Mi Famiglia Wood Oven Pizzeria
At the base of the old bridge that connects West Linn with downtown Oregon City sits Mi Famiglia Wood Oven Pizzeria. We first stumbled upon Mi Famiglia on a trip to the hobby shop in downtown O.C. – we parked up above on the bluff and rode the elevator down to check out the electric trains – and were mesmerized by the scent of the wood fired oven as we passed by the pizzeria. It wasn’t until the day the Green Line MAX train opened in September 2009 that we finally decided to stop in for some pizza.
We were greeted by the warm glow of the wood oven, and seated nearby in a set of old church pews converted into a booth. Everything on the menu sounded good – Panini sandwiches, calzones, lasagna, soups and salads, and of course, the pizza. Steph opted for a veggie Panini, but I was there for the pizza, so I selected the Veggie pizza. Noah went with the Original (marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil) with the addition of prosciutto and bacon, while Emily went with a basic Cheese option. Mi Famiglia will let you customize your pizza from the ground up, and also offers gluten-free dough for those with allergies.
The pizzas take a little time to cook since they only have one oven, so our server brought out dough for the kids to play with, and then took it to the kitchen to bake the shapes the kids had created.
When the pizzas did arrive, we quickly learned that they were very much worth the wait. The crust was crisp and thin, as one would expect from pizza baked in a wood oven. I had tasted many pizzas in my day, but was not prepared for this – all of the ingredients, the variety of vegetables, the fresh herbs, and the wonderful pesto sauce, created layers of flavor that I had never experienced while eating pizza. As I reached the outer edges of the first piece, I could really taste the smoky flavor imparted by the wood smoke, as well as the hint of cinnamon.
Steph also loved her Panini, which was chock full of roasted peppers and mozzarella cheese, and was accompanied with a side salad with the house vinaigrette, which was also delicious. The kids also chowed down on their selections and we all agreed that we needed to stop in more often.
In the two years since our first visit, we have made countless visits to Mi Famiglia, taking as many friends and family members as possible to experience this gem of a restaurant. We have gotten to know the owners and feel at home every time we visit. The Kyle’s Favorite pizza is my overall favorite, but I often order the Veggie (with the addition of roasted garlic). Other favorites of mine are the meat lasagna, the Caesar salad (with anchovies), and any of their Paninis. The spinach-artichoke dip and the baked ravioli are my favorite appetizers, and we usually choose the canoli for dessert – although my all time favorite dessert was a chocolate cake with orange cream filling they had as a special one time.
Mi Famiglia is open for lunch or dinner, and is the kind of place that feels warm and inviting every time you visit. We still like to park up above on the bluff, and often take the stairs instead of the elevator. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend stopping in – I consider it to be the best pizza in the entire Pacific Northwest – it really is that good.