Jet City Pizza Delivers Good, Varied Pie List

----------------------------------------------------------------- Restaurant review

Jet City Pizza Co., carry-out and delivery to most parts of north King and south Snohomish counties, 6830 N.E. Bothell Way. Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Checks and major credit cards accepted. Call 402-8111. -----------------------------------------------------------------

In the way-too-many-to-count times we've ordered pizza delivered to our home, I've never seen a delivery person work as hard to get us our pie.

The first time our family ordered from Jet City Pizza Co. in Kenmore, the assigned driver's vehicle got stuck in our treacherous driveway. After nearly 20 minutes of struggling to free his car, the driver returned to our door. After asking why he waited so long to ask for help, he told us he wanted to give us time to finish our dinner.

If history is any gauge, fast-food delivery is a tough nut to crack here. In the past five years the Kenmore and Bothell areas have seen several delivery businesses try and fail. Pizza delivery by franchise outlets, however, has remained strong. Nearly two dozen Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut, Alfy's and several other independent restaurants in this area compete to bring pies hot to your home.

Jet City delivers to most parts of Edmonds, North Seattle, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, Brier, Juanita, Kenmore, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Richmond Beach and Shoreline.

Besides offering free delivery, Jet City intends to carve out its piece of the pie by baking crusts, sauces and toppings they refer to as "gourmet." Diners whose tastes lean toward the unusual - or downright weird - will be pleased with the wide selection of crusts, sauces and 29 toppings.

Design-your-own types may choose from a thick beer batter pan-style, a fluffy sourdough and crispy honey crusts. Then ask Jet City to spread a traditional Italian marinara, pesto, taco bean or alfredo sauce on the dough.

By the time you're ready to order toppings, the combinations can almost be mind-boggling. Mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan and feta cheeses can be layered with shrimp, oysters, anchovies and crab. Meat-eaters may prefer Oberto pepperoni, salami, Canadian bacon, Italian sausage, lean beef, bacon, diced chicken and linguicia - a pepperoni-like meat, yet sweeter.

Figure spending $5 for a basic 10-inch, $8 for 12-inch and $10 for 15-inch classic cheese pizza. Toppings are 75 cents each on the 10-inch pies, $1 on 12-inch varieties and $1.50 on 15-inch pizzas. Extra cheese is about 50 cents more.

If you like a little more bulk, add some vegetarian favorites. Besides onions, green peppers and mushrooms, consider the more exotic cashews, garlic, artichoke hearts or lettuce.

Lettuce? Yup. Those who design a Mexican-style pie often ask for the leafy stuff to round out a concoction that more closely resembles a tostada than a pizza.

If the potential combinations and choices seem overwhelming, take advantage of the specialty pizzas Jet City offers. Eggplant is the out-of-the-ordinary topping on the Veggie Presto ($7.50, $11.50 and $13.50) which also features onions, green peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes on your choice of crust and sauce.

Bring along an after-meal mint if your choose the Garlic Gourmet ($9, $13 and $15), which squeezes pungent cloves on top of sourdough crust and pesto sauce and artichoke hearts, feta cheese, olives and sun-dried tomatoes.

Not spicy enough for you? Try the Cajun. This combo laces diced chicken, artichoke hearts, onions, sun-dried tomatoes and hot salsa on your choice of crust ($7.50, $11.50 and $13.50).

If seafood suits your palate, consider the Puget Sound Special ($9, $13 and $15). Shrimp, oysters, onions, mushrooms, feta and mozzarella and optional anchovies sit on top of alfredo sauce and a pan crust.

For a variation, order any three toppings and mozzarella cheese stuffed into a incredibly plump $5 calzone that's larger than most small pizzas you've ever seen.

When your end-of-the-month wallet is looking a little thin, try

the "pizza of the month," a large $11 pie. Pizza makers sometimes empty the cupboards of favorite ingredients to whip up a new featured pie.