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italia pizzaMy kids order the same thing each time we visit i.talia – make-your-own cheese pizza.  They enjoy spreading the delicious marinara sauce on the handmade pizza dough.  Then, they sprinkle the mozzarella cheese in interesting patterns, often times sampling and licking their fingers in the process.

Sometimes a brave friend will make a bold move and add pepperoni to the pizza.  My kids look on in wonder but return to their old standby of plain cheese.

When their creation is ready, a chef slides the pizza into a wood-fired oven.  The open kitchen lets kids watch the entire process (yet more entertainment so you can peacefully sip your glass of wine).

A server promptly delivers the hot pizza and kids gobble up the handmade dinner.

Parents, at least in my crowd, often order the meatball sub or pear and gorgonzola salad.  Many interesting pasta dishes and creative pizzas, such as sausage and caramelized onion, are also on the menu.  Most entrees are priced under $10 to keep the family meal affordable.

Locally Owned Restaurant

A member of The Ramblin Restaurant Group, i.talia is locally owned and managed by Adam Adrian.  Located next to Westfield Capital Mall, the restaurant is a local business, staffed and patronized by Thurston County residents and visitors.

olympia resatuarntWhether we swing in for a quick dinner between activities or are celebrating a great soccer season, we always run into other Olympia families.  While Adrian’s other restaurants focus on fine dining, he created i.talia with a casual family-friendly atmosphere.

“My kids were six and two when we opened i.talia.  One of the reasons I built it was so that there was a place for our family to go and the kids could be noisy and run around,” he says with a smile.  “If you want to be loud, that’s OK.  It’s a clean, bright and fresh restaurant, suitable for families.”

Fresh Ingredients, Handmade Dough

Every morning, Nick Sheeran delivers dough to i.talia.  Using Adrian’s recipe, Sheeran also makes bread for Mercato and Ramblin Jacks, two other restaurants in Adrian’s group.  Using a starter, each loaf requires a 36-hour proofing period.

With more than 60% of i.talia’s sales representing pizza orders, it’s important to Adrian that the dough is consistently fresh.  While he wasn’t certain how many doughs and loaves are cooked daily, he did say that he buys 750 pounds of flour a week.  My quick math, based on my home baking experience, equates that to a lot of happily fed kids.

italia pizza“I have always had a bread baker.  Sheeran joined us as a kid, working as a dishwasher.  When he wanted to move up, I offered him this position,” describes Adrian who stresses the importance of taking care of his employees who created a full-time job for Sheeran by adding catering delivery to his workload.

Fast, Casual Italian Dining

Families pop-in for the make-your-own pizza and top it off with tasty Olympic Mountain gelato.  “The flavors are hand-selected and rotate through our case which was imported from Italy,” says Adrian.  “Kids can put their face on the glass to get ‘closer’ to figuring out what flavor they want.”

With ample parking and direct access to the restaurant, i.talia is sure to be a favorite for your family.  Dine in or take out and enjoy fresh, homemade Italian food in the heart of Olympia.

italia ice creami.talia pizzeria
2505 4th Avenue West, #108
Olympia, WA 98502
360.754.3393

Hours:
Monday – Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Sunday – 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

 

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