How Wood-Fire Ovens Make For A Perfect Sunday

La Fiamma Wood Fire Pizza - Pizza and Italian (4 Stars)

http://www.lafiamma.com

I first learned about La Fiamma when my then roommate (and long-time best friend) Chris said he was applying for a job there and casually mentioned how fantastic their pizza was. According to their website: "An immediate sensation, Dan and Ken’s restaurant was showered with acclaim, winning the Best New Business and Bellingham’s Best Pizza awards, as well as garnering two Best Recipe awards in the National Association of Pizza Operators (NAPO) International Recipe Contest." That was in 1998, and I've been a hearty fan ever since.

That fanaticism has proven over the years to be the perfect companion to a Sunday afternoon and a casual, not-too-lengthy drive up to Bellingham. La Fiamma's decor is upscale with its aluminum table tops and chairs, yet accessible and feels more like a great place to hang out with your family and friends. Of course, the pizza "is not burnt - it's kissed by the flame!!" and who can resist such a charming, delicious kiss?

Despite knowing for sure I was going to order pizza (well, to be honest: pizzas), and despite Dan and I taking forever to decide how to best half-and-half our options to maximize our dining pleasure, I had to start with a salad. Arriving with crispy, leafy mixed greens, shaved carrots, a sprinkling of sunflower seeds, shredded mound of cheese, and a hearty saucing of an amazing house-made "Sudden Valley Ranch", the Green Salad was exactly what you'd hope for in a house salad. The side is large enough to whet your appetite, though it can be ordered in a gigantic "party size" that serves 10 if you're feeling extra generous (or greedy!).

Speaking of our half-and-halfing, our first pizza combination united The Bella and Pizza Diablo. With its spicy tomato sauce, shitake and white mushrooms, green and yellow zucchini, Kalamata olives, feta and mozzarella cheeses, red onions and red peppers, and sprinkled with black sesame seeds (yes, it's practically the kitchen sink), The Bella is a veggie lover's dream. The vegetables were perfectly cooked with plenty of bite left to offer crunch atop the chewy thin-crust pizza and the sauce offered just enough kick to keep your mouth happy.

Despite all that yumm, the Pizza Diablo was no slouch either. As the name suggested, the tomato sauce was spicy, Insernios Italian link sausage was the hot variety, and the pickled cherry peppers and mozzarella were a perfect tangy and creamy pairing. This isn't the pizza for serious burn fans, but there's enough warming and a solid tickle in the back of the throat (which seems to be more heat that most can handle in the Pacific Northwest). You can always add more hot red pepper flakes if the need for true heat is calling.

Our second attempt at our "taste everything possible in one sitting" affair combined the Greek Havoc and the Chicken Potato pizzas.

The Greek Havoc is another of La Fiamma's vegetarian selections. It starts with their herbed white sauce and ends with red bell peppers, Roma tomatoes, grilled artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives, fresh spinach, and feta and mozzarella cheeses. At first blush, it looks similar to The Bella, but it's the sauce that keeps the flavor of these two worlds apart. Even the vegetables on that half of the pizza seemed creamy thanks to the grilled artichoke hearts and Roma tomatoes. Bottom line: herbs + white + sauce = divine.

The pizza got even better being paired with the Chicken Potato Pizza. It featured a roasted, onion-garlic potato sauce. Oh, and the smoked chicken, fire-roasted rosemary potatoes, smoked mozzarella, and balsamic vinegar syrup were hearty and unconventional. Yes, the smokey chicken and cheese made for a wonderful bite (after bite, after bite), but it was the rich, tangy balsamic syrup that really put the pizza over the top and moved it from an average pizza into a fantastic pizza.

The only two points of disagreement between Dan and I on the star rating for La Fiamma were that he prefers pizza loaded to the gills with toppings, while I am more impressed by the quality and flavor of the ingredients, and he was hoping for a bit more spice in the Pizza "Diablo". For this particular dining experience, we agreed on a 4 Star review. (It wasn't until after we had shared a few other pizza pies from other restaurants that he decided to agree with my 4.5 Stars rating. Maybe next time, La Fiamma.)

Whether it's the Wood-Fire S'more complete with caramel and Belgian chocolate or the perfect "stolen" Rosemary Lemonade recipe (you really should try that!), La Fiamma serves continually delicious salads, pasta, and flame-kissed pizzas that should definitely be included in your next visit to Bellingham.