Cora Pizza & Plates opened recently in Capitol Hill, Seattle, and it is definitely worth a visit. This neighborhood Italian restaurant comes from the ever-so-talented Chef John Sundstrom and serves wood-fired pizza, small plates, pasta, desserts, and a refined wine and cocktail list.

The space is light and airy, giving it a welcoming and casual vibe. The menu reflects Chef Sundstrom’s ethos of showcasing seasonal, locally grown produce, and quality products.

Starters include crispy fried favas with almonds and spicy picaquicos, warm artichoke and white bean dip with crostini and grana padano, and our favorite, the pear salad with burrata, arugula, radicchio, and hazelnuts.

The two pasta entrees are a classic rigatoni with beef and pork bolognese, and a more unique spaghettini puttanesca. Wood-roasted vegetables such as the carrots with ricotta and pistachio are offered as well.

While all of the food at Cora is delicious, the wood-fired pizza is an absolute must. The pizza crusts are made with a special custom wheat milled by Smalls Family Farms and grains from Bluebird Grain Farms. The 11″ pies are cooked in a wood fired oven and are tender with the perfect amount of chewiness. Options include classics like the cheese, pepperoni, and margherita pies, along with a few pizzas with creative toppings like cacio e pepe (cheese and black pepper), basil green chickpea pesto, and mushrooms with caramelized onions.

Sweets include the lemon budino with kumquat vanilla bean conserva and dark chocolate crinkle cookies filled with chocolate mousse.

Cora offers a small and thoughtful selection of wines by the glass and bottle, two local beers on draft, and pre-batched Negronis and Manhattans, as well as simple scratch cocktails.

Cora is open Tuesday to Saturday from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm, and until 10:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. They are located at is located at 926 12^th Avenue in Seattle. Reservations are accepted for parties of 6 or more.

Visit www.coraseattle.com or call (206) 322 – 6304 for more information. You can also check them out on Instagram.