Hungry for something different one recent weekday evening, we took the recommendation of a friend and headed
to Cascina Spinasse on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. It was outstanding!
Opened in August 2008, Spinasse features the cuisine of the Piedmont region of northern Italy. While the menu includes items in the antipasti, primi, and secondi categories, the offerings are far more interesting than typical Italian fare. Pheasant ravioli, rabbit meatballs, and butter-poached duck breast were all on offer when we visited.
Once seated, our server Brian
came by to offer a before-dinner beverage. After a long day at the office, my
wife thought a vodka martini would be just the thing while I, as a former
bartender, thought Brian’s suggested “cocktail of the moment” sounded
intriguing.
At Spinasse, “floor staff” as they’re called apparently play multiple roles. Brian also served as our bartender, mixing the libations we’d ordered himself. Departing from today’s norm where a standard “martini” is usually just gin or vodka, shaken with ice, then strained into a glass, Brian made the martini in the old school manner, marrying just the right amount of dry vermouth with the 360 Vodka for a silky smooth sippable.
My drink was a concoction Brian and a fellow bartender had recently dreamed up. A twist on the classic Negroni, it was equal parts Fernet-Branca, Campari, freshly squeezed lime juice, and simple syrup, shaken together and served straight up in a martini glass with an orange twist. I was initially concerned that it might be too sweet with that much sugar syrup, but it balanced the bitter flavors of the Fernet-Branca and the Campari perfectly.
About the time our drinks came out, we were served an amuse-bouche of crostini topped with sweet cream butter and a slice of tender anchovy.
After that, it was on to more
substantial appetizers. Unable to choose from the restaurant’s antipasti
offerings, we decided to have them all.
Spinasse offers an antipasti misti della casa, which is a selection of four of its delicious appetizers: marinated cauliflower salad with ricotta, pinenuts, and shaved fennel; shaved kohlrabi and watermelon radish with anchovy, Meyer lemon, capers and parmigiano-reggiano cheese; marinated king oyster mushroom with controne chickpeas, fennel and Shigoku oyster emulsion; and prosciutto di parma served with slices of marinated apple.
After lingering over the antipasti, we decide we weren’t quite finished exploring Spinasse’s offerings, and opted to share a main dish and a side.
For our main dish, we chose the Capunet:
traditional Swiss chard rolls stuffed with pork shoulder, foie gras and
potato; served with caramelized honey sauce. We agreed they reminded us of the
cabbage rolls our German mothers and grandmothers had made, though the chard
had a much more delicate texture than the cabbage, and the filling was far
smoother than the ground beef with rice in the dishes of our shared heritage.
Our side of roasted young carrots with sage and Barolo vinegar was equally
delicious, as was the bread made by Columbia City Bakery.
The dining room is designed to authentically reflect the rustic atmosphere found in Piedmontese trattorias. It’s casual, inviting, and a great place to linger while enjoying a leisurely dinner of truly inventive, well-prepared dishes. We’ll definitely be back.
Visit my main page at TheTravelPro.us for more news, reviews, and personal observations on the world of upmarket travel.
Follow @TheTravelProUS
Photos by Carl Dombek
Click on photos to view larger images
Opened in August 2008, Spinasse features the cuisine of the Piedmont region of northern Italy. While the menu includes items in the antipasti, primi, and secondi categories, the offerings are far more interesting than typical Italian fare. Pheasant ravioli, rabbit meatballs, and butter-poached duck breast were all on offer when we visited.
 |
| Drinks at Spinasse |
At Spinasse, “floor staff” as they’re called apparently play multiple roles. Brian also served as our bartender, mixing the libations we’d ordered himself. Departing from today’s norm where a standard “martini” is usually just gin or vodka, shaken with ice, then strained into a glass, Brian made the martini in the old school manner, marrying just the right amount of dry vermouth with the 360 Vodka for a silky smooth sippable.
My drink was a concoction Brian and a fellow bartender had recently dreamed up. A twist on the classic Negroni, it was equal parts Fernet-Branca, Campari, freshly squeezed lime juice, and simple syrup, shaken together and served straight up in a martini glass with an orange twist. I was initially concerned that it might be too sweet with that much sugar syrup, but it balanced the bitter flavors of the Fernet-Branca and the Campari perfectly.
About the time our drinks came out, we were served an amuse-bouche of crostini topped with sweet cream butter and a slice of tender anchovy.
 |
| Antipasti misti della casa |
Spinasse offers an antipasti misti della casa, which is a selection of four of its delicious appetizers: marinated cauliflower salad with ricotta, pinenuts, and shaved fennel; shaved kohlrabi and watermelon radish with anchovy, Meyer lemon, capers and parmigiano-reggiano cheese; marinated king oyster mushroom with controne chickpeas, fennel and Shigoku oyster emulsion; and prosciutto di parma served with slices of marinated apple.
After lingering over the antipasti, we decide we weren’t quite finished exploring Spinasse’s offerings, and opted to share a main dish and a side.
 |
| Swiss chard rolls and roasted carrots |
The dining room is designed to authentically reflect the rustic atmosphere found in Piedmontese trattorias. It’s casual, inviting, and a great place to linger while enjoying a leisurely dinner of truly inventive, well-prepared dishes. We’ll definitely be back.
Visit my main page at TheTravelPro.us for more news, reviews, and personal observations on the world of upmarket travel.
Follow @TheTravelProUS
Photos by Carl Dombek
Click on photos to view larger images
Comments
Post a Comment
PLEASE NOTE:Comments on this website must pertain to the topic of the article and may be edited for content and/or clarity. Comments that include URLs WILL NOT BE POSTED. Please contact me directly if you wish to do a "link exchange."