It's a Seattle favorite.
Sometimes I get a craving for a slice of pizza.
Not just any slice will do. This craving carries me back to 2009.
That’s the year our family visited Italy and discovered how traditional pizza is made.
A crust with a garlicky flavor of its own, baked to perfection in a proper wood-fired oven, crusty with a blackened edge.
Then it's topped with a thin layer of real tomato sauce, made from fresh tomatoes. Sweet dollops of cheese and a sprinkling of herbs finish it off.
I can almost taste the memory.
When I get that craving, there’s one restaurant in Seattle that I know can satisfy my taste buds.
Bar del Corso.
It’s a small restaurant, somewhat sophisticated yet with a neighborhood feel and a family atmosphere.
Now if you’re looking for a New York-style pizza, this is not the restaurant for you.
Their popular Neapolitan-style pizzas are the main attraction for many who come to this Beacon Hill hideaway, thanks to their light, airy, and slightly salty crusts.
Other stand-out pizza offerings are the Margherita with buffalo mozzarella and the Corno di Capra with homemade sausage and pickled goat-horn peppers.
And if pizza is not your first choice of food, you’re in luck.
At Bar del Corso, the sides are delicious treats. Several of these Italian small plates combine to create a meal that will leave you satiated and content.
Roasted asparagus in hazelnut sauce, tender meatballs, or puffy salt cod fritters, all produce, meats, and shellfish, are carefully selected for quality and freshness. They try to keep things as local as possible unless the ingredient is a must-have, sourced directly from Italy.
Other delicious options to sample are:
- Arugula & beet salad to start.
- Deliciously crunchy risotto balls with a creamy inside are a favorite.
- Fresh octopus, lightly sauteed in garlic and oil until they are so tender they melt.
- If you’re lucky you can taste squash blossoms when they are in season.
- Olive oil braised pork shoulder dressed with controne beans, radicchio, and endive.
- Controne beans are white beans with thin digestible skin.
The ingredients are chosen with intention and you can tell from the unique flavors.
We always begin with a round of negronis as an aperitif. It’s almost a tradition with my friends. Another famous export from Italy is this popular cocktail.
- The Negroni is made of one part gin, one part vermouth rosso, and one part Campari, garnished with orange peel.
Meals are reasonably priced and they have a great list of wines to enjoy with your meal.
Wine is charmingly served in a simple glass as they serve it in restaurants in Italy. No pretentiousness here. Just great food and great company.
There is limited seating at the restaurant, so it’s best to either go on a weekday, arrive a little early, or prepare to wait for a little while.
Bar del Corso doesn’t take reservations.
Chef and owner Jerry Corso opened Bar del Corso on July 15th, 2011, after spending some time traveling in Italy, then two years in Washington DC running Obelisk restaurant, and making dough at 2Amys.
The idea was always to return home to the Pacific Northwest and find a way to open a restaurant here.
Corso and his dedicated staff lavish time and energy on every dish and it shows in every bite.
Bar del Corso is located in South Beacon Hill, an area in Seattle that is being discovered.
There are new businesses moving into this growing community and it’s a great place for young families. Lots of new construction is taking place.
South Beacon Hill is a bit quieter than the business district in the North and it’s a bit more affordable and a bit more diverse.
Preorders can be placed via the website, and there’s limited sidewalk seating available.
This Beacon Hill favorite is so popular it’s always my go-to place when I want a casual, delicious meal that is sure to leave me happy and content.
3057 Beacon Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144–5853