Salumi Artisan Cured Meats

Most people in Seattle are familiar with Salumi Artisan Cured Meats. Their Pioneer Square location is known for their flavorful salamis and regularly boasts long lines down the block during lunchtime. When founder and local legend Armandino Batali finally obtained USDA certification for Salumi about five years ago, we were so excited that he could sell to restaurants that developing a seasonal pie became our top priority. The Salumi Primo was born with one of their favorite salamis, finocchiona – flavored with cracked fennel, pepper and a touch of curry.

It wasn’t long before we approached them about making a special pepperoni for us. Salumi’s Spicy Pepperoni has been a regular part of our menu since the fall of 2006. Always looking for a way to get more Salumi products on our pies, we spent last summer sampling a number of Salumi creations in various combinations – smoked paprika, winter salami, Salumi salami, sopressata, mole…so many to choose from. But it was their rosmarino that won our heart, a special rosemary seasoned salami that Salumi created exclusively for DeLaurenti Food & Wine in 2007. DeLaurenti is still the only place you’ll find this salami, with the exception of on top of our pies. Last September we introduced Salame Picante, showcasing Salumi’s rosmarino salami with Peppadew sweet peppers and fresh rosemary on our Margherita base of fresh mozzarella and San Marzano tomatoes. Many customers and crew declared it a favorite. We knew it had to find its way on to our regular menu.

With Armandino retired, we called his daughter Gina, who took over the helm of Salumi along with her husband Brian. We talked logistics since this salami takes a minimum of 45 days to cure. The decision was made to hold off until May and after eight impatient months of waiting, we are happy to announce Salame Picante is now a regular part of our menu. But the news doesn’t end there. If you’re not convinced our flavor combination is quite up to your taste, you can create your own pizza masterpiece with rosmarino. It’s available as a regular pizza topping. So are Peppadews… but more on them later.