You can look at a restaurant strictly in terms of things that need to be good: how stuff tastes, what it costs, how clean a place is, and whether the wait staff is nice. Moving beyond that, restaurants are like a Rorschach test for your individual personality. How fussy should the food descriptions be? How crowded should a place be? What’s the right atmosphere? Do you prefer trendy or established places? Do you like attentive wait staff that make suggestions, or would you prefer to interact with a Ziosk at an automat?
For me, Olympia Pizza hits the sweet spot. It feels like a last vestige of old Wallingford, having been in place since 1972. They fixed it up a lot about a year ago, removing the dinginess factor. I like that it’s not busy, although I worry about it going under as 45th is redeveloped. I don’t get what’s not to like- it offers a tasty Greek twist on the standard pizza fare, features garlic, and is comfortable with a capital C.
Yelp reviews only come to 3 stars, with most complaints about the wait staff not treating customers like they’re the center of their universe. That’s true, and I like it- the wait staff are nice people that care, but they act like human beings and not service industry professionals. If you’re fussy or impatient there’s plenty of highly designed concept restaurants with cloying wait staff nearby.
What to get at Olympia if you go with a partner- Tzatziki on a side salad and a Mama’s Favorite calzone to share. Don’t take it too seriously and don’t be in a rush, you might be pleasantly surprised.
On the flip side, Tutta Bella opened up down the street in 2004 and quickly turned into a hit, scoring 4 stars on yelp. Like Olympia, it has all the basics in place, like decent food and being clean. It also has twinkling lights, trendy little wood oven cooked pizzas, very efficient staff, and a highly designed aesthetic that works just as well in Wallingford as it does in their Issaquah branch. The place is good, but being there feels to me like being a cog in a highly engineered machine that’s relieving me of my money as efficiently as possible.
Their Web site actually has a whole page on “authenticity”, talking about how it’s the “first pizzeria in the NW to receive the coveted VPN certification from the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana based in Naples, Italy”. To me, it feels about as authentic as Epcot Center- it makes a tidy facsimile of something authentic, but it doesn’t have individual character.
Authenticity means you are something, not that you’re trying to be something else, and to my way of thinking that favors Olympia. Or maybe I’m just nostalgic for a working class diner vibe in increasingly upscale Wallingford. What do you think?
For me it was pretty simple – we went to both places, liked the pizza at Tutta Bella, didn’t like the pizza at Olympia and have never been back. It wasn’t a close thing at all. I’d say maybe the vegetarian thing explains it – we tend to go for a vegetarian pizza, which is a rather different thing – but according to my vague recollection you might do the same, so I guess that isn’t it. We haven’t been there in well over a decade, have they changed? I would have ranked Olympia at the bottom of local places, with Northlake (but again we naturally don’t go to these places, so we don’t find out about it if they improve.)
Olympic has gotten better over the last couple years since it was spruced up. The bathrooms in particular are state of the art now, and a waitress that people complain about on yelp left a couple years ago. An Eastern European waitress there clearly likes kids in a genuine way, not because of a customer service policy. I recommend giving the Tzaziki and Calzones a try before giving up on the place.
I agree with Donn, it is simple: Tutta Bella makes great pizza. My experience of Olympia’s food, across the board, is mediocre at best. Like Donn, I ate there a couple of times ten years ago, thought it was terrible and never went back.
I would agree that most yelp reviews disqualify themselves by focusing on the service — read: kiss my butt factor. Service for me is not nearly as important as food and ambiance. Unless of course they are downright rude. For instance there is a fairly aggressive host right now at Cantinetta and we’re afraid to go back.
I like Tutta Bella’s pizza. I like the fact that they are kid friendly. You don’t have to turn a high chair over for your baby’s carseat. They have special holders for them. I will say that everytime I go there I am very conscious of how extremely over-priced they are for what they serve. But I keep going back, so I guess the owners know exactly what they are doing.
I grew up with pizza like Olympic and do not care for it anymore. I like the salads at Tutta Bella, and my kids don’t care. Tutta Bella for the win.
It’s good that the ‘hood can support two types of pizza. Sometimes you do need the big pitcher of root beer.
Our experience was similar, we never really liked the pizza at Olympia . .plus we lov e the music on Sundays at Tutta bella, that they give kids dough to play with and seem to go over the top to make kids welcome. We haven’t been to Olympia in probably 10 years, it may be worth trying again. . . But it wont replace going to Tutta Bella
We have gone to both, although recently we have eaten more at Olympia Pizza. Both restaurants are very different from each other, not only regarding their food but also ambiance. For a quite dinner, just for my husband and I, we prefer Olympia. With a bigger group or with the grandkids we have gone to Tutta Bella. We like the pizzas and greek salad at Olympia. Tutta Bella’s pizzas may be more authentic, if we compare them with the pizzas we have eaten in Italy, but I agree with the prior reviewer who thinks that they are over-priced.
I like the calzones at Olympic a lot and in general I like pretty much everything from there with the exception of the pizza, which I’m not wild about. I also like that they deliver. I’ve always liked the food at Tutta Bella but find it really noisy in there – particularly during the winter when all the window are closed.
I’ve never been to Tutta Bella, but really like Olympia for its gluten free pizza offering. One of the best GF pies around honestly. Everyone there has always been friendly and helpful.
Tutta Bell is loud and chaotic. Everything too loud. Great place to go. Pizza is ok. Great for families with little kids.
However, I like Olympic Pizza. I like the pizza, I like the relative quiet, their music is not blaring. I think their staff is friendly and accommodating. More pleasant with their remodel and update (so is my house!)
Best pizza I have ever had, though is in an very unlikely place! Iowa City, Iowa.
Also Chicago, of course. I am a thin crust person.
Tried it about a dozen years ago. The pizza was lousy and I haven’t been back since.
Character is worth something, and the character of the neighborhood is changing. Whether it’s for the better depends on the values of the person and the specific changes being considered. I appreciate the variety of the restaurants in Wallingford and try to support the ones I particularly like with regular visits, but it’s also the rare restaurant that becomes a “legacy” type place-most are pretty ephemeral. Yelp and other social media are decent tools but don’t substitute for actually trying out a place. I haven’t had bad service at Olympia II (used to go fairly regularly with the kids when they studied at CMA), and there have been times where Tutta Bella is way too frantic, but the flavors and overall pizza style are more to my liking at Tutta Bella. I agree that that the Greek salad at Olympia II is GREAT!
Eric, I think your rhetorical question at the end speaks for itself. You’re confusing authenticity with your own personal need for nostalgia.
Obviously everyone’s entitled to their opinion on taste and service, and if you prefer Olympia, that’s fantastic. The more diversity in Wallingford restaurants, the better. (Though I should point out that 7 of the 10 most recent negative Yelp reviews for Olympia focused on taste, not just service.) But in any event, you’re questioning Tutta Bella’s authenticity because… it follows traditional guidelines that have existed for over 200 years? Tutta Bella’s is easily the closest thing in taste to a traditional slice in Naples or Salermo that I’ve had anywhere in Seattle. That’s the very definition of authenticity: of genuine origin. Your issues with them seem to relate to precisely the superficial parts of the experience: “trendy”, “highly designed” and “very efficient” are all easy backhanded descriptions that have nothing to do with the food.
Sadly, Tutta Bella won’t provide nostalgia or comfort. Happily, it will, generally speaking, provide tasty, authentic pizza.
Pizza seems to be a very personal thing, like best BBQ or best burger.
That said, we went to Olympia once years ago and have not been back. I found the place dingy and the pizza wasn’t great. Tutta Bella is good but expensive. They also have great gelato which my kid likes. Lately we have been eating at Pagliacci on Stone, which we really like. Other good choices are Zeeks on Nickerson / by the zoo or Via Tribulani and Kylie’s in Fremont.
I love Northlake Tavern pizza but they don’t allow minors.
It comes down to the pizza. They’re two very different styles. I like both, but on pure taste, I have to give the nod to TB simply because I prefer that kind of crust and their pizza is far less greasy. I’ve never had an issue with service at either place, but I really do like how kid-friendly TB is during happy hour. It feels good to be in a place with so many other parents and small children.
All of that said, pizza in Seattle is, generally, stupidly over-priced, and both Oly II and TB are no exception.
My daughter and I like Olympia Puzza II. Gluten-free crust available and never crowded.
IFor me it is about where I’m comfortable and options for my son. As many parents know, there is nothing more comforting than a very loud restaurant when you have a nearly 2 year old. My husband and I joke that mysteriously food tastes better when an atmosphere is fun and we aren’t glared at for having a child. At Tutta Bella, the staff makes you feel like the choice you made to have a kid is an acceptable one, and that it is ok to take them in public and eat. That’s unfortunately not the case for many restaurants. Our goal is to teach our kiddo to appreciate dining out and that it can be fun while being respectful to others around you, and that takes practice. And I will just say after a long day knowing that we can practice without judgy looks and have pretty decent food at Tutta Bella is reason enough for us to continue going there.
Until Tutta Bella has a gluten free crust, there is no decision to make for our household. Olympic has a very good gf crust and it’s not insanely expensive (in my opinion). I called Tutta Bella a long while back to ask about gf and they pretty much told me that they will never have it because they can’t adhere to the authenticity rules. I get it, but it’s sad because it would be nice to go there with our young kids.
I wholeheartedly agree with @17 Mrs. Smith.
I’ve never been to either, but Tutta Bella sounds like a daycare based on these posts. Thanks for the info, and no offense parents, but I will avoid it just based on that!
to 20. Your pretty much nailed it, especially at certain times. I go there with neighbors with kids, and it is very kid friendly..and very very loud. Probably when these kids are teenagers, they won’t be going there with their parents!
#20
If kids noise is an issue, Tutta Bella has a sound dampening glass box built around their bar area. Seriously.
Tutta Bella is authentic Italian pizza. Olympia is authentic American food.
We LOVE Olympia pizza partly because it isn’t overcrowded and it’s not loud like Tutta Bella. We really love it because they treat us well and are very family friendly, they don’t give us that dreaded look when we walk in with 3 kids in tow but rather welcome us with a nice big smile!! We enjoy the food very much. My husband’s favorite is the Calzone and I love the Puttenesca! I do like Tutta Bella’s happy hour and their beet salad (which I easily make at home & save $$). On our 1st visit to Tutta Bella we had the WORST service but our waitress was new and I believe she forgot to place our order. They did give us our meal for free which we appreciated very much but I’ll be honest I was still hesitant to go back. My 1st choice will always be Olympia pizza and I HOPE they stick around.
to # 20.but you have to be 21 to go in that small bar. so no college kids or elementary, junior hi or high school kids. My granddaughter is a junior at NYU, but is 20. So that is not very helpful. In addition, the music is blaring in that small enclosed bar area. We did not stay, of course.
Not sure about #25, but my girlfriend and I exclusively go to the Tutta Bella bar to escape from the rugrats. It’s a great little spot to avoid the noisy and crazy children that occupy the non-21+ section in the rest of the place. We haven’t been to Olympia II because the atmosphere and name alone remind us of subpar east coast “Italian” places.
Pagliacci’s
BellaRachella,
No offense taken! To be honest, us parents strongly prefer any folks who are adverse to kids avoid the places we take our kids.
For example, I think it’s hilarious when there’s a kid-less adult sitting in Mighty-O Donuts, eating a sprinkle donut, looking around in disgust at all the kids around him. Or her.
Tutta Bella is fine, but not the pizza is not spectacular, in my opinion. Often it’s rather soggy and limp. Agree with Eric — in one word, the place is “trendy.”
The people at Olympia pizza are really nice. I will remember to try the tzatziki.
My family and I don’t care for either place. Pagliacci is on our speed dial.
We used to go to Tutta Bella before we had kids, and genuinely enjoyed the food, but we stopped because “family friendly” seems to equal “let your kids be loud and run around in a restaurant”. I now have two kids under the age of six and we are trying to teach them manners and how to behave properly in a restaurant (and in public in general). Going to a place where there are 25 other kids not doing the same makes it exceedingly difficult. This is not to say that all kids or all parents at Tutta Bella are like this, but it’s enough that I’d rather just take my kids somewhere a little more quiet.
Went to Olympic once. Never again. The pizza was flat out nasty. I like Mod Pizza better. We love Tutta Bella. Great pizza. The Columbia City location is our favorite.
When all is said and done, pizza in Seattle just ain’t the same for me since Piecora’s closed.
Olympia is old fashioned and sort of mediocre, while Tutta Bella is modern and super load, and also sort of mediocre. If I want a sit down pizza experience I leave Wallingford.
I really appreciate #30 Justin’s comment, in contrast to #28 ctl, who thinks it is “hilarious” to allow children to antagonize other restaurant patrons. There are billions of children in the world who know how to behave in public. It is generally considered a positive trait.
The BIG difference between Tutta Bella and Olympia, to me, comes down to the pizza dough. TB’s dough is a traditional Italian dough (Flour, water, yeast) and Olympia’s is (by contrast) SWEET, as though sugar was part of the recipe. In general I prefer TB’s pizza, but I do patronize Olympia too because they DELIVER.
I find it curious that no one mentioned Pagliacci’s, who make a very good traditional italian (NY style) pizza and deliver.
Runyararo,
Where did I say it is hilarious to allow kids to antagonize other restaurant patrons? I think you were reading a bit too much into my comment, unfortunately. I said it was hilarious to see people who are annoyed by the very *presence* of children when they patronize a child-oriented establishment, like a Mighty-O.
Totally agree with you that are billions of children in the world who know how to behave in public. My kids are two of those billions. Not that they are perfect, but when they slip up, we immediately correct them and/or remove them from the situation. Your comment implies that I let my kids antagonize strangers in public for entertainment. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Please be more careful before you criticize.
@ctl, sincere apologies for incorrectly interpreting your comment.
please also consider the impact of your un-welcoming comment toward non-parents in your first paragraph – not very friendly!
incidentally, i wouldn’t really characterize mighty-o as child-oriented. it’s doughnut-oriented, which are enjoyed by children and adults alike. 🙂
Our favorite place to go is Julia’s. The food is good. the atmosphere is warm and friendly. We like the wood tables and paneling and the large windows. Everyone in our group can get something they enjoy. The servers are friendly and attentive. They even remember our names and how we prefer our various meals. Lately Julia’s has been open until 3 PM every day. Hopefully that will change so i can stop in for a meal after doing errands in Wallingford.
If Tutta Bella has improved, I’d very much like to know so I could go there again with my out of town family. When we went there for a birthday lunch, we were disappointed with the thin spread of food on the pizzas and the taste and texture of the tiramisu.
Yes, blue is a good color to paint your garage.