06/20/09

Comfortable, romantic Italian

by katiecat18

We stopped at Girardi's just as we were heading out of Edmonds after the artfair. We'd circled around, looking at other places to eat, but nothing in the area seemed all that appealing. We're so glad Girardi's caught our eye, and we made the stop!

We were cold and drenched from the rain. Even though Girardi's has the feel of a nicer restaurant, we felt perfectly comfortable in our fleece and boots. The atmosphere inside reminded me of places I've visited in Carmel and La Jolla- Airy cottage, with a fireplace in the center, and a comfortable yet slightly upscale feel - The kind of place where you feel settled in to your seat no matter what type of chair.

We both ordered wine = The pours were generous, and the wine was delicious.

Bread to accompany olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping was fresh.

I ordered a salad with a unique combination of ingredients (baby spinach, tuna, lobster bits)- It was very flavorful - to the point that it barely needed dressing (and I'm a dressing person).

My husband ordered ravioli that was stuffed with cheese and spinach, and the sauce was made with fresh tomatoes and rock crab = He cleaned his plate.

The most fabulous part of the meal was the Tiramisu= Out of this world delicious!! = Disappeared from the plate in less than 5 minutes.

Price wise, we thought we got our money's worth for all that we ate. We'll definitely be back!

• Pros: Delicious food, attentive and efficient service
• Cons: None

01/15/09

Perfect romantic evening

by callmesweetheart

What a beautiful little spot!

One thing that deserves to be mentioned immediately: the lighting. They definitely use candle-yellow bulbs. This is wonderful -- it is incredibly flattering light and creates a beauful warm glow. The consistency of this lighting throughout the restaurant is inspiring. The restrooms even have the same warm glow -- no harsh transfer into whiter light here. Such attention to detail is refreshing. The only white light in the whole restaurant came from the paintig spotlights on the walls -- but one needs white light to see what the artist actually intended one to see, and the lights shine only on the paintings, nothing else.

I was having a bad night when we arrived, but soon after arriving, I was on cloud nine. My date and I were never rushed, never ran out of water, and were more than well taken care of. We sat, talked, and drank (I really needed a drink) for close to an hour, and our waiter just checked in with us from time to time, tending to our needs without hovering. When we were finally ready to order, he was right there to take it.

The food was spectacular. We ordered a bruchetta appetizer, and it was the best bruchetta I've ever had: large asiago shavings atop a wonderful conglomeration of vegetables, with a crisp round of bread underneath. We shared an entree of duck with the most delightful amaretto-brownsugar-butter reduction. Tender, succulent, juicy little rounds of meat beautifully arranged and sitting in a decadent-yet-subtle sweet sauce. A great sauce is the difference between a good meal and a great meal. The duck was served with zucchini and carrot slices, perfectly cooked (there are few things worse than overdone zucchini), and delightfully comforting polenta, perfectly crisp on the outside and soft inside.

After spending close to two hours slowly enjoying our evening, I almost felt like our waiter would miss us once we were gone ... he was that delightful. Overall, a perfect evening.

11/02/08

Our local favorite!

by seattle36

We've been to Girardi's over a dozen times. We love how we can have a great meal without having to drive into Seattle.

The service here is outstanding. The bartender is very generous with her pours : ) The staff here is always willing to do substitutions, even created a dish that wasn't on the menu for a out of town friend who was craving Shrimp Scampi.

We've had many things on their menu and have never been dissapointed. The restaurant is tastefully decorated and romantic.

This remains to be our favorite local restaurant!

• Pros: Great food and service
• Cons: none