This weekend we ordered a pizza — our usual: pepperoni, mushroom, and Kalamata olives — from Pagliacci, the best pizza place in Seattle and one of the best pizza places in the country. When it arrived, there was a note sitting on top that read: "This one’s on us! Thanks for being a great customer."

I heart Pagliacci.

I’m not just blogging about them because they gave me a free pizza, or because every time I call they know exactly who I am, where I live, what my CC# is, what my usual order is, and that I sometimes get a large salad and sometimes don’t, or because their employees, from the phone person to the delivery person, are extraordinarily friendly without ever being smarmy, or because their food rocks my socks.

I’m not even blogging about them because they’re a textbook example of a local business that supports other local businesses and local charities, keeps money circulating in the local economy, and serves seasonal and, when possible, local food.

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No, it’s the recent launch of their Growing Greener program that warrants (OK, justifies) this post. My pizza box this weekend was covered with environmental tips and statistics. They’re composting material at all their stores and using pizza boxes that (unlike most) can also be composted. Maybe best of all, they’re offering a $15 gift certificate to everyone who signs up for the green power option from Seattle City Light or Puget Sound Energy.

So if you live in Seattle, forget Dominoes and Pizza Hut. Pay the extra money to support a business that’s doing well by doing good. And if you’re visiting, don’t leave without trying it — green or no green, it’s the best pizza pie you’ll ever taste.