Dear Critic,

My fiancé loves spinach and cheese cannelloni. Can you tell me the best place in Seattle to get this dish?

Signed,
I Know the Way to My Man’s Heart

Dear Through His Stomach,

He may have a heart and a stomach, but you clearly have a brain. Much less complicated to go out for this dish than to make it.

Starting at the casual end of the food chain, you might try the cannelloni at Pizzeria Pulcinella, which offers a version with homemade pasta, three kinds of cheeses (ricotta, pecorino, and mozzarella), marinara, and spinach. This merry, family-happy joint in the south end is brought to you by the scion of the Vince’s folks, which means they know a thing or two about baked pasta. (They also have a wood-fired oven to produce a noteworthy Neapolitan pizza, in case your tastes run a little crustier.)

For this critic’s money, Il Fornaio in the heart of the downtown retail district remains one of the really solid chain destinations in town. Its cannelloni strays a bit from your spinach-cheese parameters—look for rotisserie chicken, mushrooms, and a fine bechamel in addition—but you can order it in both the casual Risotteria and the fancier main dining room (cheaper in the former, fyi), and it’s smoky and satisfying.

Finally, have you considered the granddaddy of Italian eateries in this town, Il Terrazzo Carmine? The place has been beloved and revered in this town for more years than many of Seattle new-guard foodies have been alive, in large part thanks to its magnificent way with the classics. The Cannelloni Fiorentina is no exception; a velveteen version with the flavorful addition of veal, available in small or large sizes.

Oh, your man will be pleased.

Signed,
The Critic