Crazy About Delancey's Clam Pie!

I finally tried the hot/hot/hottest spot for pizza in Seattle and Delancey lived up to the high praise heaped on it by critics, food bloggers and pizza geeks.

On a weeknight, the tiny dining room was packed before 6, so my friend, Adam Kuban, (the head cheese at Slice on Serious Eats) and I took a stool at the counter, overlooking Brandon Pettit's domaine, the walk-in closet-size space where dough is stretched and topped and slid into the wood-fired oven.

The menu is fairly short, but my eyes shot straight to the clam pie, a take on the pizza made famous at an icon called Pepe's in New Haven, Conn. Lore has it that Frank Pepe invented this unusual pie because he was allergic to tomatoes and cheese.

Though Brandon traveled extensively in anticipation of opening his place, he said he had never tried New Haven's signature pie.

Delancey's version starts with the exceptional crust, a dough that's chewy and has the deeply-satisfying character of a rustic bread. The flavors develop over a long period of proofing. Housemade creme fraiche is slathered on the dough, then garlic slices and petite Manila clams. So simple and so darned delicious. Close-your-eyes-and-moan delcious. It even held up surprisingly well the next morning. Yes, I warmed it up on my pizza stone for breakfast.

Another fantastic place, Serious Pie, pioneered Northwest shellfish pie. The clam pizza at Serious Pie goes the surf and turf route, adding house-cured pancetta as a partner for those bivavles.

Move over prosciutto! Clams have just risen to my No. 1 pizza topping. What toppings do you like on your pizza pie?

--Leslie Kelly

Comments

[Grant McGuire on November 06, 2009 at 02:03 PM]

My current favorite pizza is salmon and green olives relish with feta chese, sundried tomatoes and a few odds and ends.

My favorite restarant has Salmon Verscruz dish with tangy olive relish topping for salmom. I asked chef to break the salmon in small pieces and make me a custom wood-grilled pizza. I like my salmon well-done and charred so fat and crust taste almost like bacon.

[Barry on November 08, 2009 at 11:02 AM]

Anchovies, red onion, and roasted garlic in a very light tomato sauce.

[Mark on November 08, 2009 at 04:30 PM]

Actually, I go to Pepe's for their white clam pie. Olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh shucked clams and an invisible dusting of parmesan cheese. Life is good!