Ballard Pizza Company - Frelard

"Frēlard Pizza Company is the sister pizzeria to Ballard Pizza Company, but it’s smack in the middle of a busy stretch on Leary Way (in the neighborhood with for sure the ugliest name). Their patio is the best outdoor place to have a beer-and-pizza party with your entire group of friends, huddled around a picnic table next to random barrels and a stone-covered firepit. The service is great, a rotating seasonal hard cider is always on tap, and the pizzas are the best New York-style pies you can get in the city (make sure a prosciutto and arugula one is on your table). A couple of large pizzas and some salads to share and Saturday’s sunset meal is taken care of." - Aimee Rizzo

"While the wait for Frelard’s New York-style pizza is nuts on the weekends, on a Tuesday night, it’s pretty easy to find a big wooden table inside right away. If your baggy-eyed friend who has four kids and desperately needs to get out of the house shows up without a sitter, there’s even a play area where the kids can amuse themselves while you enjoy your charcuterie, pizza, and wine." - aimee rizzo

"Frelard is another one of our favorite spots for a giant New York-style pizza alongside some charcuterie, olives, and Italian chopped salads. You can order whole pies here, but what’s really important is that you can also get slices - which is good if Sally wants plain cheese but you want yours loaded with coppa ham and onion. There’s also a “kid pit” where the little ones can distract themselves until the pizza arrives." - aimee rizzo

"If you started on the Kenmore end of the trail, there’s really no better incentive to pedal harder than knowing your friends are waiting for you at a picnic table loaded with charcuterie, Italian chopped salads, and giant pizzas at Frelard Pizza Company. The pies here are some of the best around, and you can top them with things like eggs and pancetta. It’s excellent for a big group, but also works if you just want some solo slices and a beer in your bike shorts." - aimee rizzo

"At the time this article was published, this destination restaurant in Frelard still had a couple of open spots left on Friday and Saturday for its stellar tasting menu. Valencian chef Perfecte Rocher is quietly blowing Seattleites’ minds with a dozen nuanced courses or more incorporate a staggering amount of fermented and seasonal wild-foraged native foods. For those who miss out, there’s even an upcoming truffle hunt and tasting coming December 14 with Rocher, professional truffle hunter Sunny Diaz, and her dog, Stella." - Gabe Guarente