There’s a secret to making really tasty pizza, one that Daniel Van Hamersfeld knows well. It starts at the bottom.

“The key is the dough, and the sauce,” says Van Hamersfeld, who opened Van Go Pizza in February. “If you got good dough and good sauce, you can put whatever else you want on it and it’ll be great.”

The pizza is indeed delicious, and the salads equally delightful, and having a patio out back makes an evening out at Van Go Pizza all that much more scrumptious. You just may have to look around a bit to find it.

Situated off the beaten path, Van Go is located in the former home of Cafe Bistro, at 180 Web Street. It takes the name from Van Hamersfeld’s favorite artist and countryman, Vincent Van Gogh. Born and raised in Amsterdam, Van Hamersfeld attended St. Hubertus Culinary Academy in the Netherlands prior to relocating to the U.S. He most recently manned the kitchen and crew at the Vinny’s Ristorante.

Van Hamersfeld had a strong suspicion that Friday Harbor was overdue and would embrace a top-notch pizzeria. It appears that he guessed right.

“We opened Feb. 1 and have been busy ever since,” he said. “I’d say about 80 percent of our business is locals and they all seem to love the patio.”

And happy with the pizza?

“Definitely,” he said.

Open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Van Go Pizza specializes in pizza, fresh salads and homemade desserts. For more about Van Go Pizza, call 378-0138, or visit, www.vangopizza.net