A Wood-Fired Pizza Destination Worth the Ferry Ride
Back in 2021, I had been in Seattle for just a month when the rain really started testing my patience.
One weekend, after staring out at the grey skies for far too long, I finally decided I needed to get out of the house.
We kept waiting for the rain to stop, but this was December in Seattle, so of course the weather had other plans. In the end, we grabbed our rain gear and headed to Bainbridge Island.
And honestly, a ferry ride is always worth it, no matter the season.
After spending the day exploring Bainbridge in the cold and wet, we eventually made our way to Winslow, the island’s most walkable little corner.
Something warm and inviting caught our attention, soft light, laughter, and the smell of fresh pizza drifting through the air.
Without thinking twice, we joined the waitlist for Bruciato, and the next thing I remember is sitting down to a wood-fired pizza and cutting it with scissors like it was the most normal thing in the world. And somehow, in that moment, it felt exactly right.
The restaurant grew out of chef Brendan McGill’s long-running love affair with Neapolitan pizza.
What started as a Monday-night pop-up inside Hitchcock eventually became its own full restaurant, and honestly, that makes sense.
The pizza had already earned a loyal following before Bruciato even had a home of its own.
Even the name has personality.
“Bruciato” means burned or scorched in Italian, which is exactly the kind of char you want on a real Neapolitan crust.
It’s a name that doesn’t try too hard, it just quietly tells you what the pizza is about: blistered edges, wood-fired heat, and a little bit of drama
What I love about Bruciato is that it feels rooted in place.
It’s not just a pizza stop; it’s a ferry ride, a story of reinvention, and a restaurant that turned a casual local pop-up into a destination worth planning around.