An Unexpected Turn of Events

Things don’t always go as planned.

This past Saturday we dropped the tent and took apart the pizza stand. We’ve been cleaning up the site, and tonight will be our first service in the interim setup. And, of course, the weather forecast is wet and windy.

Somehow, all of this has me thinking about the old Central Market pizza I grew up with. It was never fancy. It didn’t win awards. Nobody talked about it like it was “the best pizza in the region.” But I loved it. It was part of the backdrop of growing up in Poulsbo… Family pizza nights, sleepovers, birthday parties, high school lunches. It was constant in moments that mattered.

That’s what I love about pizza. It’s one of the few universal foods that ends up representing more than the food itself. It becomes a feeling. A sense of belonging. A table you gather around. A memory baked into taste.

And maybe, without planning it, we’re building something like that here.

One day, someone who comes here now might find themselves living somewhere else. And then they’ll taste a certain mix of cheese and char and garlic, and something will click. They’ll remember Friday nights at Valhöll. The music. The laughter. The people who felt like home.

I didn’t set out to create that. But lately, that thought has been keeping me going – especially as we head into the slower season, with rain and wind and a setup that’s not quite what it was. I believe that what we’re doing here is more than pizza, and that’s worth showing up for.

Hope to see you soon!