Nosh Pit

East Coast Pizza in Pioneer Square: Calozzi’s Moves Menu Beyond Cheesesteaks

Philly native Al Calozzi promises real-deal pizza at his soon-to-be-expanded Occidental Ave shop.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 15, 2011 at 09:42AM16 Comments

Calozzi’s, on Occidental between Yesler and Cherry, will expand into an area behind the restaurant formerly occupied by Utilikilts.

When Al Calozzi first hatched a plan to sell cheesesteaks to bar revelers on the Belltown sidewalks, people told him he couldn’t compete with the hot dog vendors.

This isn’t the East Coast, they said.

“Just try one,” he would reply. And they would, and then they’d get it. “I’ve been making this sandwich since I was 10 years old,” says Calozzi, dropping the “g” in “making” like any good Philadelphia native would. “It’s a very unique thing when it’s made right.”

Calozzi, who moved to Seattle five years ago, found a permanent home for his business last September in an Occidental Avenue storefront between Yesler and Cherry in Pioneer Square. It’s just around the corner from Tat’s Delicatessen, another cheesesteak hub. Calozzi recognizes his competition good naturedly, but points out that Tat’s is more of a deli than a cheesesteak shop—a distinction that might seem arbitrary to anyone unfamiliar with Philly cuisine. But it’s true that while Tat’s features a long list of sandwiches, the brief menu at Calozzi’s (steaks, plus meatball and chicken cutlet subs) fits on a small chalkboard. Calozzi does sell Blue Line cheesecakes, the retirement project of a neighborhood cop that he befriended, but overall the operation has been pretty barebones.

That’s about to change. When Utilikilts gave up the space it was occupying behind his restaurant, Calozzi jumped at the opportunity to start serving pizza. The newly expanded shop will accommodate up to 150 people, he says, and the pizza will be like none other in Seattle. “I’ve tasted them all out here,” he says. “It’s not pizza, it’s not.”

To open our eyes to the way of the true pie, Calozzi will soon be crafting hand-tossed pies in the East Coast tradition—he’s even importing water from the homeland to make his crusts. A deal has been struck with nearby Salumi to supply pepperoni and sausage, and every Friday Calozzi will feature a special pizza—Sicilian-style, for example. The pies will come in individual and larger sizes, and Calozzi plans to offer beer and wine, though he says red birch beer—popular in Pennsylvania—is the perfect beverage pairing for pizza.

On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights Calozzi’s will be open until 4am to feed the bar crowd. The pizza oven is on its way, and the whole thing should be up and running within two months, estimates its owner.

But while he’s taking pains to make sure his pies are East-Coast perfect, it’s the cheesesteak that will remain the heart of Calozzi’s business.

“The sandwich, that’s my baby,” he says.

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Pizza, Pioneer Square, East Coast Eats