Mamma Melina Ristorante + Pizzeria – http://www.mammamelina.com/  Located a block or so north of University Village in Seattle on 25th Ave NE.  The contemporary atmosphere will most surely please.  Enjoy the relaxation of outdoor dining on their resort style patio… or dine-in.  The patio comes with padded lounge options and a water structure.  Mamma Melina’s offers a sampling of Neapolitan Pizza, house made pastas, Insalatone, Antipasti such as Formatti Italiana, Bruschette, and Piatto di prosciutto, fish and meat selections, and sandwiches.  We had the Vegetariano and Pollo Sandwiches which are accompanied by your choice of salad or fries.  We chose the salad as a side and both were nicely presented on a sleek rectangular white plate.  White wine is served in an ice bucket to keep it cool on a warm day.   Upon entering, I was impressed with how airy it was and then noticed the art hanging above…very cool – check out their website for photos and more detail.

Bison Creek Pizza & Pub – Located in Burien, WA, this rustic establishment has been serving South Seattle communities since 1975.  It resides in the old Burien Theatre building and can see the original projector holes above the antique 1890’s back bar.  On this night, the four of us split a large pizza and a calzone and Chicken Strippers (minus the pole and the bad dj…the menu reads) were ordered.  The pizza is loaded with toppings.  There are 16 varieties such as Rod’s Wrangler Roundup, Mama’s Margherita Pizza, The Greek Goddess, Ray Ray’s BBQ Chicken Special, The Stampede aka Heart Attack, Home on the Range, etc… OR you can build your own pizza.  We chose the Meathead Combo and it was indeed loaded.  The Plus:  not greasy and  the Minus:  sauce was a bit sweet/too much tomato flavor…would recommend more garlic and herbs.  I will say that there was a lot of meat (full size salami and Canadian bacon), a bit too much maybe…I think next time I would like to build my own pizza – the fresh tomatoes looked good.  The menu also boasts pasta, grinders, salads (there is a salad bar as well), burgers, and something sweet.  For you local fans that might like The Men’s Room Original Red…it is served here.  www.bisoncreekpizza.com