Pi Day is celebrated worldwide on March 14, which is a perfect excuse (if you need one) to eat pie. Any kind of pie will do: fruit pie, cream pie, quiche, pizza, calzone, hand pies, piroshki, or any other kind of pie.
What is Pi?
Pi is the sixteenth letter of the Greek alphabet (π) used in mathematics to define the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. (Got that?) Regardless of the size of the circle, pi is a constant that always calculates to the same value: 3.14 (hence, March 14…).
Pi (π) is also an irrational number, which is a number that cannot be expressed as a simple fraction (such as 3¼ or 3.25). In irrational numbers, the decimal portion does not divide evenly and either continues infinitely (as does pi) or repeats (such as 1/3 or 0.3333…). The first 10 digits of pi are 3.1415926535.
Image: Depositphotos.com
Interesting facts about Pi
Pi never ends and never repeats. However, National Pi Day ends on 3/14 and repeats every year.
National Pi Day was first declared in 2009 during the 111th Congress (2009-2010) when the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution H.Res.224.
Pi has been calculated to trillions of digits with no end in sight. How many pi digits can you memorize from this list of the first million digits of pi? (While some math aficionados like to memorize and recite pi to 100 digits on Pi Day, we’d rather eat pie.)
To calculate the area of a pie, multiply pi by the square of the radius, written as the formula: area = π X r² or simply πr². The radius of a circle (or pie) is half of the diameter (measured across the middle). For example, a 9-inch quiche or fruit pie would be calculated π x 4.5² = 3.14 x 20.25 = 63.6 inches. The area of a 12-inch pizza is 113.1 inches. That’s a lot of pie!
March 14 is Albert Einstein’s birthday and the day Stephen Hawking died. What are the odds of that? It’s also the birthday of the master of the sphere: Stephen Curry.
Pi Day Projects for Kids
Everything is in Pi. That’s why Pi is so special. Pi has every combination of any numbers ever possible. Pi contains the image of every photograph ever taken or that will ever be taken in the future. It contains the works of Shakespeare, the music of Beethoven, and history that has yet to happen.
Pi is everywhere in the natural world. It got its start defining the circumference of a circle. So, Pi is in our Sun, in our coffee cups, and our car’s wheels. It’s in our eyes and in our blood. The pattern of our DNA is in Pi. Pi defines how well we can know the position and the speed of a passing object. It even determines how rivers choose their paths.
Rosie Research on Bainbridge Island offers free downloads for fun Pi day activities can make Pi Day fun for kids–of any age, including:
- Find your name in Pi
- Color by number Pi chart
- Take a random Pi walk
- Create a Pi Wheel
- Bake a Pi(e)
Enjoy Pi Day with any kind of pizza, quiche, or pie (apple pie, pumpkin pie, berry pie, etc.) – Depositphotos.com
Recommended Pi Day Bakeries & Cafes
Listed below are bakeries and cafes offering all kinds of sweet and savory pies in Seattle and neighboring cities. Some require pre-orders. For others, it’s strictly first-come first-served. Most places will run out of pies before closing.
(Listed alphabetically by name.)
A la Mode Pies bakes pies in-house at their Seattle cafes: Ballard, Phinney Ridge, and West Seattle. Enjoy them by the slice or whole pie. Favorites include Strawberry Rhubarb, Cherry, Grasshopper, and Bourbon Butterscotch. On the savory side, they offer quiche daily and other savory pies in West Seattle. You can order whole pies online for pickup or delivery from Shoreline to Seatac.
Aussie Pie Company in Burien features two-inch party and 5-inch individual meat pies filled with beef, chicken, or vegetables. You can order them frozen to reheat at home.
Dahlia Bakery in downtown Seattle/Belltown is famous for Tom Douglas’s Coconut Cream Pie. They also offer pie specials every month using seasonal ingredients as well as take special orders (48 hours advance notice). Their March pie specials are Sour Cherry and Key Lime pie.
Jack’s BBQ (Algona, Lakewood, Seattle/SoDo, Seattle/South Lake Union) features award winning pecan pie in addition to their menu of Texas BBQ meats and sides, including the savory Frito Pie.
Genuine Pie Bar in Seattle/Capitol Hill is the world’s first late night “pie only” cocktail lounge featuring savory and dessert pies along with craft and classic cocktails. Guests under 21 are welcome in the lower level.
Pie Bar (Seattle: Ballard, Phinney) is a family-owned business featuring artisanal pies and craft cocktails. The weekly rotating menu offers sweet and savory pies such as Bumble Berry Crumble, Boozy Nut, and Chicken Enchilada. Pair them with a pie-infused martini (“Pietinis”), craft cocktails, microbrew, cider on tap, wine, or their famous Apple Pie Moonshine Mule.
Pinoyshki Bakery & Cafe (formerly Piroshki on 3rd) in downtown Seattle/Pine St features baked turnovers using authentic Russian recipes and buttery brioche dough with savory fillings. These “hand pies” are great on-the-go snacks.
Piroshki on Madison on Seattle/First Hill offers meat, seafood, and vegetable filled buns handmade daily, along with pies and other desserts.
Simply Soulful Café in Seattle/Madison Valley offers a southern menu of soul food favorites that are deliciously completed with homemade sweet potato pie or peach cobbler.
Snohomish Pie Co (Mountlake Terrace, Snohomish) has been baking delicious, handmade pies from scratch since 1996. Their selection includes fruit pies, cream pies, pecan pies, and seasonal flavors by the slice or whole pie. They bake pies daily and often sell out. For Pi Day, they usually feature something special.
Village Inn in Federal Way is well-known for fruit and cream pies as well as family dinners.
Pepperoni Pizza – DepositPhotos.com
Recommended Pi Day Pizzerias
The Puget Sound region has an amazing number of pizzerias. Our list is by no means exhaustive but includes some regional favorites as well as hidden gems you may want to discover on Pi Day … or any day. For pizzerias located exclusively in Seattle, scroll down.
(Listed alphabetically by city or location.)
Resonate Brewery + Pizzeria in Bellevue features craft beers to go along with their Roman-style or “Pizza Alla Pala” pizza in a family-friendly atmosphere. The 72-hour dough results in a pizza crust with remarkable flavor and crisp-chewy crust.
Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria was founded in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood and now has restaurants in Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, Seattle: Columbia City, South Lake Union, U-Village, Wallingford. The wood-fired pizzas are prepared in Neopolitan tradition following strict adherence to the culinary discipline of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN), including the ingredients used and the cooking method. It was the first pizzeria in the Northwest to receive the coveted VPN certification.
Brooklyn Bros Pizzeria (Everett, Mill Creek, Mukilteo). Their thin crust New York style pizzas are made with San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy, whole milk mozzarella cheese, handmade sausage, and fresh vegetables.
Pizza Pizazz (Federal Way, Lakewood, University Place) has been a south Sound favorite for over 18 years. Pizazz offers traditional toppings and specialty combos in several sizes and are also known for their stuffed pizza rolls (like a mini calzone).
Pizzaiolo Wood Fired Pizza in Kirkland offers authentic Napoli style Italian pizza featuring San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, and favorite traditional toppings on thin crust.
Serious Pie (Kirkland/Totem Lake, Seattle/Ballard and Downtown). Hand-crafted dough, blistered in 600-degree heat until lightly browned, and finished with toppings like housemade charcuterie, foraged mushrooms, imported cheeses, fresh vegetables and herbs.
Astoria Pizza & Pasta in Lynnwood gets rave reviews for their pastas and pizzas from regulars who have been coming to the restaurant for years. They offer a long list of traditional pizzas and specialty pies.
Wicked Pie Pizza in Puyallup is steeped in family tradition using recipes from the owner’s Italian grandfather and pizza dough made daily, homemade sauce, whole milk mozzarella, and traditional sauces.
Cathouse Pizza & Pasta in Snohomish is a family owned and operated restaurant featuring New York style thin crust pizzas on homemade dough in traditional and specialty combos such as Steak, Thai, and Goat Cheese.
Pagliacci. (20+ Puget Sound locations) aims to deliver the best-tasting, highest quality pizza possible to the Greater Seattle area. Install the Pagliacci Pizza app to make ordering convenient as well as take advantage of loyalty rewards.
Rock Wood Fired Pizza (8Puget Sound locations). They have traditional tomato and white pizzas, plus several specialty pies such as BBQ Pulled Pork and Walnut Pear.
Our list of Seattle Pizzerias
Our curated list of Seattle pizzerias. This also is by no means an exhaustive list but includes some local favorites as well as hidden gems.
(Listed alphabetically by name)
Big Mario’s Pizza (5 Seattle locations) offering New York style pizza with a variety of traditional and trendy toppings. Whole pies featuring whole milk mozzarella, house made sauce and hand-made dough are available for dine-in, takeout, or delivery. For late night pizza attacks, Mario’s is open late.
Dino’s Tomato Pie on Capitol Hill (21+ only) features pizza and drinks. Pizzas can be ordered in a traditional round as well as square Sicilian-style pie. Choose from a variety of house pizzas or customize your own. Dino’s is open late.
Flying Squirrel Pizza Co in Georgetown. Their pizza uses handmade dough and sauce made fresh daily topped with Zoe’s Meats, Salumi Artisan Cured Meats, house made sausages, locally farmed vegetables when available, coffee from Stumptown Coffee Roasters, and ice cream from Snoqualmie Ice Cream.
Hot Mama’s Pizza in downtown Seattle serves up NY-style pizza.
Humble Pie near the International District is a rustic outdoor eatery featuring traditional wood-fired artisanal pizzas with northwest flair.
Ian’s Pizza in Fremont and Capitol Hill offers classic and creative pizzas whole or by the slice.
Johnny Mo’s on Eastlake and Edmonds offers TWO styles of pizza beloved by their owners, Johnny’s fav New York (thin crust) and Mo’s fav Chicago (deep dish).
Paranormal Pie in Rainier Beach features traditional, vegetarian, and Mediterranean-inspired pizzas in their tiny location for dine-in, takeout, or delivery. Specialty pies include Greek Gyro, Kafta Kabab, Zaatar, and Halal.
Pi Vegan Pizzeria in Roosevelt feature pizzas made with vegan cheeses and (cashew) ricotta, plus veggie toppings, field roast, and other choices.
Pizzeria Pulcinella in Rainier Beach features authentic Neapolitan pizza certified by the Verace Pizza Napolitana Association. Their pizzas are made with soft wheat flour from southern Italy, Italian tomatoes, mozzarella, and traditional toppings.
Proletariat Pizza in White Center features thin-crust classic pizza.
Rocco’s Specialty Bar & Pizzeria in Belltown offers classic and specialty pizza using house made sauces and dough and locally sourced ingredients.
Veraci Pizza in Ballard and Wedgwood makes wood-fired pizzas, but are perhaps best known for their wood-fired clay oven on wheels.
Via Tribunali on Capitol Hill and Queen Anne Hill bakes authentic Neapolitan pizza in their wood-fired brick oven. Built by a master craftsman who assembled bricks made from the ashes of Mt. Vesuvius, both (the craftsman and the bricks) were imported from Naples. This unique oven bakes up fragrant pizza enclosed in a high, soft edge of crust. As a member of the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association, Via Tribunali bakes up authentic Neapolitan pizza using specific preparation, ingredients, and method of cooking.
Windy City Pie in Phinney offers a deep-dish pizza that melds the three types of Chicago pan pizza, featuring a spongier, sweeter crust and caramelized cheese edge.
There you have it. Try any of these places on March 14, or any other day during the year you are craving pie.
