The lunch line at Salumi is legendary, quickly growing into a wait of 30 minutes or more. By now, just about everyone knows that if it is a quick bite that you are after, you had best get there as early as possible. Try a few minutes before they open otherwise you risk them running out of your favorite salami. Rain or shine, the prospect of having to wait does not dampen the enthusiasm of the crowds that queue up for their favorite sandwich. Maybe they are there for the Coppa, pork shoulder cured in sugar and spices, or for the house Salumi Salame.  However, Salumi offers some unique salamis that you wouldn’t find in a typical salumeria.

Gina Batali from Salumi is proud to say that their Mole Salami is one of the products that sets them apart.  They refer to it as a “Salumi innovation – uniquely spiced with chocolate, cinnamon, ancho and chipotle peppers.”

Salumi founder Armandino Batali developed this salami after a conversation with a friend who makes chocolate. He was inspired to incorporate the taste of chocolate into his salamis. With its flavors of chocolate, chilies and spices, mole sprang to mind. After perfecting a recipe, he introduced it 9 years ago and it proved to be an immediate hit. It’s so popular that their mole and mozzarella sandwich is one of their top 3 best selling cold sandwiches.

We think it is certainly unique and like nothing we’ve ever tasted before. We feature it on our latest Salumi Special, the Mole Primo. It will be available for a limited time.

Weekends…two blessed days to either sleep in and relax or to get up early and enjoy the day or tackle those projects around the house that you never quite seem to get   to during the week. However you spend the weekend, several of our locations are open for lunch. There are the usual suspects, of course. Our pizzerias on the Ave in the University District, on Broadway, Queen Anne and Bellevue Square do brisk business around lunchtime every day for the hungry folks that are in the area.

You may be surprised to find out that some of our delivery kitchens open early on the weekends as well!  Our Ballinger, Bridle Trails, Crossroads, Edmonds and Lake City Way locations all open at noon on Saturday and Sunday for dine-in and pick-up. If you are up and at ‘em earlier than noon, you can visit our Kenmore and Old Bellevue locations at 11 am. Both of these locations offer pizza-by-the-slice, as well as whole pies.

So whether it is a late breakfast, lunch for the brave souls that helped you move or just enjoying the day off with friends and family, we’re there for you. Delivery service still begins at 4 pm.

We are happy to be throwing a benefit for the Friends of Lower Kinnear Park on the evening of Thursday, June 21^st, at our Queen Anne Pizzeria. Between 5-9 pm, we will donate $1 from every slice sold to help support their mission of getting more visitors to the park, sustaining its natural setting and celebrating its history.

First cleared in 1890, Kinnear Park occupies 10.8 acres of urban forest located just outside of the heart of Lower Queen Anne. It contains trees that are over 100 years old and boasts sweeping views of Elliott Bay.  Several trails that are currently covered by blackberry bushes and ivy are slated to be uncovered. Access for the disabled will be expanded with a connection to other trails in the Seattle Park System including expansion to the Helix Bridge on the waterfront. The park’s tennis court is to be restored and an off leash dog park installed.

Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about the park and to take donations. For a $5 donation, our skillful pizza tossers will be on hand to teach you how to shape, slap, and toss pizza dough like a pro.  We’ll see you there next Thursday night!

Ahhh…summer. The kids are on vacation and the outdoor festival season kicks into high gear to take advantage of the sunny weather and long days. We’ve pulled the mobile ovens out of winter storage. After hours of timed drills and practice, our crack mobile events team now has the opening and closing routine down. We’ve got a full schedule of events around the area where we plan to show off our mobile ovens and have a lot of fun. Where will we see you?

June 16 & 17 – Fremont Fair

July 6-8 – Seattle International Beerfest

July 13-15 – West Seattle Summer Fest

July 20-22 – Capitol Hill Block Party

July 27-29 – BAM Artsfair

August 10-12 – Taste of Edmonds

Much like its cousin the truffle, morels are some of the most elusive mushrooms around.  They have never been successfully cultivated and their short growing season means that when they’re gone, they’re gone, so they can fetch a high price at area Farmer’s Markets.  However, mushroom lovers prize their musky, loamy taste no matter what the cost.

It is true that sometimes you can find them in great quantities. For some unknown reason, they grow very well in areas that have recently been affected by forest fires. However, many times novice mushroom hunters can be standing in the middle of a morel gold mine and not realize it.  It’s not hard to see why. It takes a practiced eye to spot them among the roots, rocks and other plants out in the woods. John Cage, one of the most influential American composers of the 20^th Century was once asked how he would go about foraging for morels.  His advice was to “Go into the woods and look, and if you don’t find any, don’t worry.”

Fortunately, our friends at Foraged & Found Edibles have their own secret spots where they collect the delicious ‘shrooms. After they bring us the rewards of their hunt, we roast them with a bit of olive oil and some spices. We pair them with the delicious chicken sausage made by Isernio’s here in Seattle. This light, fresh sausage perfectly complements the rich, earthy mushroom.  After you taste it, you will see why people spend hours out in the woods hunting for them.  We’ve made it easy, though. Just give us a call and we’ll deliver this treasure of the forest to you. No foraging required!