Cozy Italian in Ballard

I am loving Historic Ballard Avenue. I mean, loving it. Tucked between the more 70's vibe of Market's main drag and the industrial railroad tracks/canal warehouses is a series of tree-lined streets with brownstones, historic buildings, a small park, bistros, upscale boutiques, and unique furniture and gift stores. It kind of reminds me of some neighborhoods in my beloved Chicago. Especially on crisp fall days, with the leaves ablaze in color and the wind nipping at your scarf-covered chin.

Our most recent gem here is Volterra, at Ballard and 22nd. On cuteness and coziness alone, this place stands out: a small outdoor seating area separated from the passerby by a wrought iron fence, glowing lamps on the outside of the door...and then stepping inside, you're met with dimly lit shades of deep red and chocoloate brown. Chandeliers, sconces and light fixtures adorn the walls and were apparently designed by the owner, Michelle (who owns it with her husband Don, after being inspired by the town of Volterra in Tuscany - the site of their wedding) It's one of those places that is warm, inviting and cozy, yet you don't feel like you are on top of your neighbors. Quite a skill to pull off.

The food is an amazing blend of Northwest cuisine and fresh northern Italian favorites. I had the roasted beet and arugula salad, with toasted walnuts and asiago cheese bathed in a light vinaigrette. It was refreshingly sweet, tangy and crunchy. The mussels with italian sausage in a light spicy tomato sauce was amazing as well. The mussels were the perfect size: not too big and not too small.

Our little group (we were taking an out of town business colleague out to dinner) enjoyed some delicious entrees. I had the Dungeness crab ravioli in a tomato cream sauce. Sinful. These fluffy pasta pillows were not just stuffed with a microscopic piece of faux crabmeat, oh no. They were packed full, almost to bursting, with some of the freshest crab around. I could have had 10 more if they had been on the plate (although the portion size was already generous). My husband had the beef tenderloin medallions, topped with chianti and served with mashed potatoes and fresh veggies. He said it was wonderful, although he makes some of the best steak I've ever had at home, so it's often hard to top his creations. And our guest tucked into the wild boar tenderloin with gorgonzola sauce. Sampling wild boar for the first time, I found it was a delightful cross between a really tender pork and perfectly prepared veal. It sort of melted in your mouth.

Dessert was delish as well. My husband and I shared a chocolate/orange cake (not on the online menu) and our guest had a fruit tart special (also not on the online menu) with apples and cranberries, if memory serves me right. Which it may not, due to the amazing wine choice our steward recommended: Pelissero Barbaresco Nubiola 2004. I have to say it was awesome that he came up to our table the minute we sat down and was able to fulfill our request for a "complex red" in our price range. It was wonderful. He even advised what we might order to pair well with it, which is why I opted for the tomato cream sauce and my husband ordered the beef. He thought the wine might be too elegant for the wild boar, but our guest so wanted to try that, that he didn't really care. And honestly, it was still good.

Service was excellent, as noted by the wine steward's helpfulness and careful attention, plus our waiter making some great recommendations. This is a great romantic spot as well as nice business dinner location - which seems odd that it can be both. Warm and inviting, we will be back for sure!

Photo credit: Bob Peterson

La Dolce Vita Lives Up to Its Name

My hubbie and I decided to be a bit adventurous Saturday night. Craving Italian food (maybe it's all the research I'm doing for my new book proposal) we decided to try a new place. We were both in the mood for more traditional Italian cooking, not nouveau/gourmet nonsense. Don't get me wrong, that has its place but I was looking for comfort food and a nice solid glass of wine.

Booking through Open Table (we love getting the points), we came across La Dolce Vita in Lower Queen Anne. There were some lovely reviews and the menu looked right on - lots of pastas, bruschetta, even this amazing pinwheel pork loin stuffed with ricotta and served with green beans and a root beer and stoned ground mustard reduction. Yummers.

Che bella! This place is a true gem. The owner, Chris, waited on us, as it was a slow night. They are a little off the beaten path but so close to Queen Anne Ave, it's ridiculous. The decor is classic Italian bistro, with burgundy banquette seats accented by a simple floral fabric pattern, tasteful Italian landscape art on the walls and just a few faux collonades that stop way short of being cheesy. Chris was friendly, amusing and attentive. We opted for the bruschetta sampler - one of them had roasted garlic galore (My husband made me try some, too, so I couldn't refuse to kiss him for 3 days) - and the Insalta Girasole: mixed greens salad with sunflower seed vinaigrette. Simple. Lovely.

Our mains were tortellini alla'amatriciana and pappardelle alla bolognese. All I can say is "WOW!" This dished were made with love. I'm a huge fan of the pancetta and onion marinara that is Amatriciana, but had never had it with anything but bucatini before. It was lovely with the fluffy, fresh tri-colored tortellini. And Paul's pappardelle was some of the freshest pasta I've ever had, ful of meaty ragu goodness with a little bit of a kick.. I always think it's a good sign when I can see the olive oil residue in the plate after I've had a sauce dish, as it reminds me of my mother's sauce. We cleaned our plates. We both agreed we hadn't had Italian this good since Incanto in SF.

For dessert, we ordered the Dulce de la Torat di Leche: Shortcake soaked in spiced sweet milk, sweet macarpone, raspberries, caramel, and nuts. It was rich, sweet and delicious.

Wines were a Barbera for me (which Chris let me taste first, always a classy move) and a Montepulciano for Paul. I thought the Barbera might be too complex for me, but with my heavy meal, it was perfect.

It was one of those adventurous evenings that works out just perfectly. This is our new neighborhood gem and we're definitelu going back!

Italian Shoes

Intriguing new book I found by Adriana Trigiani - a fictional tale of an Italian-American woman and her family's shoemaking company. Maybe proof that there really is a market for my humorous essay memoir called Chick Lit-italiano?! Shout out to Elisabeth for that moniker.

Hit by an Italian Asteroid

Following up on a recommendation, my hubbie and I sought out a "hidden" Italian gem in Fremont this weekend, Asteroid. Sure, that immediately conjures up red and white checked tableclothes, jugs of Chianti and mounds of fettucine, doesn't it? Well, technically their name is Asteroid Ristorante e Bar Italiani and believe me, this Italian was more than satisfied and happy with the goods.

First off, they offer a stunning array of innovative and traditional Italian cocktails, ranging from Negroni to Bellini to a lovely peach concoction my husband ordered called a Fellini. Campari flows from this bar like water at the Fontain of Trevi. I tried to be adventurous and sample the Negroni, a mix of Campari, gin and other treats, but that bitter taste knocks me over each time, so the waitress graciously traded it for a refreshing Pear Martini.

The place is in an odd location: it looks like the bottom floor retail space of a 2 or 3 story office plex in downtown Fremont. There is a lovely sculptured fountain in front and Asteroid places bistro tables there for al fresco dining. After you get used to it, it's quite peaceful and lovely. Inside, the restaurants and bar looks like it'd be a fun time for meeting friends and even dining indoors.

We started with salads. I was not overly nuts about my dinner salad of mixed greens (way too much arugula made it oh so bitter) but the vinaigrette was lovely. My husbands spinach salad with goat cheese was a better choice. Complimentary bruschetta was served up and it was delicious with a bean/red pepper puree on crostini.

Boasting tons of things we would enjoy, the menu will keep up coming back to try more delectables. We opted for this Spaghetti alla'Amatriciana and a Ravioli made with marscapone and artichokes dressed in a butter/white wine sauce. Both dishes were delicious. The ravioli was just pure joy going down your throat. My only beef was that the Amatriciana did not taste like the ones I am used to (although it was great) and they used a very thin, almost Ramen-type noodle - this sauce begs a thicker noodle like bucatini, which it is traditionally served with in Rome, or a fettucine. This way, the noodle can hold the thick sauce better with each bite. But overall, the dishes were wonderful.

Too carbo-loaded for dessert (until we walked down the street to Simply Desserts, more on this below), we left Asteroid full and happy. The service was excellent, they have not one but TOW happy hours a night, and they showcase jazz and wine tastings. I managed to find out why the heck they call it Asteroid. Seems the owner had another spot in Ballard, which he named after the large prop "asteroid" on the roof of the building they occupied (according to the maitre'd, this was a real prop from "Armageddon"). And then they opened up the Fremont location and christened it the same thing. Interesting.

As for Simply Desserts, all I can say is the Truffle Cake was to die for, and we felt better about it since we packed it to go and walked home before gorging ourselves. They bave a variety of scrumptious cake slices or you can order the whole damn thing, which I'm pretty sure would fill you up for a month. Mmmmmmm is all I can add to that.

So now we have not one but two yummy Italian joints in the Hood. Ah, all is right with the world.