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A look back at the cheesy, saucy, crusty events that shaped South Sound pizza in 2011.
Martin Osborn and Shannon Stragier start the year as new owners of Puget Sound Pizza.
In early January, Meme Rincon and Stephen Ferruzza opened Al Forno Ferruzza at 408 Fourth Ave. E. (the same address that formerly housed both the A2 and the Clubside Café) in Olympia. The restaurant shares a wall and window with the popular Eastside Club, allowing service to bar patrons. Ferruzza imports olive oil from cousins in Sicily, and makes pizza the way his father taught him, with fresh ingredients and their trademark high temperature oven. "It's fresh, it's simple, it's an art," says Ferruzza.
Francesco Chiechi and Carlos Morist opened Pizzaria LaGitana in Yelm during the last week in December 2010 serving Italian wood-fired pizza.
The Papa John's pizza chain offered a free pizza to everyone in America if the Super Bowl went into overtime, which it didn't.
Oldschool Pizza was named best pizza in the Weekly Volcano's 2011 Best of Olympia issue.
Katie Downs won the Weekly Volcano's 2011 Tournament of Pizza - this year's incarnation of our annual March Madness-themed food throwdown where eaters from the South Sound weigh in on the best of the best, whittling a field of 64 competitors down to one champion through daily, heated voting. In 2011 we put pizza in the crosshairs, and throughout the Tournament of Pizza competition Katie Downs again and again pounded all challengers, including second place finisher Apollo Pizza & Pasta in Olympia. Look for the Volcano's Tournament of Breakfast coming in March.
Nick-N-Willy's Pizza in Tacoma's Proctor District closed. A Subway now sits in the space.
Guy Snell opened Petey's Pub next door to his Garlic Jim's pizza joint on Sixth Avenue serving pizza among wings and sandwiches. Snell named it after his dog.
Business owners Brad LaRue and Clint Owen opened a second Infernos Brick Oven Pizza location in Lacey at 8825 Tallon Lane N.E. They opened their first Infernos in Tumwater in 2007.
The Milton Tavern was named as serving the best breakfast pizza in the Weekly Volcano's 2011 Super Best of Tacoma issue. Puget Sound Pizza was named best pizza.
Massimo Italian Bar and Grill opened in University Place in the spot formerly occupied by Captain Nemo's on Bridgeport Way serving thin-crust pizza in seven-inch and 12-inch options.
The mobile food court at the corner of State Avenue and Adams Street in downtown Olympia opened consisting of four mobile food trucks including Ricardo's Wood Fire Pizza Express.
O'Malley's Irish Pub owner Pat Mawhinney and staff opened Medi's Pizza and Pasta family-friendly restaurant focusing on Italian pasta dishes, grinders, calzones and pizza in the space that housed Sluggo Music for more than 30 years.
Native New Yorker restaurant, a New York Buffalo wings restaurant and sports bar franchise that serves new York-syle pizza opened at 4441 Pacific Ave. SE in Lacey.
Farrelli's Wood Fire Pizza created a pizza called the "Tasty Cancer Fighter" for the month of October and donated $6 for every 12-inch and $10 for every 16-inch of that pizza sold to the Karen Mullen Foundation.
The Cloverleaf celebrated 50 years in business. "The Cloverleaf was established in 1951 and began serving our World Famous Pizzas in 1961. ...The purpose of this celebration is to thank our loyal customers. We could not have made it 50 years without them and that is why we are hosting this celebration, in their honor," stated a release from the Sixth Avenue joint.
What 2011 pizza event did we miss?