- Address: 1307 N 46th St, Seattle, WA (Wallingford)
- Type: Italian
- Pricing: $33/person (including wine)
- Rating: 4/5 stars
Yelp Reviews
I needed to take my good friend “the Rat” out for a birthday dinner, but I was having trouble picking a good place. The Rat is a cook in a Ballard restaurant, so he’s got higher standards than ordinary friends of mine and has a lot of commentary for any place he chooses to visit. So, I decided we’d try some highly rated place, and I took a look at the “best of” lists on Yelp.com. First on the list for Italian food was Bizzarro Italian Cafe, a small place in Wallingford. So we took a trip over last night at about 7pm.
There is only street parking available, but we didn’t have much trouble finding a space. The restaurant is located at 46th & Stone Way, and is a little difficult to see at first. Its kind of tucked in at the corner, and the sign was not all that apparent when you are driving north on Stone Way.
We expected a bit of a wait since it was Friday night, but we were in luck as the crowds just didn’t arrive yet. We were seated right away (3 people), which was nice. But then came the worst part - no waitress. We waited for at least 20 minutes before someone came over, but only to take our drinks. A random bread girl came by - we asked for help and she said she would find someone. We finished a whole plate of bread before the chick finally came over. She looked very busy socializing with some couple in the corner. All the waitresses seem to have that air about them that says “I’m too cool to help any of you peons.” I guess we didn’t look hip enough to order food.
When she finally did take our order, it seemed like she suddenly realized we were paying customers, and everything came out pretty quickly. I got the gnocchi gorgonzola, which was good but not the best. The sauce was lacking a little substance, it was a little too runny and thin for gnocchi - maybe it would have been better on fettucini or angel hair? The Rat got the bologese lasagna - and according to him it was probably the best lasagna he has had in Seattle yet. Micro-Monkey got shells and alfredo, standard tasting, not great not bad. Dessert was a large piece of house-made tiramisu. Pretty good, not too rich like some places make it, and I appreciate that she brought a large slice for 3 of us to share.
Total bill was $100 for 3 people, including a $35 bottle of good wine (… something “rosso” a favorite of napoleon’s I guess… don’t remember the name). All in all, I think they rely on the “crazy” eclectic atmosphere to bring people in. It’s good, and I’d go back if I could get reliable service, but I don’t see what all the hype is about. I’m sure there are better Italian places out there with better food for the same price.
- Address: 2408 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA (Belltown Location)
- Type: Italian
- Pricing: $12/person
- Rating: 5/5 stars
Macrina’s Website
A testament to how popular this place already is, we went at about 11am for lunch to a half full cafe, and by noon the place was overflowing. The bread is delicious, and is what makes their lunches so tasty. Most (if not all) of the menu uses organic ingredients.
I tried the “meza” plate, which is your choice of 3 out of 5 options. I had the green salad, the soup du jour (tomato & red pepper) and the crostini. All were excellent, and I was glad to have tried several things. My friend had the “demi” sandwich with a rice pilaf, which she said was also excellent. Our waiter seemed a little inexperienced, but was always helpful and was probably just new.
Afterwards, we bought some bread to take home and a devil’s food cupcake with a slight mocha-like frosting (not sure, thats just what it tasted it like) and some raspberries & strawberries on top. Basically, it took all my will power not to stuff the entire cupcake in my mouth at once. It was excellent, and I wish I had bought a dozen more. I’m sure it’s probably better that I didn’t, since I would have eaten them all for dinner.
Since it’s a little more expensive than I normally like to spend on lunch, it’s probably not a place I’d go very frequently. But, other than that, I’d probably eat there every day. They also serve some good smelling coffee, though I didn’t see what roaster they were using.
- Address: 4411 Stone Way N, Seattle, WA
- Type: Pizza & Espresso
- Pricing: $15/person
- Rating: 4/5 stars
Menu for the Stone Way Location
Attached lot means ample parking and the bus (#16 I think) stops right in front. It was such a nice day today, we sat outside under the trees and it was great. This also means I didn’t get a good look inside, but it looked pretty spacious and inviting. The waitress was helpful and mostly kept our drinks filled. It seemed like we could have gotten a little more attention, especially since there were probably only 1 other group outside.
I had the 4-cheese pizza, very tasty on thin crust with a good amount of garlic. I felt my pizza was a little burned on the bottom, but I’m picky about burned bread so someone else might argue that it wasn’t crispy enough :). The pizza was cut into 6 slices and was very large - only ate half of it. Three of us also shared a small house salad and there were still leftovers of that. Go hungry or plan on bringing food home.
The gelato was a nice finish to the pizza, and with a complimentary shot of espresso, how could you resist? We tried lemon, coconut, and vanilla-chocolate, all good flavors.
Since I went for lunch on a Saturday afternoon, I’m not sure on the service level and ability to get in during the popular dinner times. I will have to go back and check it out.
- Address: 2137 Second Ave., Seattle, WA (Belltown)
- Type: French Italian
- Pricing: $25-$30/person
- Rating: 5/5 stars
The 25-$25 Promotion Menu
We chose this restaurant for a girl’s night out, after hearing wonderful reviews for the place. It’s a little hidden, in my opinion, and looks small from the outside. If you were just walking down 2nd Avenue, you might not choose this restaurant at first glance. You would be passing up a great opportunity if you did, though!
Inside is a nice, clean, open atmosphere. The staff were professional and prompt, and always available. I didn’t feel like I was treated as second-class because I was ordering off the promotional menu, and the waiter was knowledgable and had excellent suggestions.
I had the seasonal soup (pear and squash? I forget what was in it, but it had a nice creamy smooth texture) while my companions tried the ricotta garlic gnudi. All were excellent. Then for entrees, also all excellent, we tried the roasted garlic chicken, creamy pear & gorgonzola risotto, and grilled portobello/vegetables. The risotto was a little too creamy for me, and in the end I decided I might have liked the chicken better. For dessert - super chocolatey eclairs for me and strawberry panna cotta for my friends. The chocolate was too rich after having such a rich entree, and I probably should have chose the panna cotta.
Overall, an excellent place, and I would go back again for special dates and occasions. Maybe a bit too pricey for the casual dine out, but good if you want to impress someone 
- Address: 15916 NE 83rd St, Redmond, WA 98052
- Type: Pasta/Italian
- Pricing: $18/person
- Rating: 4/5 stars
Google Link
I read some reviews on seattle.citysearch.com, and they all seemed to be very positive. We didn’t go for any special occasion - we just felt like some pasta for dinner on a Friday night. We went at about 6:30 or 7:00pm, and it was not very busy at all. Parking was easy (street, no lot), and as soon as we walked in the door we were promptly seated at a window.
The servers were always attentive without being pushy (one of my pet peeves), and my drink was never empty. I don’t drink wine, but they had an extensive wine list. I had gnocci in a red sauce with Italian sausage and it was excellent. At least for me, my entree was enough for two meals. I didn’t try any dessert, but they had a couple items and a sampler - it was enticing but I was already full.