It all started with a pizza. The Thaitalian, to be exact.
Longtime Woodinville, Wash. restaurateurs, the Betts family, opened local fine-dining staple Italianissimo in 1996 and have operated it betwixt the burgeoning flock of nearby wineries ever since. There, chef and owner Kent Betts carved a specialty out of fresh, classic Northern Italian cuisine. But in spare moments behind the counter, he really liked to experiment. And one night in the kitchen, the Thaitalian was born.
That marriage of poached lobster, peanut-curry sauce, ‘slaw and cilantro gave voice to Betts’ eclectic variety of previous restaurant experience, and sparked an idea. After a period of extended urging by daughter and marketing entrepreneur Caylee, the Betts’ made a move on a space at the epicenter of Woodinville’s tourism district, and The Station Pizzeria became reality.
Rounding the corner of the building, past heaps of chopped logs for the wood-fired oven within, a white windowed door opens into an airy space where the restaurant team’s excitement for all the possibilities of local cuisine is as palpable as the aromas wafting from the open kitchen. This may be a pizzeria, but it plants its feet firmly in the “New American” cuisine camp, and proves it on the menu, where unconventional pies feature everything from pickles to poached pear to eggs sunny-side up.
The passion of The Station—“craft and community”—is best reflected in its beverage program. Its wine list is largely from Washington, with healthy splashes of Oregonian and European. Its six taps tend toward the new and local, with five of its current offerings hailing from Western Washington and one of the breweries barely a month old. The spirits behind the bar nod to the distilleries cropping up in every direction.
The Betts’ are still learning from their new restaurant, and they love sharing the process with customers. A recent beer-versus-wine pairing dinner had them sitting family-style with guests, volleying thoughts back and forth while Kent whisked away to cook up on-the spot samples. Though still in its infancy, The Station is a place where the local will continue to inspire this kind of experimentation. Some of it will go horribly wrong—and some of it will succeed spectacularly.
Which brings us to the best thing about The Station: in striking out to capture the evolution of the local food and beverage scene, this humble pizza house contributes to that movement which they champion even as it unfolds. And at any given moment, you can bet the team there is as excited about what’s next as you are.
The Station Pizzeria || 14750 Northeast 145th Street, Woodinville || thestationpizzeria.com
