Tony Maroni Tosses Up Traditional-Style Pizza

Tony Maroni's, 3030 Issaquah-Pine Lake Road, S.E., Issaquah, 391-4800 and 107 Lake St., Kirkland, 822-3299. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Sunday. Takeout and delivery-only locations in Juanita, Mercer Island, Rose Hill and downtown Bellevue. Credit cards accepted.

Over the past several years, I've grown to expect (though not to appreciate) a cycle of one-upmanship among pizza purveyors. Depending upon which end of the market you survey, the race is on to deliver a pie that is (1) faster (2) cheaper or (3) topped with more outrageous ingredients than the competition. Tony Maroni's straightforward menu may seem like backpedaling to some, but traditional pizza lovers will be hooked.

My husband is just such a traditionalist. He disdains cracker-thin crusts dotted with goat cheese and pesto, but eagerly inhales the Maroni's special ($20.29 for the 16-inch.)

At the downtown Kirkland store the kitchen is open, so we watched as the pizza chef formed the crust by tossing and spinning it overhead, stretching it to the size of a manhole cover. Somehow, he managed to maneuver all the dough into a 16-inch square pan. Next he piled on the sauce, fresh red and green peppers, red onions, mushrooms, pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon and anchovies (on half.) The anchovies, often a bellwether of freshness, were topnotch. I also liked the thick slices of dry-aged pepperoni, which

didn't "sweat" orange grease like ordinary pepperoni.

Of course, not everyone prefers a pizza that could pass for a float in the Rose Parade. My favorite is the Neapolitan style thin-crust with cheese at $8.69 for the 12-inch pie. There also is a vegetarian pizza ($11.88 to $18.99) available on either crust, plus a short list of classic toppings for do-it-yourselfers ($1.02-1.43 per topping).

Though the cost is higher than average, Tony Maroni's is a good deal, even if it's not a bargain. I overfed a family of four with one 16-inch pie, and still had leftovers.

The menu also includes cheese, veggie, and meat calzones ($4.07 to $4.58) plus Caesar and tossed greed salads for $3.23. There also are the obligatory espresso drinks, but if you want to wash down the anchovies with a beer, you're out of luck - only the Pine Lake restaurant has a liquor license.

Besides beer and a short wine list, the Pine Lake Tony Maroni's also sports two nicely appointed dining rooms (one with a big-screen TV) and a complete menu: antipasto, salads, sandwiches such as meatball or sausage, 10 simple pasta offerings, and for dinner, several Italian specialties such as veal or chicken parmigiana. The house salad and spaghetti with meatballs were well put together, and the cannoli was terrific - the shell tasted homemade. Prices are from $4.95 to $5.95 at lunch; dinner prices are a few dollars more.

Service at both locations was friendly, but the Pine Lake store was understaffed for what turned out to be a busy lunch hour. One server handled both rooms and acted as cashier. Surprisingly, not a single person was eating pizza!

Restaurant reviews are a regular Wednesday feature of the Seattle Times Eastside Life section. Reviewers visit restaurants unannounced and pay in full for all their meals. When they interview members of the restaurant management and staff, they do so only after the meals and services have been appraised.