07/20/09

Best rustic NY Italian Food in Seattle

by DocMgr

I worked for years in an Italian neighborhood in the Northeast.....this place might as well be in South Philly or Brooklyn. A warm and friendly place where the owner chef and his wife and the wait staff remember you (and your kid's names) when you come back. The food is excellent and reasonably priced. Always a great variety of rustic pasta specials and menu standards. My wife and I and our grown children and their familes eat there two to three times a month. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings can be busy; go early or call for a reservation.

• Pros: Good food; good service; great Italian cafe ambiance
• Cons: A little tight inside; better when the patio is open

01/19/09

Not Note Worthy

by lovetodine59

I went here in Spring of 2008. it was a chilly spring and we sat inside. I think the appeal of this place may be the patio seating. It is very cramped inside. it was a week night and the tiny place did fill up, which actually helped the atmosphere. It was noisy and smelled good.

Our server was nice and knew his long list of specials & wine speech. But, it was a one way conversation. He didn't really listen, which is annoying.

We both ordered unusual pasta specials and for the price, I thought it may be the greatest pasta ever or the greatest pasta bust. The food was OK, not great , not horrible, but what was not OK was, that it was cold. That shows a lack of pride in the Chef and the server.

We both ordered pasta, so for them both to go cold? That's a rookie mistake. I think the special list was too long. A smaller selection done well, would have been welcomed.

In all fairness , it's been a while since Ive eaten at Casa d' Italia Market and Cafe. And things change a lot ,sometimes quickly in the restaurant biz. I hope its improved , but i wont be trying it again.

• Pros: Ingredients seemed fresh
• Cons: lack of pride and lack of sense of detail

02/15/08

Nice Little Italian Spot

by jojoseattle

First if you aren't Italian or from New York I take what you say with a grain of salt, since I am both. In Seattle there are very vew legitimate Italian Eateries and especially ones that last longer than year. The fact that it has been open for years and they do have oustanding food and Italian-esq portion makes it a must visit.

• Pros: Food, Staff, drinks, patio
• Cons: Size

02/14/08

HORRIBLE "Italian" food

by kerramichele

This was the worst food served to me in a long time. My boyfriend and I decided to go here because we both LOVE Italian food (I've lived in Italy and he's half Italian) and we really like little hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop type restaurants -- not to mention the Citysearch editors recommended it in last week's e-mail. He ordered the caesar salad and I ordered the minestrone to start. His salad was practically inedible because so much vinegar (not balsamic, but regular vinegar) was dumped on top of it. The minestrone was basically a bowl FULL of oil with some random vegetables thrown in, which were clearly a jumble of every frozen veggie you can buy in the freezer isle -- and all over-cooked.

For the main courses we both ordered a special; he a pasta in a goat cheese and pesto sauce and me roasted turkey over a bed of roasted potatoes and fresh vegetables. When I got my entree I was surprised to see that my dish was, literally, some turkey in a bowl with minestrone dumped on top of it. LITERALLY. I mentioned to my waitress that I had basically ordered two bowls of minestrone and she just said, "Oh, you're right. I never thought about that. Tee hee!" I was hungry to I started eating it anyway, only to find huge chunks of cartilage and a small BONE in my bowl. I never send things back but since all our food had been horrible that night (my boyfriend's pasta was the most oily thing I'd ever seen served) and it was a $15 dish, I told the waitress I wouldn't pay for it. She then asked the owner, who was sitting two tables from us in the completely empty restaurant, if I could send it back and he got really mad but said yes. He then proceeded to stomp around the 300 sq. ft. room bossing the wait staff around and scolding the guy in the kitchen. It was very awkward and uncomfortable.

The dessert we had was good and they took my entree off the bill, which is the only reason I'm giving them 2 stars. If you want good, rustic Italian, I recommend Machiavelli.

• Pros: Never busy
• Cons: Unknowledgeable wait staff, poor food quality

02/09/08

The best Italian theis side of Little Italy

by eriordan

The food is simply the best Italian in Seattle. The service is superb. The wait staff are all very helpful about the items on the menu, what items to eat together, what wine to pair it with.

You will find the ambience to be extremely attractive, comfortable, and inviting. The cooking is out of this world, the menu is always seasonal with only the best ingredients available.

You can go there on a date for the best date ever. You can also go there with your kids, because we all know Italians love kids, and the owners here are no exception. Kids are treated with extra attention here all of the time. You can even go alone and feel comfortable and get the best service in town.

The prices are very reasonable, especially considering the high level of quality you receive for the price.

I had completely given up on trying to find a good Italian restaurant in Seattle, since moving here from New York, until I found this one.

It really is the most authentic and delicious food I have had since moving here. I have been here for 9 years.

You will not be disappointed. Just don't forget to try the dessert!

• Pros: THE FOOD! , parking, ambience, the staff, the music, the everything!
• Cons: That I can not go there every day!

02/09/08

Best Italian I've ever had

by Aimee1207

We only live 4 blocks from this wonderful restaurant, and visit several times a month. The Specials menu Anthony cooks up changes frequently, is full of wonderful and surprising dishes, and is so tempting we have yet to order off the main menu in the three years we have been dining there. The staff is very friendly, the food is fabulous, the portions are extremely generous, and the atmosphere is family-style casual. In warmer weather the patio seating in the back is the place to eat. This is the absolute best Italian restaurant I've ever been to, and they make us feel like family.

• Pros: Frequently changing specials menu, friendly staff, excellent food, generous portions
• Cons: Not a large place, so groups over 8 or so should wait til outside dining is available, and call ahead.

01/03/08

Best Italian in Seattle!

by lovesmallbusinesses

This restaurant is fantastic! The lunches (sandwiches) I've had there are good, but the dinner entrees I've had there are amazing. I love it that their specials change - I don't get tired of their menu. I like the atmosphere there.

• Pros: In the neighborhood, locally owned, amazing food
• Cons: Hard to fit groups above 8

07/23/07

Wonderful Italian in the heart of Ravenna

by dheisler1

We signed our real estate purchase & sale agreement at this wonderful Italian Ravenna neighborhood restaurant five years ago and have been coming back ever since. While some native Italians may question the creative liberties taken by the chef Anthony, others like ourselves "live" to see the specials menu, which includes favorites such as roasted goat with wild vegetables, wild boar sausage with pasta, and any pasta with a cream sauce. Chef Anthony goes out of his way to find the most authentic, unique, and pleasing ingredients and each and every dish carries his distinct signature. Be sure to finish off dinner with Angelie's (the Chef's wife and hostess) homemade cheese cake, or in the summer the lemons from the Amalfi Coast filled with Lemoncello flavored sorbet.

Casa D'Italia Market & Cafe is the perfect neighborhood restaurant that keeps you coming back for more. Perfect for families, romantics and those looking for excellent Italian food.

• Pros: Teriffic neighborhood restaurant

07/22/07

Below Normal Authentic NY Parm

by bjs11253

Not impressed - I called ahead as to what was on to the menu..I thought it sounded good, being from Jersey, I was looking for a taste from home, VERY DISAPPOINTED - totally overcharged ($13) - I got a hoagie sausage/MB Parm with NO mozzarella and NO sauce (gravy) asked for peppers and onions and got charged $2 extra - what the f???? The waitress was sweet, but the food was mediodcre, I can't believe that this is an authentic Jersey/NY establishment - the Parm was unacceptible. I won't go back - NO Parking - The place is below normal in all aspects

01/11/07

Wonderful, innovative Italian food

by bistecca

We live in the neighborhood and frequent this restaurant. While small, the service is always friendly and efficient and the food is outstanding. Anthony makes it a point to find the freshest, most innovative ingredients for his dishes, and the menu changes daily. The menu is one of the most unique we've found anywhere in Seattle... where else can you find turkey meatballs with anise, goat and venison ragout, and locally made italian sausage served over pasta with beets and gorgonzola? For less adventurous diners there are more standard options... the basic meatballs melt in your mouth and never disappoint and the sandwiches are fabulous.

Anyone who has been to Italy and/or enjoys creative high quality cuisine will appreciate this "hidden treasure"!

• Pros: Creative menu, friendly service
• Cons: Small, limited number of tables