Harry was born in Yokosuka, Japan. He was raised in Seattle's Beacon Hill area, which at the time was Seattle's Italian community. His first job was at Borracchini's grocery store on Rainer Ave. where he first gained appreciation for fine Italian food. He attended Queen High School where he lettered in football. He left and returned to Seattle after many years in Alaska as a firefighter to pursue his passion for food.
He opened Atlantic Street Pizza(in the University District) in the summer of 1989. With his secret recipe and the rest is history.
Atlantic Street Harry
15 comments:
11/19/2006 12:24:26
Harry was a good man. He was a restaurant entrepreneur, a great Husky football fan,and a true friend. He will be remembered for his enthusiasm for life, his love of food, and his undying support of the people that he cared most about. Go Huskies! Go Harry!
to harry"o"
go harry go.
to honor Harry"o"
Please continue your loyal service to ATLANTIC STREET PIZZA, the essence of Samrai Harry. Join us in a celebration of his life ( The Endless Party) January 13th, @ 12pm.Bring Food, Memories, and GQQd Times..
NO PIZZA!!
LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED
Harry and I met about 3 years ago through a mutual friend (he was dating at the time) and our love of music. We have attended many a jazz venue together to include places such as Chateau Ste Michelle Winery, The Triple Door and our all time favorite - Jazz Alley. Harry introduced me to the love of my life in a "this is not a date" fashion. We are still together now due to Harry's endless hours of consoling and cajoling. The lost of our beloved friend will forever be our heart's stain. I will miss pizza comfort and the eternal greatest guitarist, saxaphonist, vocalist debates that was ours ad infinitum. Heaven's a much brighter place with the delight of our Harry's company!
Harry was my breath of fresh air on my crazy nights in the U-dist. I use to walk up to Atlantic st. in my slippers and sit and talk with him forEVER!!! He would play his new music for me and even wrote a song for me called~ "she lika the sauce". (yes, I drank but I LOVED his pizza sauce. I would ask for sides of it constantly with my usually slice of cheese with pineapple) He was always very giving and loving. I love and miss him dearly. Thanks for all the good times Harry. ~ Rebecca
For the last four years Harry has been coming over to my home studio and writing songs and laying down music tracks. When he had an idea for a song he would write it down on whatever he could find to write on and come over. He'd sing a melody, tell me what kind of feel he imagined the song had and we would go to work. Then we'd bang out a tune. We'd fight and argue, and laugh. Sometimes he's come over and just crash on my couch. There's probably more than 30 songs we have written and recorded together in the last 4 years. He was always calling me up in the morning after his AA meeting."Hey Mark, let's go out to breakfast.That's what we did. Sometimes he booked 12-15 hours of studio time a week. He said it was therapy for him. Then I didn't hear from him for over 2 weeks...called the shop, Jerry said he had been in a coma for a week. I did'nt know. Saw him at the hospital the day he died. Sometimes demo tracks are hard to listen to cuz they're rough and unfinished. And for that reason these recordings are very personal. But you know, Harry didn't care. He played the rough mixes over and over again in his pizza shop just to see how people would respond.
So with that in mind I will bring these recordings of music Harry and I recorded together over the last 4 years to his memorial this weekend. I miss you Harry!!!
I am very sorry to hear of Harry's passing. I started working for Harry my senior year in high school, just after he opened Atlantic Street Pizza (Spring of 1990 I think). After high school I did not have much direction and wasn't sure what to do. Harry offered me a position as manager, which I took. I worked at Atlantic Street for about a year before heading off to college and that experience was great. (He also trusted me with the secret recipe and I have not betrayed that trust. I haven't even made the pizza at home for myself!) I am still amazed that Harry saw in me the ability to manage the shop. I wasn't sure I had it in me but he turned out to be right. Harry was unconventional in the best sense of the word. He trusted his instict and didn't give a damn what people thought.
He really cared about his employees too. He never insisted that the "customer was always right." The customer could damn well be wrong, especially if they were a drunk college student! He always gave us the opportunity to explain our side of the issue and backed us up when people complained.
One great recollection I have was when Harry was driving Marky Mark & Co's gear around the country. I was a sophomore in college on the east coast and one friday the phone in my dorm hall rang and it was Harry. He took me out for dinner and we talked about all the different things we were up to. Again, typical of Harry, he remembered where I was going to college and made a point of stopping by.
Some other memories from my Atlantic St. days:
*The wall of shame (bounced checks posted in the store for all to see)
*The bassemator (counter advert to Domino's "Avoid the Noid" campaign, named after a Lebanese fellow named Bassem (sp?) who worked in the shop.)
*Major snow storm Jan 2001. Everyone other shop was closed, Harry and I delivered pizza 'til 3am and then headed to the Little Bread Co. to split 50 lbs of pizza dough.
*The Atlantic St. Pizza vanagon
*Will the pilot
*Christine whom also managed the store when I worked there
*All the other folks that worked in the early days. I was young and niave and all you folks took good care of me.
All the best Harry O, may all your pizzas have spicy sauce
Pratigya
Harry...I can't believe one as bright and full of sunshine is gone. Wally will miss the snuggles on the couch and I'll miss the joy of you. Thanks for always being there with a hug, a piece of pizza, or as my friend at Mark's gigs so I didn't have to sit alone. Thanks for the memories my friend - so full of life you were.
I have been bragging to my husband about this pizza for years. I was so sorry to hear about Harry. I watched Harry open up Atlantic Street in the U-Dist, when I worked next door. He could talk for hours and loved talking about his daughter. I have not seen Harry for years but never forgot about him or his perfect pizza. Harry will be missed!!
I am so bummed! I discovered Atlantic Street when going to the UW around 1990. I was a semi-regular until a few years ago when I moved away. How I missed the pizza! A few weeks ago I stopped by the old spot and found it was gone. Sad! Now after doing some googling I see the reason it closed. Sad again.
I would love to know how he made his dough and sauce - it was the best!
I was a student at the UW in the early 90's. Atlantic Street Pizza was a weekly necessity (sometimes twice). Harry was always friendly and fun to joke with and talk Husky sports. Living a long drive from the U district now, I have only made the pilgrimage for pizza every couple years. This afternoon while watching the Husky basketball team play I got the urge and was thinking about making the drive. I was sad to learn that Harry is gone. He was a good man and will be missed.
Many moons have past. For some reason I was just thinking of Harry and the old Atlantic Street. The man was awesome and a maniac. He is still missed.
I discovered Atlantic street pizza roughly 2006. I told Harry I wasn't leaving till I got a job since I was smitten with that sourdough crust and Italian sausage pizza. He and the lady who worked the counter (who was pregnant) gave me a serious up and down look, and hired me!
He was a great caring man, who truly loved his employees. Quite a character!
I wish I knew him better.
No pizza has come close since!
Interesting to see the fondness for Harry. I worked at the frame store next door when Atlantic Street opened. Harry and I dated for about a year. He was a terrible boyfriend but a highly entertaining guy and made great pizza. I obviously think of him from time to time. I last saw him in 2004. He was crass and bawdy but made me laugh.... still have a couple of mementos of our friendship. I doubt that he’s resting peacefully as that just wasn’t Harry’s way.
Post a Comment