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10 Best Restaurants 2009

By Kathryn Robinson

Cascina Spinasse

1531 14th Ave, Capitol Hill, 206-251-7673; spinasse.com

THE VISION
“I knew that the original chef, Justin Neidermeyer, was looking to ease out of Spinasse; in his heart he’d been wanting to get back to Italy for a long time. This was a great opportunity for me. I’ve been to Piedmont, that’s the food I just love to make. I love the way they eat in Piedmont. The wine is so amazing, they keep the food simple so as not to overwhelm it. I’m not going to change the pastas. Everyone who comes here gets pasta. But if anything bugged me about the menu, it was that the big family-style portions kept people from ordering anything else. Other areas were getting overlooked. We added more portion-size flexibility so people can comfortably have antipasti, primi, and secondi. In Piedmont pasta is the centerpiece of the meal—but still a piece of the meal.” Jason Stratton, chef, Cascina Spinasse

Img_6302

Will you still make us pasta when you are a star?

THE VERDICT
That’s Pike/Pine peeking through the lace curtains, but in the steamy room with the wrought-iron chandeliers and the long, hand-hewn plank tables—those tables filled with sybarites lingering over Campari or lush semifreddo—you’re deep in the chestnut hills of Piedmont.

Cascina Spinasse is the most Old World restaurant in Seattle. It opened a year ago with Justin Neidermeyer at the helm, an artisan pasta maker so enamored of his source material he soon decamped back to the Piedmont where he apprenticed. Enter Jason Stratton, who trained with Neidermeyer and therefore knew just how many egg yolks it takes to fashion the rich, delicate pasta called tajarin. Each strand is still hand-cut daily; the miraculously featherweight ragu is the paragon of that dish in this town, perhaps in this country. Other pastas are reliably first rate; the tajarin is special.

Yes, the new regime brought changes: less of an emphasis on communal dining, friendlier and more grounded service, and desserts—cue that semifreddo—more various and memorable than before. But the food continues to pay dazzling tribute to the authentic cuisine and wines of Piedmont. Every bottle on the list is from that region. Side dishes and salads make glorious use of seasonal and simple ingredients, like chicory, common to the Northwest and Northern Italy. And Spinasse’s underheralded meats remain its best-kept secret, as in a recent preparation of roasted quail, its crispy golden joints perched on a bed of polenta sweetened with whole corn kernels and the first of the year’s chanterelles. It’s every bit as good as the pasta.

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Published: October 2009

 

Comments Speech Bubble

By Becky on Sep 28, 2009 at 4:01PM

Serious pie is amazing! We try to treat ourselves every month.

By AcutelyObtuse on Sep 28, 2009 at 10:29PM

Fairly new to the Seattle area, and this list was great. I am excited to knock out all 1-10!

By Richard Werner on Sep 29, 2009 at 5:56AM

We are from Wisconsin. While visiting our son in Seattle this summer, we celebrated my wife’s birthday at the Boat Street Cafe. A nice ambience. A varied menu. Fabulous food. The service was excellent.

By jefferson on Sep 30, 2009 at 2:02PM

I love this list! We’ve enjoyed a few of the Top 10 before, and look forward to going to the rest. Good to see Seattle classics on here like Canlis and Rovers, as well as some of the newer places like Spring Hill.

By Nick Hawley on Oct 19, 2009 at 10:58AM

I agree with Jefferson…great list. Classics deserve to stay on the list if they continue to innovate and impress! Can’t wait for the parentals to come to town…going to Boat Street and Crush for sure!

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By Sherry Perrone on Jan 28, 2010 at 7:16PM

I went through the whole list wrote them down and I want to try them all. Your reviews were great. My birthday is in feb and we are going to try one of these fabulous sounding restaurants. Thankyou Sherry in south king county.

By michelle on Mar 16, 2010 at 1:01AM

Hey,
how are you?
i’m coming into seattle and was wandering if a pro like this blog could help me out in terms of…
1. best breakfast – i’m coming in on thurs, so cant do the corson building- so depressed
2. best lunch/dinner place to eat good seattle grub fare.

thanks so much!!! anything else i must eat etc like donuts just let me know too – yum yum.. i’m so jealous you have it all at your fingertips!

michelle

By erica holmes on Nov 03, 2011 at 10:10PM

you should update for the best restaurant in 2009, don’t you think ?

By Alan on May 10, 2010 at 8:31PM

Serious Pie is pretty damned good, but it says a lot about Seattle that one of it’s best restaurants is a pizza joint.

If Rovers can nail it’s consistency problem down, it would probably be a strong candidate for top spot in WA, maybe even contend for a michelin star.

By chris on May 31, 2010 at 2:10PM

For serious foodies, hop a ferry to Bainbridge (half an hour, great for visiting relatives) and walk to “The Harbourside Pub.” Looks like a fun, happy Pub joint with lots of micro-beers. What it really is that’s different is locally grown foods, highly creative seasonal choices of organic and grass-fed beef. The foodies will be happy and so will the whole family (no kids). There’s even a sunny deck. The owners have made this possible by working directly with local farmers—you can really taste the difference in the food. Best list for 2011?

By Cindy on Sep 16, 2010 at 9:26PM

Great list! will try some of those.

By J on Jul 02, 2010 at 6:28PM

Serious Pie is seriously UN-amazing. None of Tom Douglas’s restaurants are at all impressive compared to chef owned restaurants in Seattle including most that are on this top ten list. Tom knows how to market himself and make money. Cooking great food with authenticity and sustainability? He doesn’t have it. Serious Pie is a step up from Pagliachi, but not anything I would write home about. I miss Brasa’s fig pizza…. that is worth writing home about.

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By anime on Oct 20, 2010 at 11:27AM

Today, however, the most important cities in the U.S. have the kind of gastronomic diversity and regionality that is rich in all departments, and even if you have visited recently, you can be sure that the next time you go, there will be more new restaurants and attractions in what could visit.

By trishop on Feb 03, 2012 at 8:27PM

Great… Excellent list of restaurant… thanks for sharing this…

By trishop on Feb 03, 2012 at 8:29PM

nice article enjoyed reading.

By john on Sep 15, 2011 at 10:08AM

nice article enjoyed reading.

By Naomi on Jul 28, 2011 at 3:07AM

ok I am going to Seattle next week to visit a friend and I think we are definitely going to try some of the restaurants!!!!

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By Kennan on Jul 11, 2011 at 8:45AM

I think you reviews were great and good. I already bookmarked this website and shared with my friends on facebook.

By martin on Aug 11, 2011 at 11:03AM

Hi,
These are all great. Are there any michellin star restaurants in seattle?

By martin on Aug 11, 2011 at 11:05AM

Hi,
Are there any michellin star restaurants in seattle?

By john on Feb 14, 2011 at 6:31PM

The photos made me go in the kitchen and grab something to eat.

By davispolk on Oct 13, 2011 at 11:35PM

Great… Excellent list of restaurant… thanks for sharing this…

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