Gastrolust

Rione XIII in Capitol Hill is the newest of Ethan Stowell’s restaurants, though at the pace he’s pumping them out, it won’t be the newest for long. This one’s a Roman-style trattoria that’s typical of Stowell’s formula of serving food that’s straightforward and fresh. Count on the usual categories of small plates (including salads), pizzas, [...]

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I never got to eat at Scott Carsberg’s Lampreia, so I absolutely jumped on a recent chance to try Bisato. I’d heard that the dishes are artistic masterpieces, and while that’s true, there’s a high price of admission for somewhat small works. And since eating involves more than the eyes, my taste buds can tell [...]

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It had been about ten years since my last visit to La Vita e Bella in Belltown. Back then I ate pizza, which I recall being decent, though I don’t think it would compare to the quality of what you can find elsewhere in Seattle today. Especially if I judge by the other savory items [...]

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Queen Margherita in Magnolia is the kind of neighborhood place where everybody knows your name. It’s also a restaurant where workers take pride in their pizza-making. The Caputo flour, silk to the touch, is imported from Italy. Pies are carefully handcrafted, dispatched to the wood-burning oven, and then pulled after quick-cooking. There are many varieties [...]

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One of Seattle’s hottest new restaurants is hiding…in a gelato shop. And even if you know where Il Corvo is (inside Procopio, steps down from Western Avenue behind Pike Place Market, below Kasala furniture store), you’ll have to find a way to get there during the week, preferably close to 11am and certainly before the [...]

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I can think of younger days…when eating like I do would have been unimaginable. As a kid, I was a bit fussy. I actually hated the texture of lasagna. Now I’m in Capitol Hill at Altura, where Nathan Lockwood serves up seasonal Italian cuisine in the form of multi-course tasting menus. I happily leave myself [...]

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Welcome to the first installment of my newest feature: Passport to Pleasure. As a food writer and sex educator, I’ll share hedonistic ideas for couples visiting various Seattle neighborhoods and more distant destinations. What’s ideal to a food writer and sex educator, you ask? With a goal of gluttony in both food and play, expect [...]

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After my “bento box of pleasure” at Chiso, I managed to squeeze in a second lunch during last month’s Seattle Restaurant Week. The Pink Door has been sitting atop Urbanspoon’s “Best Fine Dining” list for Seattle for so long, and yet I’d never dined there. Finally, I found an inexpensive way to try the Lasagna [...]

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It may not be the most photogenic dish, but trust me: Holly Smith’s risotto is sexy. The latest version I had at Smith’s Cafe Juanita was Barbera risotto with Asiago, featuring a fabulous brodo and red wine syrup–and showcasing stringy Asiago DOP (Denominazione di origine protetta, or Protected Designation of Origin, which, according to promotional [...]

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Café Juanita, Spinasse, Anchovies & Olives are Italian restaurants in the area that are making headlines and getting well-deserved recognition. Meanwhile, in Pioneer Square, there’s a place that quietly continues to bring classic Italian cuisine and service to diners, as they have since 1984: Il Terrazzo Carmine. White linens, white jackets, and an old world [...]

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