Snoose Junction

2305 NW Market Street

http://www.snoosejunctionpizzeria.com/

Hours:

Sunday- Monday: 11:30 a.m.- 8 p.m.

Tuesday - Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. - Midnight

Thursday - Saturday: 11:30 a.m. - 3 a.m.

By Patricia Devine

and Jim Anderson

With the appearance of Snoose Junction, the new and promising pizza establishment in the "SoNoMa" District (just south of the perpetually-under-construction NoMa condos), pizza gets a jump-start in an area crying out for the fresh approach embraced by this Market Street newcomer.

It's a well-known and medically proven fact that that life cannot be sustained for extended periods of time without pizza - and with pizza's permanent place on the list of the four food and drink establishments every true neighborhood requires (pizza, burgers, Italian, and Asian), the arrival of Snoose Junction is timely indeed.

It's hard to think of many ways to beat spending a little time with family or friends at this warm and friendly venue.

For starters, Snoose Junction makes some mighty fine food, featuring fresh and local ingredients from small farms and neighborhood businesses. But what really adds value to this place is their ability to provide food and ambiance to match the spectacular diversity, which is part of the new Ballard. Customers range from the industrial clad and convivial-looking 30 year old guys with finely-needled tattoos on their head and face, to young families with small children playing with the prominent train set; from "Squaresville" middle-aged moms and dads, ducking in for a quick bite and a glass of beer after the Ballard High basketball game to your regular Ballard hipsters (the train set folds up at late at night for extra party room). Big screen LCD TVs silently cater to the sports-minded, while pinball machines in the back offer activity for the game-minded diner.

High ceilings and wood surfaces make the restaurant open and casual, perfectly kid-friendly. Up front, a tidy little play area provides a nice place for our three-foot and under friends to gather and push little wooden vehicles around a cute little track. The way the play area is set-up, it's easy for mom and dad to sit at a table, eat some pizza, quaff a beverage, keep an eye on the little one, and watch a basketball game from one comfortable perch, with minimal rubber-necking required. Now that's design!

Snoose Junction's building used to house the "mini-City Hall," the Seattle city offices where Ballardites could appeal parking tickets, pay city utility bills and register to vote. The building was apparently a gold mine of architectural gems, and Snoose Junction has incorporated that plus some to create a warm, interesting, and whimsical space with enough character to match the quality food. Much of the interior is from recycled and salvaged materials, including hilarious doors from the Western District Courts Building. The sadly departed Leilani Lanes lives on via the tabletops, made from the Leilani Lanes floors. When you go, poke around the hallway back by the bathrooms and look at the great "Witness Room" and "Judges Chambers" doors, straight out of a Perry Mason episode.

But hey, what are we doin' yapping about the architecture, let's talk pizza! We had the "White Pizza" ($22) which is a real contender. With mozzarella, provolone and Parmesan there's plenty of white cheese to go around. Red onions and fresh tomatoes top this attractive pie, and the unlikely presence of Yukon potatoes really adds a hearty and meaty texture.

We also had "The Classic" ($15), with sausage, red sauce and mozzarella. The meat is discreetly hidden with an ultra-fine grind, and we almost called in the meat-detectives to make sure it was on the pizza, but we found it, and we ended up liking the darned thing. Pizza may also be procured by the voluminous slice, and at $3 they are priced right.

A menu highlight is the antipasto platter with seasonal vegetables pickled or grilled, cured meats and cheeses, served with grilled Columbia bread ($8.50). It's just the thing for two to four diners to snack on while waiting for their pizza.

Build your own pizza if nothing on the menu strikes your fancy. Anchovies are abundant when chosen as an ingredient, so look out if you don't have a high tolerance. Pizzas have a homemade feel and in fact they grate the cheese and slice the meat on the premises for extra freshness.

Watch for the Panini section of the menu to expand soon into "Panini and Grinders." We know we'll be back to try the meatball sandwich.

The staff could not be friendlier, and their sincere and smiling style had us all commenting on the "good-vibe" of the place. People-watching is also top-notch, and the eclectic mix of young and old, hip and square, kids and adults makes for a delightful blend of customers, all of whom appear to be very happy with their food.

While at first glance, the prices can seem a might bit on the robust side, we ended up feeding four hungry adults and a sort-of hungry five -year old for a very reasonable price. One of the real sparkling attributes at "The Snooser" is a value-packed wine list. We had a bottle of the 2002 Spruce Goose Pinot Noir for 25 bucks, and it had all of us nodding and raising our eyebrows with the excitement that only a wine-find can bring. It was a perfect accompaniment for the hearty fare, and left us with a mild glow as we headed out into the chilly air of a winter Ballard evening.

Patricia Devine and Jim Anderson may be reached via bnteditor@robinsonnews.com