Two gems - off the beaten path in Ballard

Saturday was date night for Jake and me and we decided to go to Delancey to have a delicious, localtarian meal. Delancey is the gourmet pizza restaurant that Molly Wizenberg, author of A Homemade Life and blog Orangette (thank you Elisa), just opened up with her husband. As most of you know, I stopped eating dairy a few months ago to help with my allergies, but I figured if I really wanted to get the most out of my visit, the dairy ban would have to be temporarily lifted. And it was. We started out with an appetizer of a cheese called Burrata, which they have overnighted from a cheese maker in L.A. Not exactly localtarian, but she was raving about it on her blog, so we had to try it out. It's a little like mozzarella, but softer and more spreadable like cream cheese. They serve it with olive oil and little baguette toasts, and it was delicious.

Then, we tried the pizza, which is the reason for going there. One would really have been enough for us to share, but we ordered two, the sausage pizza and the magherita. I think Jake was a little disappointed that I didn't want to go for one of the mushroom varieties, but I'll have to work up to that. It's wood-fired pizza so the crust is speckled with charred bubbles and is delightfully chewy. The sauce is delicious as well. It really was the best wood-fired oven pizza I've had in a long time.


Then, we had dessert – one of each: plum crumble and a chocolate chip cookie with gray salt. We got the plum crumble because it's the seasonal featured dessert right now, replacing the peaches in white wine that were on the menu last month (the ones I made for the tea party). Plus, Molly just posted recipe for the crisp on her blog, so I had to try a sample from the source.


That brings us to the cookie. A cookie – a simple, normal-sized, chocolate chip cookie. No ice cream, no chocolate sauce, just a cookie. It's what I've been saying we need in restaurants for years! Sometimes you want just a little something sweet after a meal, like a cookie, and not a cookie that arrives like another meal. It was perfect! The gray salt on top, which I can't actually describe since I don't really know what "gray" salt is, was a pleasant surprise. I don't want to seem like a pretentious foodie, but it really added a lot of depth to the flavor. If you've ever made a baked good and forgotten the salt, you know that the salt is imperative for a well-balanced flavor. Plus, this salty accent is subtle, just enough to be noticed every couple of bites, but not as strong as all the salted caramel treats going around.

All in all, it was a delightful experience. We did have to wait quite a while for a table, but the host was very accommodating and even got us a glass of wine to make the wait a little more palatable. You can't go to Delancey, where they only take reservations for 6 or more, and be impatient for a table. It's a small, cozy space with only a handful of tables that are worth the wait. It's hard for me to reflect on my experience objectively. After all, I have been reading Orangette for so long, it feels like I actually know her, like I was visiting the new restaurant of a friend. So, I guess you'll have to go over to Ballard and see how amazing it is for yourself.

While you're there, you should make a mental note to come back the next morning and go next door to Honore. It's my good friends' amazing french bakery. The pastries are amazing and they serve Morning Glory chai (a huge plus for a chai snob like me). I try something different every time I go and I've never been disappointed. Crispy, flaky, buttery goodness - the onion and Gruyere tart is delicious and every one of the fruit tarts I've had has been amazing (blueberry, rhubarb, apple – the list goes on). It's a little place, a hole in the wall, and there's always a line out the door, but I'm telling you, it's so worth the wait.