(Photos courtesy Cary Kemp)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“My dream of owning my own pizzeria is a reality!”
That’s what Cary Kemp told WSB this morning, now that he’s signed the lease for the Admiral space (4213 SW College; map) where he plans to open a wood-fired pizzeria.
We talked with Cary a few days ago, so we could be ready to share details about his restaurant, Pizzeria 22 (Ventidue) once everything was official.
He’s been in the pizza business a while – just without his own fixed location, till now.
Cary runs Inferno Catering, with a mobile wood-fired-pizza oven. That’s been a big hit, he says, and he’s going to keep that business in operation, but he’s been looking for a place to open a fixed-location restaurant with wood-fired pizza – and West Seattle, without that kind of pizzeria so far, is it. (Here’s more information on his background.)
His space is between Yen Wor Village and Royal Blue Tattoo. He calls it a “small space with some character,” in an almost-century-old building with high ceilings (at least 18 feet, he says), where he’ll probably be able to seat a bit more than 40 people.
He “wanted something small,” Cary explains, “not to be another Via Tribunali or Tutta Bella – it’s going to be a broader range, (more affordable), for people … who want to have a Rainier Tall Boy (beer) and a $10 margherita (pizza). … More laid-back, no Carrera marble and fancy fixtures.”
He’s not going for the “authentic, certified” stamp of approval either, in terms of wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, though the oven’s been brought to Seattle from Naples, and he expects it to be a visual focus as well as the culinary focus. “We’ll have more of a focus on locally sourced ingredients, more creative pairings … that a lot of these places haven’t taken advantage of.”
Pizzeria 22 (named after a popular “hole in the wall” pizzeria in Italy, and you can call it “Ventidue” instead if you feel like it) will also have a full bar; the menu will be simple – some appetizers, calzone, pizza, and dessert. About a dozen of the seats will be at the bar; the rest of the seating is envisioned as “bulkhead seating with two-tops” (“squeezed together” as needed). He’s hoping to eventually have a rollup garage-typed door so the restaurant can be open-air in the warmer months.
He’s expecting Pizzeria 22 to be open for dinner for starters – his research hasn’t shown a big lunch trade in the area – 7 days a week, from 5 pm. The full menu will be available for takeout, and he’s even expecting to import pizza boxes from Naples. All ages will be welcome.
Cary’s hoping to be open on April 1st, as you’ll see online – he’s already started a website (pizzeria22.com) and Facebook page (here).
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