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Business & Tech

Deep Dish Pizza -- A Chicago Tradition at Tavolino's

Direct from the Windy City, the Downing family of Woodinville serves up fresh Chicago-style pizza in the Totem Lake area -- and it's not for light appetites

SEEING THE WORDS “pizza” and “cheesecake” together might immediately conjure up visions of the Big Apple, but it happens that there is another city with its own take on that combination -- the Windy City. Chicago-style pizza has both devoted fans and derisive critics, love or hate. But for those who grew up eating Chicago-style pizza, there’s nothing quite like the substantial, deep dish, cornmeal crusted pie.

Chicago ex-pats in the Seattle area have never had many options for their pizza fix, particularly on the Eastside. Dave (38) and Grace (30) Downing changed all that in April when they opened Tavolino’s in Kirkland’s Totem Lake neighborhood. The small storefront caters mostly to the take-out crowd, but there are a few tables set up outside.

The Downing’s would love to have an eat-in family-friendly pizzeria when the right space opens up, complete with a “make-your-own-pizza” bar to keep kids busy.

Originally from the reputedly rough and tumble South Side of Chicago, Dave Downing always dreamed of opening a Chicago-style pizzeria. His pizza-making career began at age 17 at Papa Luigi’s in Chicago.

“I love the taste, the heartiness of our pizza,” says Dave. “It’s definitely comfort food.”

Dave was so interested in the business that he would even take jobs at other establishments for a week at a time just to learn their secrets. Then, he hired a girl named Grace.

The couple has been together 14 years, since Grace was still a teen. They visited relatives in the Seattle area on vacation and were finally talked into moving to the Northwest, where they live in Woodinville with their three sons. Before opening Tavolino's, Dave was assistant manger of .

In his straightforward manner, Dave confesses, “I hate the food (here), but love the state.” By “food,” he means seafood.

He was offered such a sweet deal on Tavolino’s space that he simply couldn’t refuse the offer and Tavolino’s -- a surname from his grandparent’s -- was born. Dave is amazed at all the “Chicagoens” he keeps meeting in the area who get their Chicago pizza or Italian beef sandwich fix daily at lunch or dinner.

BUT IT WASN'T until a friend of a friend mentioned the cheesecake that my ears perked up.

“They have Eli’s Cheesecake!” exclaimed my friend as if that would mean something to me. Sure, I’ve been to Chicago, but as a child, it was the Lincoln Park Zoo that held my attention.

While Eli’s The Place for Steak began in 1966, Eli’s Cheesecake has been a Chicago institution since its founding in 1980, serving satisfied customers and special events such as Hillary Clinton’s 50th birthday cake. Tavolino’s gets the only weekly order of the decadent desserts in Washington, served by the slice with a small container of chocolate sauce (thankfully on the side -- it’s Hershey’s).

I’m a cheesecake purist. Make it plain, make it good and don’t add anything -- especially chocolate chips. I’ll admit I enjoy a bit of homemade raspberry sauce on top, but leave the actual piece alone. Eli’s is special and kicks a certain “Factory” to the curb.

Dessert first is a good way to ensure that you’ll have room in your stomach. Otherwise, one must plan well in advance. One slice of stuffed pizza pie -- not to be confused with the  trademarked “stuffed crust” --  does the trick compared to several slices of its New York cousin. Trust me, once you reach for that second piece, you can kiss the dreams of cheesecake goodbye. Unless, of course, you’re in a physically exhausting line of work (typing articles doesn’t count, unfortunately).

Tavolino’s serves pizza by the slice or customers can order a whole pie to take home. But, it’s not all pizza at Tavolino’s. There’s pasta, sandwiches, salads -- and everything is made fresh from the dough to the sauce. Meat is used fresh, never frozen, increasing cook time for a meat-lover’s deep dish pie.

Owning a restaurant is a whole different feeling than simply managing one, confides Grace. “If you don’t love the restaurant business, you will hate owning a restaurant.”

From choosing just the right location to finding dependable staff, the Downing’s have first-hand experience with the ups and downs of restaurant ownership. Grace shares how one staff member decided to mess with the “Chicago-ness” of the pizzas early on.

“That cost us a lot of customers who were expecting Chicago pizza and didn’t get it.”

She is hoping to win those customers back by getting the word out that the staffing problems have been fixed. Tavolino’s sells only Downing-family approved food now, complete with meatballs handmade by Dave’s mom.

You can come in during October, National Pizza Month, for a large thin crust pizza with one topping for a mere $8.50 (plus tax). And pick up a slice of cheesecake or three while you’re at it.

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