Via Tribulani – An Oldie, But A Goodie

****NOTE: This review was done prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. Of course, things are much different at the moment, but we hope things will get back to normal soon and hope you will continue to support these local businesses****

Via Tribulani

Recommended by: A local reader of the blog suggested Via Tribulani as an Italian alternative since we’ve talked about Il Corvo , Tavolata, Pasta Casalinga, Cantinetta and now Bizzarro Italian Cafe.

Description on the Via Tribulani’s website: Located in the bustling, trendy neighborhood of Capitol Hill, our first pizzeria has become a primary meeting spot for a variety of visitors. With an open patio that echoes conversations and laughter to the streets, cozy booths that make a dinner more welcoming and a buzzing bar that serves fantastic drinks, Capitol Hill’s location features unique and traditional Italian décor. With a private dining room that is romantic, yet comfortable for parties of up to 16, our first restaurant has everything one needs to feel at home.

Neighborhood/Type:  Capitol Hill

Address: 913 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122

What we ate/drank:  Carbonara Pizza –  Fresh Mozzarella, organic egg, pancetta, extra virgin olive oil, Polpette Al Pomodoro –  Veal Meatballs, pomodoro, grana Padano, Rigatoni Bolognese –  Giuseppe Cocco rigatoni giganti pasta, house-made bolgnese, grana Padano, Lasagna Al Forno –  House-made meat ragu, fresh ricotta, smoked mozzarella, parmigiano, Andrew Will Merlot

Comments: Much like Bizzarro Italian Cafe,  “Via Trib” has been around for so long we almost take it for granted. They’ve been around since 2004 and currently have locations in Georgetown, Queen Anne and the one we most recently visited, Capitol Hill.  They had a location in Fremont, but no longer.

Via Tribulani has pasta and antipasti, but their claim to fame is their Neopolitan pizza. And they take great pride in it. A snippet from their website:

We opened our first pizzeria in 2004 in the burgeoning Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Months before we opened curious onlookers poked their heads in the former auto body shop, and outlandish rumors spread quickly throughout Seattle. One person saw a team of masons reportedly flown in from Naples to build a gargantuan wood-fired oven, someone heard that the bricks also came from Naples rich with Vesuvian ash, a reporter ran a story about a taxi driver leading our owner down a dark Neapolitan street to meet a talented pizzaiolo who was then whisked to an airport…
As it turns out almost all of the tall tales are true – on opening night people began lining up for the authentic Neapolitan pizza and since then our ovens have only gotten busier. Via Tribunali has been called “more authentic than the pizzerias of Naples,” and even though that is a flattering exaggeration, it is fair to say that our pizzerias have grown out of an almost unnatural passion for the food and wine of Southern Italy.

Via Tribulani even has a certificate from the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana, which is an international organization officially  established to give special designation to pizzerias who meet strict requirements that respect the tradition of the art of Neapolitan pizza making by the Italian government.

So here’s that special oven made of brick from Naples and assembled by masons flown in from Naples:

The oven is supposedly kept running 24/7 and is kept at 1,000 degrees, which allows the pizza to cook in just one minute.  We’ll admit the pizzas are damn good. I personally like the thins crust and the ingredients are top notch. The price is a bit on steep side.

On this particular trip we also ordered the lasagna, rigatoni bolognese and veal meatballs. The lasagna and rigatoni were good, but nothing to write home about. We’ve been lucky enough to have had some great pastas in bolognese sauce at Il Corvo – Best Pasta in Seattle, Bizzarro Italian Cafe and even at Japanese restaurant Kokkaku. So when comparing Via Tribulani’s to the aforementioned restaurants, it falls short in our opinion.

On the other hand, the veal meatballs were a hit. Two baseball-sized meatballs in pomodoro sauce with grana Padano cheese sprinkled on top.  I always wonder when I see meatballs of this size, how they get the meatball perfectly cooked all the way through.

The other interesting fact about Via Tribulani is that it was created by the same person who created Caffe Vita as mentioned our our Caffe Vita – Fremont post.  And for a time the Caffe Vita in Pioneer Square had the same pizza oven in it. This same owner also a financial backer of Lil Woody’s, Hitchcock and Wandering Goose.  Wow! What a diverse group of restaurants! This dude seems to have the magic touch.

Update:It seems that Caffe Vita was recently sold by the owner of Via Tribulani to the owners of Bastille, Poquitos, Stoneburner, and Rhein Haus.

In summary, the atmosphere at Via Tribulani -Capitol Hill is romantic, the pizza and meatballs were our favorites, the wine menu had a good variety of locals and Barolos. It’s a solid choice for those who don’t want only pasta or only pizza.

Ratings:

Atmosphere: 4.50

Service: 4.50

Food/Drinks: 4.50

Bang for the Buck: 4.25

Overall: 4.35

Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.

• • Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
  • Most locals know about it
  • Locals “in the know” know about it
  • Only those who live close by know about it.
  • You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!

Servers recommendations to visit in the future:   We’ve mentioned Cantinetta in a couple of our Dish of the Year blog posts, but have never reviewed it.

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