On Dining: Tom Douglas has a pizza place in the oven

Uberchef Douglas and his wife and business partner, Jackie Cross, are planning to add a casual new place to their mini-empire of culinary entrepreneurship. Serious Pie, a small pizzeria, is scheduled to open this summer in the existing Dahlia Bakery downtown, which is adjacent to Douglas' Dahlia Lounge restaurant (2001 Fourth Ave.).

"We're just expanding our bread bakery a little bit behind the Dahlia," Douglas said. "That gives us a little bit of room to do a small retail operation out of there."

Douglas said making pizza dough seemed like a natural extension, "since we're making dough every day for bread." It won't be a thin-crusted version -- more like a medium crust, he said.

Serious Pie should seat about 40 patrons, Douglas said. He expects it to be open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. It will join Douglas' four other restaurants in Seattle: Dahlia Lounge, Etta's Seafood (2020 Western Ave.), Lola (2000 Fourth Ave.) and Palace Kitchen (2030 Fifth Ave.).

Douglas also operates the Palace Ballroom, an event facility, at 2100 Fifth Ave. He is the author of three cookbooks, the host of a weekly radio show on KIRO-AM (710) and the creator of a line of spice rubs and teriyaki sauces bearing his name.

Excuse us while we catch our breath.

Pizza revolution?

Douglas isn't the only news in Seattle za-dom. The friendly folks at Red Line (1525 E. Olive Way) say the city is undergoing a pizza revolution, and they're joining it, adding thin-crust pizzas to the sandwiches, salads and snacks they've made with great panache for the past two years.

Owner Katy Carroll, a former Pagliacci employee, wrote that the company "politely suggested" via a lawyer that she hold off on pizza for a while after leaving the company, but that she's now free to serve what she wants. She promises a light, thin crust "to underscore the toppings," a simmered sauce "balanced between the inherent sweetness of the tomatoes and the heat of the garlic and spices," and a blend of good cheeses.

Pizzas are available starting at 5 p.m. daily. Sandwiches will no longer be offered after 4:30 p.m.

Tom Black's back

Been looking for chef Tom Black? After 24 years of lending his considerable chef talents to other ventures, the former Barking Frog and Fullers chef is working on setting up his own restaurant.

"Probably 70 to 80 seats, casual elegance in style, food fun and unpretentious, service attentive but not obtrusive," he wrote via e-mail.

An opening, however, is probably still a year away.

It takes "a touch of crazy" to commit to your own restaurant, Black said, and he has always enjoyed working for other people. But, he added, "In the last couple of years I saw some friends start their own and the idea started to sink in."

In the meantime, look for Black's touch at restaurants where he's doing some consulting work -- currently Tini Bigs (100 Denny Way), where he's lending his touch to the lounge's new menu. He plans to update popular items such as the Besotes "Hot Kisses" prawns and the burger, but is adding new dishes with his own flair, such as pork belly with grits and mini-duck corndogs.

Black recently led an informal cooking class with sommelier David LeClaire, and he said there could be more down the road.

Brunch and lunch

Looking for something beyond eggs Benedict at Sunday brunch? Samba! Brazilian Restaurant (9400 Roosevelt Way N.E.), formerly a dinner-only place, is now offering a brunch spread from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. A rotating menu includes fresh Brazilian pot pies and pastries, sweet and savory roulades and crepes, Guarana fruit salad, a stew of shrimp, yucca and coconut milk, and a load of other options. Cost: $16 adults, less for kids.

After a three-year hiatus, Palisade (2601 W. Marina Place) is again serving lunch with a view, 11:15 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays. The menu includes a Seafood Louie ($15.50), a made-to-order shellfish chowder ($6.95) and applewood-grilled Marina Steak ($16.95).

Lumiere dinner here

Haven't been able to get to Lumiere in Vancouver, B.C.? Now it's coming to you.

Lumiere, regarded as one of the best restaurants in a great restaurant town, is collaborating with Canlis (2576 Aurora Ave N.) on a six-course dinner Thursday. Courses will alternate between Lumiere chef Rob Feenie and Aaron Wright of Canlis. Wines will be from Mission Hill Family Estate. Cost: $195. Reservations: 206-298-9550.

More crab cakes

We told you where we found great crab cakes (seattlepi.nwsource .com/food/269869_rest 12.html).

Now you're telling us. We had wondered if high-end steakhouses also would do right by crab, given that they're already experts in not messing up expensive raw ingredients, and Bill Ferren of Seattle says the crab cakes at El Gaucho are delicious. Fran Pope praised the work of the chef who served up crab cakes and other specialties for a crowd of 100 at a fund-raiser for the Sammamish Symphony at the Plateau Club in Sammamish. He cooked "the best crab cakes I've ever eaten," she wrote, delicately seasoned, with lots of crab flavor, and consistent throughout multiple batches.

Reader Elizabeth Schweigerdt suggests the cakes at Tendrils at the Cave B Winery near George. Morgan Alexander put in a plug for Carnegie's in Ballard, while Julie and Michael Copp swear by Xinh's in Shelton. A few readers said we missed the boat by not including Anthony's. The chain's crab cakes taste like 100 percent crab, wrote Bruce Elliott, and "my mouth is watering just thinking and writing about it!"

ASK THE CRITIC

Q: Hi, Rebekah. I am looking for a place that serves authentic corned beef and pastrami sandwiches like Roxy's at Pike Place Market used to.

-- Anonymous e-mail

A: We can one-up that and offer Roxy's itself, formerly situated near Pike Place Market but open since 2004 at 462 N. 36th St. in Fremont. The diner, previously open for lunch only, recently added dinner hours and cocktails. It's open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday-Monday. However, if by your question you meant Roxy's itself no longer holds your favor, Eats Market Cafe (2600 S.W. Barton St.) and Market House Meats (1124 Howell St.) generally rate high on our list.

-- Rebekah Denn

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