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Stoneburner is a Ballard restaurant with Neapolitan pizzas and pasta on the menu—which makes it unlike a lot of great Italian places in Seattle. Usually, you see one or the other, like at Bar Del Corso or Tavolata. These restaurants stick to what they’re good at because, in this city, it’s hard to pull off both pasta and pizza under the same roof.
Stoneburner’s no exception. You should ignore the subpar pastas and treat this place like an upscale pizzeria—one where you can drink cocktails and share some appetizers and a couple of their excellent pies. As long as you do that, this is one of the best restaurants in Ballard.
The impressive, dimly-lit space works well for a bunch of situations, especially if you want to have a big night out. You could plan your next birthday party here - just order a bunch of drinks and small plates, and force everybody you’re inviting to dress up. Even if you’re just hanging out with a friend at the restaurant’s winding wooden bar, a mix-and-match meal of grilled octopus with oranges in a chili sauce, crunchy fried castelvetrano olives stuffed with mozzarella, and charred broccoli with creamy lemon tahini paste still feels exciting.
photo credit: Nate Watters
The pizzas at Stoneburner are just as impressive as the space. The thin pies have a charred crust, sweet tomato sauce, and come with topping combinations like fontina fonduta with yukon gold potatoes or pepperoni with spicy pickled serranos and a drizzle of honey. They’re all served with a dish of freshly-grated parmesan, dried oregano still attached to its stem, and chile peppers for DIY garnishing. You might not think of impressing a serious date with some pizza, but when you’re sitting at a table next to their wine cellar eating these pies, you’ll seem like you know what you’re doing. There’s no way your date will decline your offer to move in—or at least go halfsies on a Costco card.
However, as much as we love the food here, we’d generally advise against ordering pasta. Simply pretend this section of the menu does not exist. It’s not that the pastas are bad, but they tend to have big issues—like the otherwise-delicious Calabrian sausage ragu that unfortunately tastes like an evil marjoram fairy cast a spell on it. Or, a comforting braised short rib that we’d eat again if only it wasn’t served on top of bland fusilli.
As long as you know what to avoid, you should visit Stoneburner any time you’re in the mood for pizza, snacks, and a fun night out. Eating pizza and partying—you should have no problem specializing in both.