Z Pizza and Yogurtland on Capitol Hill

For lunch yesterday, I decided to patronize two businesses on Broadway … one of them new, one of them brand new.

Z Pizza opened up on Capitol Hill last August, and I finally got around to checking out the joint myself.

I ordered the lunch special consisting of two slices and a fountain drink for $6.26. My first slice was a pepperoni, and my second slice was a tomato basil creation. If you care, my beverage was root beer.

Z Pizza is mostly self-serve. You go up to the counter, place your order, and your food is handed to you on the spot. You are given a cup with which to procure your own beverage. Of course, there is also a tip jar at the counter, but since I was my own waiter, I decided to tip myself. I found myself to be incredibly attentive, friendly, and if I must say so … handsome as the devil.

After getting my things together, I set up in a corner seat and devoured the loot.

Overall, the pizza was decent. I’ve yet to find the elusive “New York” pizza in Seattle, and frankly I’ve given up hope, but this was not bad. It’s a standard thin-ish crust Seattle pie with quality toppings. I can’t rave, I can’t complain.

The one thing that did irk me was the lack of plastic knives. I ride a scooter, and my hands get kind of “throttle-y”, so I prefer to eat with utensils. They had plastic forks in the utensil racks, but no knives, which renders the forks useless. I thought about flagging down the lone “waitress”, but she was engaged in a 15 minute conversation with another table and I didn’t want to interrupt. After all, I didn’t tip.

While I was taking pictures of my food, people at a table across from me were staring incredulously. Apparently, they found my picture taking fascinating. I looked around the dining room, and in addition to me, there was a guy with piercings all over his face, a lady with tattoos across her chest and up her neck, a Japanese girl in shorts and pantyhose (it was 49 degrees outside), and two guys in fedora hats.

Despite this scene, all eyes were on me. I guess I stand alone in the eccentric department. There’s unusual, there’s weird, there’s bizarre, and there’s me.

Whatever.

After consuming my zpizza, I decided to get dessert at the brand spanking new Yogurtland next door.

Now, this place is interesting. It’s self-serve frozen yogurt. I know it’s a chain, and I know it’s been around for awhile, but I’ve never seen such a thing.

You grab a container, put all the yogurt you want into that container, add as many toppings as you want on top of the yogurt, take that container to the cashier, and pay 35 cents per ounce, regardless of what is in your container. It’s a yogurt buffet.

Of course, there is a tip jar at the counter, in the event you want to tip someone for you getting your own food. Seriously, I will never understand these things. People can make up all the whacky excuses they want, but it’s panhandling. Nothing more, nothing less. If I had a business, there is no way that I would allow it.

Anyway …

I mixed three different types of yogurt together in my cup, added some berries to the top, and the grand total came out to about $3.50. Not bad.

The taste?

What I got was really good. Two types of chocolate mixed with vanilla topped with kiwi, blackberries, and strawberries. Obviously my frankenstinian concoction was different than what someone else would create, but I found my mixture to be delicious and very fairly priced.

I can totally see myself hitting this place up when I want to go on an ice cream / frozen yogurt binge.

Since both of these eateries are located directly across from the Seattle Central Community College, I imagine that commerce will be brisk.

Please join me in welcoming two of Urban Seattle’s new businesses.