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Coyote Creek Pizza Co.
Coyote's pizzas are the tops
By Penny Rawson of the Journal American
Redmond's "wild and crazy pizza guy" has moved to downtown Kirkland.
Bill Tamiesie, the creative genius responsible for the "best pizza on the Eastside" pick in my Best of '91, is at it again. Six weeks ago, with new co-owners Steve and Laura Brodniak, he opened Coyote Creek Pizza Co. on Central Way.
To his many faithful fans, this should be enough information to get them running to his door. But for those who have not experienced these delicious pizza pies before, I will describe.
First, he takes a round of hand-tossed dough and covers it with a thin layer of tangy homemade sauce; marinara, ricotta-garlic or pesto are the choices depending on the style of pizza. Next comes a colorful array of very fresh toppings, generously applied yet not overloaded. After a wait of about 18-20 minutes for cooking time, a steaming gastatorial delight is presented at your table, with the thin crisp crust that is so easy to handle.
Tamiesie's combos range from the traditional to the outrageous. Old Standbys include Pepperoni Pizzazz topped with a blend of four cheeses, and the Coyote Kitchen Sink topped with Italian sausage, ham, pepperoni, olives, green peppers and onions.
On the more unusual side are the BLT, using Italian bacon and roma tomatoes with a sprinkling of finely sliced crisp lettuce added after cooking; Taste of Athens with all the flavors of a Greek salad; and Texas Fajita incorporating a spicy chile sauce base with marinated chicken, red peppers, jalapenos and onions with--and be warned--zesty southwest spices. My favorites continue to be Uptown Chicken with blue cheese, walnuts, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, and the hearty Italian sausage with caramelized onions.
A local vegetarian favorite, Northwest Delight, features roasted hazelnuts, mushrooms, green apple slices and chopped red onion on a garlic-ricotta base. The apple-nut-garlic combination is a great match with a texture that is a mix of crisp, crunchy and creamy.
Coyote Creek Pizzas come in three sizes, 10-inch, 14-inch and 16-inch, feeding one or two, two to three and three to four, respectively. Prices range from $6.50 for a 10-inch Nothin' But Cheese off the Old Standbys list to $21 for a 16-inch prawns plus from the Fish and Fowl list. The latter may seem high, but when you can feed three people for only $7 each and there is enough food for a very substantial meal that includes prawns, I feel it is a very good value. By the way, half pizzas are also available.
Stuffed pies, available in 10- and 14-inch rounds, are a tasty option. These are special pizzas covered with extra cheese and a thin dough lid. Cooking time is an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Calzone, a stuffed pocket of dough or the layered and rolled stromboli, both filled with daily specials, are very good alternatives to the "slice."
If you are feeling creative and want to build your own masterpiece, the back of the menu lists available sauces, veggies, meats/fish and cheeses. I rarely construct my own; it's far too taxing. Instead, I prefer to add a favorite ingredient here and there to a Tamiesie combo. The addition of garlic-ricotta sauce to Prawns Plus is very tasty, as is goat cheese with a little extra garlic to the BLT.
Besides pizza, Coyote Creek offers four great salads of which my favorite is the Greek ($3.50/$5.95). It is loaded with feta cheese, pepperoncinis, kalamata olives, capers, onions, artichokes, cucumbers and peppers on a small bed of assorted greens. Please take note, the classic style Caesar is served on chilled whole romaine leaves and, by my experience, can get kinda messy!
A very enjoyable way to spend the wait for your pizza, besides eating foot-long breadsticks brushed with pesto sauce (50 cents each), is to share a large antipasto plate ($6.50). The quality of the food on this platter is excellent. It includes rolls of prosciutto ham, copa cola and salami, with marinated beans, pesto-sauced mushrooms, capers and olives. If you are really brave, try a bowl of Tamiesie's Four Alarm black bean soup ($2.50). Definitely not for the faint-hearted.
