Neapolitan Pizza {event} - The Recap

The very first Figs and Flights {event} was a success! To sum it up in just a few words the event was fun, scary, and worth it.

My adrenaline was high all night and my nerves really kicked in just before I spoke to the entire room. Once that was done I was able to enjoy myself, a glass of wine, and the wonderful food and company.

Relive the night with me, whether you were around for the original event or not.

On Friday night, 30 of us squeezed into the loft at Tutta Bella South Lake Union for pizza, tales from Napoli, and the chance to enjoy an evening with new and old friends. I arrived early and gladly set (and reset) the room to my liking. 

Welcome to the first ever Figs and Flights {event}, Neapolitan Pizza

Hello I dressed up, please come to my event!

Tables were preset with plates, glasses, silverware, and a guide to the event. Guests trickled in, claimed their seats, grabbed drinks from the bar, and settled in for food, fun, and conversation. 

The calm before the storm

It wasn't long before the seats were filled and salads were being passed around the tables. I always have salad with pizza, I love the contrast of cool and fresh greens with hot and cheesy pizza. We had two types of salad:

Palermo - arugula, orange, fennel, kalamata olives, red onions, reggiano, lemon, extra virgin olive oil
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Napoli - romaine ribbons, chicken breast, salami, crumbled pancetta, tomato, carrot, artichoke, kalamata olives, gorgonzola, house dressing

I don't eat meat but I made sure that each course had an options with meat and without meat, providing something for everyone.

The Palermo salad from Tutta Bella

The Napoli Salad from Tutta Bella

Once the salads were underway, I spoke for a few minutes about my reasons for hosting the events, my love for food, travel, and Seattle, and my hatred of the Seattle freeze. I talked.a bit about what we'd soon be eating and my take on what Seattle and Napoli have in common (spoiler alert: it's a nearby majestic mountain, an underground, and a fondness for Neapolitan pizza). 

Jason, the Restaurant Manager, told us a bit about the history of Tutta Bella and what it takes to become a certified Neapolitan Pizzeria. 

Then, after much anticipation, we got to eat some pizza. Again we had two different varieties, we started with a Neapolitan classic and followed it up with something figgy and fancy:

Margherita pizza - the Neapolitan classic made of tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves

Calabrese pizza - fresh black mission figs, rosemary, goat cheese, crispy prosciutto, and balsamic reduction

The marg pizza was amazing, classic, simple, and delicious. The crust and dough of a Neapolitan pizza is able to shine as the star it is with this perfect pizza topping trifecta.

The pizza with figs was next level and I'm glad we had it after the marg since the toppings were so over the top. For some reason I was expecting dried figs, probably because it's not yet fig season, so I was overjoyed when the figs were fresh and perfectly ripe! It was amazingly delicious. 

The Margherita pizza from Tutta Bella

The Calabrese pizza from Tutta Bella, made with black mission figs

By the time desserts rolled around everyone was having a great time and had practically become old pals with their neighbors. We started with a plate of cannoli and a few cups of gelato per table before ordering many more cannoli! 

While gelato is from Napoli, cannoli is not. It's actually from my (great grandparents') homeland of Sicily and it's my favorite, so we had to have it. Tutta Bella's cannoli was impressive. They use cinnamon in the filling, like our family's recipe does, and I loved the chocolate chip and pistachio covered ends. 

Cannoli with chocolate chips and pistachios at Tutta Bella

​The prizes were distributed to a few lucky guests. A basil plant for the folks who were visiting from out of town. A Tutta Bella gift card to the couple who bought the first tickets, a record setting 9 minutes after the link was posted. A bottle of wine, courtesy of Tutta Bella, to the guy who came late and missed out on some of the fun. 

The prizes that I was most excited about were the jars of Three Little Figs Jam. The company is based in Portland, Oregon, and their fig jams are sold here in Seattle. Three Little Figs was so kind to send me the jars to give away at the event. (I think it was my use of the phrase "friends in figs" in my email send off that sealed the deal!) They also kindly  extend a discount code for their website to my guests and readers. Use this link to get 20% off of your purchase from their website. The balsamic fresh fig is the variety we were sent and I'd be curious to try the citrus and smoked salt flavor! 

Before I knew it people were heading home after a long week and a fun night to get to bed and/or relieve babysitters. 

Guests all left full from a great meal and a few lucky people took home a giveaway, too

That, my friends, is how the event went. Overall I am pleased with what I've put together and so grateful for the folks who came. 

I was overwhelmed by all of the positive feedback from the guests who attended and I feel honored to continue to have friends and family asking me about how it went.

Thanks to everyone who reads this blog, supports me, and congratulated or asked me about the event. It means a ton to have you all in my corner of the world and the internet!

THANK YOU SO MUCH to those of you who actually invested your dollars and Friday night time in my idea and event. I know how precious those things can be and I hope that you left feeling great about sharing delicious food and conversations with wonderful people. 

Let me know if you have an idea, theme, food, or location that you think deserves it's own future Figs and Flights {event}.

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Join us for the next Figs and Flights {event}

If you'd like to come to the next Figs and Flights {event} get a ticket right now! It's Irish Hospitality on Friday, May 17.

Tickets are priced at $38 until May 3. Like Cinderella they'll change, at midnight, to $44. 

i need a ticket

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