Verrazano's Is Bridge To Variety Of Cuisines

Verrazano's Italian-American & Seafood House, 28835 Pacific Highway S., Federal Way. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m brunch and 3 to 10 p.m. Sunday. Nonsmoking dining room. Major credit cards. 946-4122.

Verrazano's has a sweeping view of the Sound, Vashon Island and the Olympics, and a vast choice of traditional and gourmet Italian, American and seafood dishes.

More than 60 dinner entrees, everything from seafood stews, lamb chops and low-calorie dishes to pastas and pizzas, make this Federal Way restaurant worthy of its namesake - New York City's beautiful Verrazano Narrows Bridge.

Ah, the pizzas.

The Ronnie! Ronnie!! Ronnie!!!, the spiciest of the bunch, earns its exclamation marks. It's pizza with a kick.

Dashes of hot Italian chilies are tucked under a thick layer of cheese topped with pepperoni, sausage and Canadian bacon bits. The crust is crispy, not burnt.

At Verrazano's, the dough is made fresh daily. The pizzas are made with Italian plum tomatoes, imported olive oil, fresh garlic, basil and oregano.

The Chicken Ronaldo, a breast of chicken stuffed with generous layers of prosciutto ham and mozzarella cheese, and covered with a French wine sauce, is very good.

My wife had nice things to say about the spaghetti and especially high marks for the ravioli, stuffed with cheese and topped with even more cheese and marinara sauce.

Neither of us sampled the seafood.

Besides the meals, part of the attraction, obviously, is the view. Perched on a bluff off Pacific Highway South, the restaurant, in a building built in 1928, offers a sweeping look at the Sound. When the sun is setting and the sky is clear, it's breathtaking.

Before the weather turns cool, the outside deck is a good place to enjoy the view.

But this also is a restaurant where conversation is king. The pace is decidedly slow. You won't be rushed through dinner.

The setting, with candles and white tablecloths, attracts people dressed to the nines as well as those sporting shorts and casual shirts.

Helping to set the mood is Ron Nacinovich, one of the restaurant's two New York-born co-owners.

He and partner Peter Fischer, both telephone company workers, opened Verrazano's five years ago after running Gourmet Pizza in Des Moines for three years.

Nacinovich, 47, grew up in Brooklyn, a mile from the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, which was completed in 1964.

But he says it was two customers of Gourmet Pizza who came up with the restaurant name after seeing a picture of the bridge in a book.

This is a family-run place where the owners, while they leave the restaurant cooking to professional chefs, take a hands-on approach. Many family members are restaurant employees.