata di parma was wonderful as was the tiramisu. The bartenders were great. Dessert was not free, we ended up paying for all of them. I would not recommend this restaurant based on my experience last night.