Pagliacci's Ode to the Winter Pear

The slanted light of a Pacific Northwest December arrives late, leaves early, and rarely pierces the low clouds. We find warmth indoors, gathering with friends and family through long evenings for meals, holiday and otherwise.

As much as we love when our local farmers markets overflow with the abundance of the fields, winter still has fresh treasures worth seeking. With the fruit-growing season mostly over, the local harvest of winter pears always surprises us at the market. While the Washington state pear harvest is the nation’s largest, it is often overshadowed by our celebrated apples. It’s no surprise, since the state produces only a tenth as many pears. But our local pears are some of the best in the nation, used by chefs around the world throughout the menu, from appetizers to entrees to desserts. They’re full of complex flavors and more versatile than apples. If it weren’t so hard to find a perfectly ripe pear, the apple, which doesn’t have this problem, might play second fiddle.

The Pear Primo is Pagliacci’s ode to the pear. Because pears have an affinity for nuts, we complement their exquisite taste with walnuts and creamy, piquant Gorgonzola. Rounding out the pizza, we add mushrooms, red onions, mozzarella, and fontina on a roasted garlic oil base.

Try it before you deny it! While ranch dressing on pizza may be heretical to some purists, our taste buds — and the pizza’s legion of fans — say, “make it a large.” The Ranch Primo starts with creamy mozzarella, then adds chicken, smoky bacon, onions, and diced tomatoes. Out of the oven, we scatter fresh parsley and finish the pie with a drizzle of ranch dressing.

Our seasonal ice cream is Molly Moon's Peppermint Candy Cane. It features velvety peppermint ice cream flecked with crunchy candy cane pieces. Get it while you can.

Our seasonal beer is Gimme Pizza Italian-style Pilsner. Made by Bizarre Brewing, the Magnolia brewery and taproom that champions low-ABV beers brewed with unique grains. Gimme Pizza is a crisp, pizza-friendly Italian-style pilsner brewed with pilsner malts and kettle-hopped with Spalt Select and Hersbrucker. Floral, citrusy hops meet biscuity malt. (4.8% ABV).