Ethan Stowell ventures out to keep it cool, cheap and choice with his new Ballard pizzeria.

You guessed it. Ethan Stowell and his team of culinary experts are at it again in Ballard (with more soon to come under “The Grubb Brothers” production name), this time with hand-tossed leafy salad, house-made spaghetti or gnocchi and, of course, lavishly doughy pizza.

Open daily for lunch and dinner, Ballard Pizza Company provides eaters with slices of cheese for $2.50 or the daily special for $3, while the whole pie offerings sit at $15, charging $1.50 per topping. Additives range from fennel or spicy coppa to anchovies, basil or garlic confit. The kitchen boys are happy to pump out half a pie for the smaller stomachs and stay open late on weekends (until 3:00am) for the inebriates to stumble into once the bars of Ballard Avenue have given them the boot. Not to mention during the month of June, they are delivering their pies free of charge to promote the service that starts that month.

Posting up on the south end of the culture strip that Ballard Avenue has become over the past few years, with clothing boutiques, kitchen and wine shops, 20+ restaurants or bars and counting, Stowell’s restaurant opening couldn’t have come at a better time. While the pizza contribution on the street has been dismal (the only option has been the Sunset Tavern’s Flying Squirrel Pizza on the north end), Ballard Pizza Company boasts a wide, roll-up garage door, two high-top communal counters to lean against with several two-four person dinner tables, six to ten rotating New York-style pizzas by the slice and a smattering of Italian and Northwest wines, beers and ciders — ideal for the season that is to come.

The Grubb Brothers, Stowell’s endeavor to “redefine” fast food, is the restauranteur’s new line of eateries that aim to nourish Seattleites with speedy, casual and affordable fare. Word around town is Ballard Pizza Company is the first of five locations he hopes to launch under the Grubb Brothers name, with the next one said to come late summer on 15th Avenue in east Capitol Hill.

The Dish: Pizza — Obviously? Although the revolving pasta options (listed as Spaghetti No. 1 or 2, Gnocchi No. 1 or 2) are appetizing and the salads are zesty and fresh, pizza is the reason why we’re all here. However, this dish choice isn’t necessarily focused on the variety of the pizza, but the dough itself. Grandiose and almost cake-like, the posh and eclectic toppings almost come as a side to the chubby crust itself. The by-the-slice selection is enough to devote your afternoon/drunk eats to, let alone the opus you could create in your own little flatbread world with the near 30 toppings that are just waiting to get exploited on your personal pie.

The Variety: This is where it can get a little tricky. For tomato-sauced pizzas, stick to a red wine with high acid, like Sangiovese (from Tuscany/Chianti) or Barbera (from Piedmont). For olive oil, pesto or general white-sauce pies, still shoot for bright acidity and clean fruit like Soave (from the Veneto) or Friulano (Friuli-Trentino regions).

Why It Works: As far as a pairing goes, the sauce will be the strongest contrast against the fruit in the wine, so playing nice and matching the wine to the spread underneath the toppings is priority. Acid, which tends to be the most fickle and protuberant of components in both, can only stand the likes of itself so entertaining the bright tomatoes with a bold Sangiovese or a crisp relative of Sauvignon Blanc might be the best way to keep the peace.

The Recommended Match: Castellare Chianti Classico 2009 — I’m partial to the red sauce and it seems Ballard Pizza Company might lean a little more red than they are white-sauce curious. This particular Chianti is produced from 100% native vines, mostly comprised of Sangiovese and sees about seven months in French oak barrels, giving the wine a sweet spice and creamy oak softening. The wine is succulent in red fruits of cherry and currant, full of floral tones, nutmeg and oak spice, with an unctuous palate that is polished with vibrant acid and sooty tannins.

Ethan Stowell’s mantra for The Grubb Brothers is simple to comprehend and simple to follow: he wants you to eat, drink and enjoy as much as you can possibly afford in whole pies and fat slices.

Ballard Pizza Company | 15107 Ballard Ave NW,  Seattle | (206) 659-6033