cookingclassjunkie

I highly recommend taking the short cab ride to Ballard (10 min) and checking out the new gem of the city- Volterra. They've now been open nearly 3 weeks and I'm almost embarassed to say that I've been there 4 times. However, once was for Sunday brunch last weekend. Incredible, authentic Italian with Tuscan specialities and the ambiance is gorgeous. Michelle (Chef Don Curtiss' wife) designed the light fixtures and they were carved from alabaster by artists in Volterra. The glow at night is unbelievable. Best italian food in Seattle. My other suggestions based on where you are staying: Kaspar's (longtime fave), Crow, drinks at 10 Mercer, and Lark (probably a 15-20 min cab) & they don't take rez.

Palace Kitchen has been my standby for late night dining too. I had some late night snacks at Shea's lounge a few weeks ago that were tasty. Volterra- Don Curtiss' new place on Ballard Ave is serving a full menu until midnight on weekdays & 1am on weekends.

Don Curtiss' place- Volterra is open now in the old Burks space. The food is incredible and very interesting wine list. They have the menu posted in the window. I also went to Il Forno on Thursday- on Market across from Archie McPhees. It's just as awful as Romantica was. Terrible interiors.

Stopped by Crush for a quick nibble and cocktail last week and can't wait to go back for dinner. Any other entree recommendations? I know that I will be having the short ribs but don't want to miss any other must haves.

On my way to a show at the Tractor on Thurs, I discovered that Volterra- Chef Don Curtiss' new place has opened. They have worked miracles transforming the old Burk's space. The warm colors and soft lighting lured us in from the street. I stopped in and made a reservation for Friday night. My friend and I started out with a signature cocktail at the bar. He had a Limoncello Rosemary Drop and I had a Volerra Sky. Kathy Casey did their cocktails for them- probably the best Ive had. We moved into the dining room and were guided through the menu by a knowledgable server- can't remember his name. He told us that Volterra is named after the town in Tuscany where Chef and his wife were married. The menu is fairly extensive and each dish was very interesting. We started with the Bruschetta Volterrana which had grilled artichokes and a heavenly porcini mushroom and truffle puree. Absolutely delightful. I had the Panzanella salad - tasted just like I had in Tuscany- and my friend had the Sauteed spinach with currants & pine nuts. We moved on to the Wild Boar with a superb gorgonzola cassis and dijon sauce. The best thing I've eaten in years. We also tried the Shrimp pouches---fresh pasta stuffed with shrimp, walnuts and leeks in a tomato shellfish broth. Wow! Don's wife stopped by our table to check on us and offered us a taste of their housemade limoncello. What a treat. She answered our questions on the light fixtures-- they are made of alabaster and were shipped from Volterra. We finished off with the Chestnut pannacotta which had a unique flavro. Apparently it has chestnut honey they import from Tuscany. I think I will have that everytime. No service issues for us. Top notch food, great atmosphere and incredible warmth. This is my new favorite spot in Seattle.

I went to a party for 12 at Via Tribunali a few weeks ago and it was fun. You have to be a pizza lover though since there are not alot of alternatives. It's pretty reasonable too.