(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
Two months after we first reported that Peel & Press was moving into the former Abbondanza space in Morgan Junction, it’s opening night. Just got that word from proprietor Dan Austin (below), with whom we talked in August.
His focus is “stone-fired” pizza and spirits – here’s the drink menu for happy hour (until 6) – and P&P will be open until 11 tonight at 6503 California SW.
I am very excited to try it, at least for drinks!!! Any clue if there will be a g/f crust option at all? (Even if not, I will sure check it out for spirits!)
So excited to welcome P&P to the neighborhood! Hope to stop in this weekend.
So another pizza place next to the only family (pizza) restaurant in the morgan junction? Perhaps the menu will expand to include more options?
We brought home a copy of the menu – I’m going to add image links above, unless the proprietor has linked the menu already from his FB page or website. One side of the launch menu is pizza, the other side pasta – 10 dishes – plus starters.
Jack, I was in there tonight. They had awesome apps and salads (we had the caprese and it was amazing!) we also had the puttenesca pasta and the chicken parm, both whe’re excellent. Do t let the name fool you it has more than pizzas. Also it has been a pizza and pasta place for the last 14 years, it’s not like it’s an invading pizza army. It was there before zeeks as a pizza place. Both as abbondanza and banana joes.
if i had known about the pasta i would have been in there last night…
I remember Banana Joe’s being at the Subway location. But then again, I remember lots of things and forget even more.
quelle surprise! another pizzeria in West Seattle! this makes twenty two. There is Zeek’s and the Feed Back Lounge within two blocks. I just wish we would get something different. Like a “Samurai Noodles” or really great Chinese like “Snappy Dragon”..oh well. I miss Pan Africa.
Yeah, Joe Banana’s was in the Subway location, although there’s a nagging thought/memory that they may have been at another Morgan Junction location, I’m mostly thinking post-Subway spot, or to a lesser degree pre-. Perhaps it was just a name change, but still at the Subway spot.
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Joe Banana’s was pre-Morgan Junction, much further north on California, just north of Hinds street, a door or so down from what has now for several years been Curves. Back in those days, Mac’s Food Store was in the Curves building.
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Mike
@Marge Evans: What does Feedback Lounge have to do with pizza? Also, does your tally of pizza places in WS take into account the fact that Peel & Press is replacing an existing pizzaria?
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If people didn’t want pizza, these places would go out of business. If you don’t want pizza, don’t patronize them. It’s not hard.
Agreed Brian! If there were “too many” pizza places, then the pizza places would be going out of business, but they aren’t. Obviously there’s plenty of us willing and happy to patronize these saucy establishments. Don’t like another pizza place, don’t go, I’ll take your spot at the table gladly! Welcome to the ‘hood Peel and Press!
Thanks everyone for the support and/or feedback. Please know that we are more than just pizza. We have really popular pastas with all sauces being made in house. Our caprese salad was so popular I had to go out and buy more product first thing this morning! Our cocktails are made with fresh juice when seasonally available and our servers are a seasoned group ready to welcome you in. Give us a try and I am sure you will be happy with the addition to the neighborhood.
Geez Brian and ML give Marge a break, she was voicing her opinion, everyone has their own opinions and shouldn’t be harped on it and from what I read it didn’t sound like she wants them to fail.
Any word on GF options? Really appreciated that Abbondanza had GF pasta. Would be lovely if new business kept that on the menu!!
Cool how many comments are here – wish seattle times could figure this out
Welcome to the neighborhood Dan and Peel and Press! Wishing you great success in following your dream of restaurant ownership. It is great that you’ve already embraced the local community. Thanks so much for your generous donation to the West Seattle High School PTSA Annual Auction! I’m sure your donation will be part of a very exciting (and delicious) evening for the winning bidder. It’s so impressive that you were willing to support this local cause even before you’d opened your doors for the first time. That is so cool! I’ll be in this weekend!
Are here tonight. The good news is that the food was really good. We ordered a pasta dish and a pizza and both were solid. But it is clear they are still working out the kinks so some feedback:
-hire a hostess. We and every person that entered had no idea what to do. No sign and no staff at the door. The double bonus of this person would be that the place is small enough for him or her to also bus and prep tables.
-related to my last statement, at no time were we given place settings. My pasta literally sat in front of me for five minutes while I waited for a fork. Torture.
-food took a little long (35 min) given the simplicity of our order.
-music was loud and random – 90s rock like pearl jam and Alice in chains. Really off for the vibe it seems they are looking for…
We want to come back, will continue to do so and hope some of this stuff gets tightened up.
Thanks for the feedback! We have added another front of the house person to the schedule starting tomorrow and an additional cook. I hope to see you again soon and I am sorry for the growing pains tonight. Your support means the world to us!!!!
Simply for this lovely response I will be coming back! Thanks for being so open to feedback. The food was very very good!
Went there with friends last Friday night and it was wonderful. Had the pasta carbonara and it was perfect. Great addition to West Seattle. Will miss Abondanza but Press & Peel is a great.
Did the menu get online? I didn’t see anything on their web site. Is there home deliver or at least order and pick-up???? I’ll definitely give them a try.
We stopped by last Saturday. They had been open for only 4 days at this point. We were acknowledged at the door (several times). Seated after about a 10 minute wait – which is a good thing in my opinion as I believe the motto that nobody wants to eat in an empty restaurant is valid. It was worth the wait. The cocktails are awesome (and will be even more awesome when I go back for happy hour tonight). The pizza was solid and the pasta dishes as well. It was obvious that they make their meatballs daily from scratch. This was apparent both by the taste/texture and by the fact that once they are gone, they’re gone for the day. Dan came out to greet each table and made us feel welcome. Dan explained that they want to initially focus on the existing menu to make sure they nail it before they expand and offer additional items. I think this is a great approach. Good location, good food, good atmosphere – going back tonight.
Sorry, comment time is over.
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