Via Rosa 11

"If you've ever taken the ferry over to Bainbridge Island, you probably know that a ton of buzzy restaurants are located on Winslow, a.k.a. the main drag. At peak times, it's hard to find parking, it's hard to grab a last-minute table, and it's hard to actually relax, which is precisely what you dipped out of the city to do in the first place. But breeze right past all of those, then past the gift shops selling sea salt-scented soap, and after 10 minutes cruising north, you'll hit a little market called Via Rosa 11. Pull over immediately, because this counter happens to serve the best Italian food on Bainbridge. Via Rosa 11 is exactly the location you likely had in mind when you felt the urge to board a commercial watercraft and sail away from Seattle. It’s a place to take a breather as you're fed exemplary pasta and pizza by genuine, warm people who pronounce “marinara” with D’s instead of R’s. It's a place to pop open a bottle of prosecco to wash down a margherita. It's a place to haul along a cooler bag so you can stock up on housemade sausage and tubs of soup to bring home. There are plenty of pizzas to be had here, as well as mix-and-match pasta-and-sauce combinations—but the best course of action is to order the burrata and speck pie. Between the smoky cured meat, pops of burst cherry tomato, and cold burrata melting on contact with a charred crust like a sun-drunk snowball, we can definitively say that this pizza is the best in the Seattle area. Pair it with springy fusilli tossed in vodka sauce out on their string light-lined patio, and it should become clear: this is why you got on that boat. Food Rundown photo credit: Nate Watters Burrata & Speck Pizza This pie has everything going for it—the crust is crispy, chewy on the ends, and cracker-like in the middle, topped with dollops of burrata and bundles of speck. There’s a kick from red pepper flakes, herbaceous crunch from flash-fried basil, and a drizzle of really good olive oil. This is the pizza that you’d gladly blow off a third date for. Or better yet, share it with your date. Vodka Sauce Via Rosa's outstanding vodka sauce is tangy and sweet, with just enough cream to transform the tomato into a vivid orange. It'd taste excellent on any pasta shape under the sun, but we're partial to the way it clings between twists of fusilli. Meatballs In Marinara There are clearly some red sauce specialists in the building, judging from this simply-seasoned marinara. The san marzanos shine here, so choose a complemetary pasta, like classic spaghetti, or ravioli with a spinach-to-ricotta ratio so perfectly balanced that the filling is bright green. And don't forget a couple of tender meatballs. Cannoli You didn't come all this way on a huge boat to turn down a crackly cannoli shell piped with sweet fluffy mascarpone and little baby chocolate chips." - Aimee Rizzo

"You already know Bruciato. But for the best Italian food on the island, drive 10 minutes north of Winslow to a little neighborhood called Rolling Bay. Via Rosa 11 is where to go to feel taken care of, and by that we mean it’s a comforting place to be fed pasta and pizza by people who pronounce “marinara” with D’s instead of R’s. Order at the counter, and then eat this excellent food inside or outside at a picnic table. While you can mix and match any pasta shape with any sauce, the best combination is fusilli with vodka sauce, and if they have the special burrata pizza with speck, you’ll want that, too." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley

"For the best Italian food on Bainbridge Island, drive 10 minutes north of Winslow to a little neighborhood called Rolling Bay. Via Rosa 11 is where to go to feel taken care of, and by that we mean it’s a comforting place to be fed pasta and pizza by people who pronounce “marinara” with D’s instead of R’s. Order at the counter, and then eat this excellent food inside or outside at a picnic table. While you can mix and match any pasta shape with any sauce, the best combination is fusilli with vodka sauce, and if they have the special burrata pizza with speck, you’ll want that too." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley

"The very best pizza in Seattle is, in fact, not in Seattle at all. You have to take a 25-minute ferry across the Puget Sound to get to Via Rosa 11, but we’d gladly make the trip to Bainbridge Island to eat the burrata and speck pie. The pizza from this little Italian market has everything going for it—the dough is crispy, chewy on the ends, and cracker-like in the middle, topped with bundles of smoked prosciutto and dollops of cold burrata that melt on contact with the crust like sun-drunk snowballs. A kick from red pepper flakes, freshness from flash-fried basil and burst cherry tomato, and a drizzle of really good olive oil brings it all together. This is the pizza worth boarding a commercial watercraft." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley

"If you're already enjoying the afternoon, why not board a commercial watercraft and sail away from Seattle? Via Rosa 11 on Bainbridge Island is a place to take a breather as you're fed exemplary pasta and pizza. It's a place to pop open a bottle of prosecco to wash down a porchetta panini. It's a place to haul along a cooler bag so you can stock up on housemade sausage and tubs of pesto to bring home. The best course of action is to order the burrata and speck pie, pair it with springy fusilli tossed in vodka sauce out on their string light-lined patio, and it should become clear: this is why you got on that ferry." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley