A gently stirred Negroni (the classic Italian aperitif with gin, vermouth and Campari) and crostinis slathered with a rabbit pate are my welcome treats as I take a seat on a tall stool at the pastorally designed wooden bar of Spinasse. I’m excited, as it’s a front row view to the restaurant’s open kitchen. Was it worth the walk up the hill, 20 blocks from downtown Seattle, to the city’s culturally eclectic neighborhood of Capital Hill? So far, yes, as I’m loving my Negroni. With universally positive reviews, it was an easy decision for me to try what Bon Appetit has called one of “America’s Top Ten Places to Eat Pasta”.
Pasta … a dish that has made Chef Jason Stratton a culinary celebrity in the ‘Raining City’ has also put this restaurant on the map. When it comes to where to enjoy authentic cuisine from Italy’s northwestern Piedmont region, Spinasse is on the money. The region nestled between the Alps and famous for truffles and robust red wines (Barolo, Barbera and Barbaresco) can best be described as advanced on the culinary scale. It is Chef Jason Stratton’s inspiration. Combining locally sourced ingredients from Washington’s plentiful farms and fish from the Pacific Northwest’s waters, Jason’s cuisine is simple yet satisfying. His artisanal dishes have attracted both locals and foodies alike. Try the Caramelle di Capretto, a candy wrapper shaped pasta filled with braised goat served with marjoram butter. A patron in town from L.A. tipped me off to the goody – ‘the caramelle is just delightful,’ she said.
Another option is the Tajarin al Burro e Salvia. How is it that a dish as unpretentious as egg pasta, a bit thinner than tagliatelle, and served with a butter and fresh sage sauce can taste so luxurious? Italians might say it’s all in the ingredients and considering that all the pasta is handmade in Spinasse’s rustic country style kitchen, it adds up. In fact, from the bar, there is a full-on view of an eager pasta maker examining each string of the silky ribbons one at a time, literally. I actually caught him disposing of a few strands as they must not have made the final cut! This, my friends, is what sets the artisans apart from the commercial pasta makers … patience and devotion.
But there’s more to Spinasse than pasta. ‘Secondis’ include a Stracotto di Coniglio, a Renaissance style braised rabbit leg with verjus, spring herbs and shaved green almonds or the Capunet della Casa, traditional Swiss chard rolls stuffed with pork shoulder, foie gras and potato. Uniting this typical rural Italian cuisine with the restaurant’s antique décor, Spinasse has achieved almost the impossible for a stateside restaurant. It’s hardly distinguishable from a trattoria in Piedmont’s mountainous territory.
For dessert, there is a select menu of digestivi, cocktails, formaggio (that’s right Americans, Europeans enjoy a fine cheese, preferably with wine, for dessert) and dolci. Fast forward to one word: Torrone. Pastry Chef Carrie Mashaney, recently named a Rising Star Chef by Seattle Metropolitan, crafted a Torrone Gelato Terrine with honey caramel that is to die for. Apparently, it was once taken off the menu on a Thursday and by Saturday the proprietors learned their lesson when a regular guest came in with her family to celebrate her granddaughter’s college graduation. When she discovered it was no longer on the menu she became enraged. Let’s just say, it’s that good.
Let’s not forget that this is still Seattle and the city’s counter culture and down to earth roots do not evade Spinasse. The wait service is professional but keeps its distance, allowing guests to enjoy their meals without intrusion. Chef Stratton, the visionary behind the restaurant’s success, is as jovial and unassuming as the boy next door. But don’t let his humble facade fool you. He is soon to open a contemporary Spanish restaurant in center city Seattle that is eagerly anticipated by his fans.
For a city best known for Starbucks, there’s now a lot more to enjoy than a double mocha latte.