There are 15 new bars and restaurants that Tan check-marked as must visit this year. But there’s one opening that just might be the most anticipated. It’s called My Friend Derek’s. A hotspot for Detroit-style pizza, run by self-taught baker Derek Reiff. It’s in the Tangletown neighborhood, just south of Green Lake.

On today’s episode, Tan visits Derek at his restaurant the day before it opens to talk about what Detroit-style pizza is and what it’s like to go from a pop-up sensation to a sit-down restaurant. Even though Derek's new at this game, he’s a bit of a perfectionist who considers a four star yelp review a failure.

Read more about My Friend Derek’s.

Seattle Eats is a production of The Seattle Times and KUOW. You can support Seattle Eats by investing in the local newsrooms and the specialized beats that make this sort of storytelling possible:

Become a member today at kuow.org/donate/seattleeatsnotes
Subscribe today at seattletimes.com

Recommendations in this episode:

My Friend Derek’s, Tangletown

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Detroit-style pizza everyone’s talking about

Seattle Eats