2 Best Restaurants in Ballard, Seattle

Brandon Pettit spent years developing his thin-but-chewy pizza crust, and the final product has made him a contender for the city's best pies. Neighborhood families and far-flung travelers alike line up before opening time for seasonal pizzas topped with anything from fresh sausage to local clams to blistered padrón peppers. The wine list is is short but elegant; desserts are simple but inspired—the homemade chocolate chip cookie with sea salt is delicious. Long wait? Pop next door to charming Essex, the owners' artisanal cocktail bar.

Dine here to experience a classic Ballard phenomenon: a casually sophisticated kid-friendly restaurant. Local families come here for pizza night, but this ain't Chuck E Cheese; toppings include foraged mushrooms, shishito peppers, garlic-and-fennel sausage, and five kinds of cheese. There are two crust choices: thin, blistered, and round, or thick, chewy, and square. That all may sound a little pretentious, but as the 10-year-old at the next table will tell you, mainly it's delicious. (She may not be so enthusiastic about the charred broccoli.) Local microbrews and a long, predominantly Italian wine list help keep the grownups happy.