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Cafe Piccolo
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
9400 Roosevelt Way NE(between 94th St & 95th St)
Seattle, WA 98115
Neighborhood: Maple Leaf
(206) 957-1333
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 5:30 pm - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
58 reviews for Cafe Piccolo
Review Highlights
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"hubby had the (regular) ravioli, which he enjoyed." In 14 reviews -
"the gluten free options give it the 4th star." In 5 reviews
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"...a side of their lovely house made fettuccine, instead." In 4 reviews
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58 reviews in English
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Review from Meaghan B.
Seattle, WA
3/3/2012
Gluten and soy free? With a kid? You've got to be joking, right?
Cafe Piccolo not only handled our allergy issues without a problem, the server handled the allergy concerns of a neighboring table with pine nut allergies incredibly well, additionally! The staff here are amazingly thoughtful regarding allergies and sensitivities and the menu is packed with food that's amazing. They have an information sheet available from the small company they purchase the gluten-free noodles from, in case you need to review the information yourself. I hear they make all of their regular pasta in-house.
To start, we had an antipasto plate and the baked olives. Olives and garlic together can't really go wrong but these were seasoned beautifully. I could have used more meat and cheese on our antipasto plate for the price but it was definitely a tasty variety. The gluten-free bread is very interesting - and I don't mean that in my usual veiled-insult way, I mean that it was unlike any other bread I've tasted. It was a little crumblier than I would have liked but very tasty - somewhere halfway between cornbread and focaccia.
Our son had gluten-free penne with butter and cheese with meatballs, I had marinated flank steak (rare and delicious) with polenta (less creamy than I generally like it but everyone's a polenta critic,) and my spouse had the Fazzoletti Bolognese with gluten-free noodles - he cleaned his plate, so I assume it was good; I didn't even get my customary try-it bite!
Then, we settled into dessert - flourless chocolate torte with your choice of gelato flavors (I chose panna cotta, delicious combination!) and goat cheesecake (just a hint of lemon, a little more savory than sweet - perfect for someone who isn't really into desserts.)
We didn't feel rushed at all, which I had feared given the small number of tables and how popular this place seems to be. We were given as much time as we wanted to linger at the table and talk with our dinner companion. How on Earth did a two-year old child survive this long wait at the table? I mean, even the most patient and quietest toddler isn't exactly long-suffering. Well, Cafe Piccolo has a small basket of quiet toys, a bead maze, some connector toys, and basket of books near a bench between the front door and the bathrooms - before and after our meal, we took turns sitting with him while he quietly played. Happy staff, happy diners, happy kid, happy parents. Makes that $100 bill fully worth it! -
Review from Alex T.
12/16/2011
Delicious delicious delicious!!
Seriously, amazing little place in such a neighborhood so close to home. I had a $25 http://restaurants.com coupon via Bank of America (yeah, I work there and we get discounts), which I got for $2!
First stepping inside, I gotta say, it's a little strange. It's basically a big open space with no dividers or anything, but the ambiance and lighting was actually kind of nice. Honestly, it reminded me of a cafe, and you know what? It IS Cafe Piccolo after all.
Seated quickly, it was half empty since it was a Thursday night. Started off some wine I can't remember off the top of my head, but it was delicious!
Anyways, off to the meal. We started off with antipasto which is basically their variety of little goodies as an appetizer. It included marinated artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, olives, eggplant agrodolce, carrots, cheese, and SALAMI! Oh, don't forget the bread of course.
My sister got the eggplant parmigiana, basically eggplant that is roasted and layered with LOVELY cheese, mariana, bread crumbs, etc. Honestly, it was just freaking good.
I, on the other hand got the braised lamb gnocchi. The gnocchi was a little creamy for my tastes, and the sauce was a bit overly sweet, but man oh man, that LAMB! Nonetheless, huge portions, and both my sister and I were stuffed.
Happy dinner. :) -
Review from Harlow F.
Seattle, WA
4/17/2012
My husband and I recently dined at Cafe Piccolo. I was bummed to discover the noodles in the Puttanesca that i ordered were completely over cooked, and the flavor of the sauce was pretty bland. My husband ordered Chicken Scaloppini, which was also very bland. The polenta that came with it was really runny - not a good consistency. The quality of the food we received did not match the price we paid for each dish. We really wanted to like Cafe Piccolo... Not sure we'll give it another chance though.
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Review from Olivia S.
8/17/2011 2 photos
Went based on fellow yelper reviews and I'm glad I did. Hidden neighborhood gem in Maple Leaf neighborhood.
Parking wasn't too hard to find. Restaurant was half empty but I made reservations ahead of time thinking it'd be packed.
I couldn't decide on wine, but the waiter allowed me to have a taste between two of my choices. All noodles are in house. I was happy with my pappardelle. Their gnocchi was too creamy for my taste BUT it was pillow soft fluffy for those of you that like creamy pesto.
Great for a small group, date, or girls night out. I'll be back to try some other items on the menu. It would be my choice if I was in the area or wanting something different aside from major chain Italian restaurants.
Buy a certificate that's on their site, it's basically getting half off your meal! -
Review from Taryn H.
Seattle, WA
7/30/2011
I think I'd really go a 2.5 stars, if that was an option.
Cafe Piccolo is close to home, the hubby wanted Italian, and the http://restaurants.com coupon sealed the deal.
Our meal didn't start out very well -- we both ordered the house Manhatten and were brought teeny drinks. Turns out, they forgot to put a shot of Rye in. He brought the shot out and poured it into our half-drunk cocktails, but he mix was all off. Sad.
We ordered the bruschetta with goat cheese, peppers, and onions for a starter. The bread was pretty burnt and the dish was cold. Maybe it was supposed to be cold but I feel like all other bruschetta I've had has been warm.
I ordered the calamari pasta on the server's suggestion. The homemade pasta was nice, but all I could taste was stewed tomato from the sauce. Very disappointed. However, Mr. B. had the special which was as braised pork ravioli that was excellent.
We did order the lemon cheesecake for dessert, but I was so crabby from the rest of the meal and don't really like lemon, so I won't comment on how it was.
Overall, the food was very slow coming out of the kitchen, even though we didn't order any "extra time" dishes. We also happened to be there on half-priced bottle wine night, but it wasn't mentioned to us (overheard from another table). The wine didn't count toward the coupon, but we were ordering enough other food to cover the minimum and certainly would have ordered a bottle had we known before we decided on drinks.
As other reviewers commented, the restaurant is chilly. The decor is a bit spartan, but not as bare as other reviews would have you think.
We may have just been there on an off night and I feel like we should give it another chance, but probably won't because it's just a bit too spendy to take a chance on another bad experience. -
Review from mad l.
Seattle, WA
9/5/2011
I'm playing the lottery since I ate at cafe piccolo. I wanna have enough money to hire this guy as my private Italian chef. Simple, uh?
Do I like everything there? No... but it's just my personal taste, not the quality of it.
I could eat there happily every day and not be bored.
Haven't tried it yet? Do it!! -
Review from K S.
Seattle, WA
7/8/2011
I've had Tony as my server twice in 6 months. Last time I went was in January - both times, fabulous service, always helpful in choosing, and will tell you if something is particulary special.
Went on a date with my guy last night - it had been a while! ;) Wine was excellent - they have "by the glass" on the chalk board above the bar. We had a great cab sav - and Tony even told us where we could pick it up if we loved it (which we did), and yes, we'll be picking some up - if I could only remember the name...
We started with the mushroom bruschetta - served on a crispy, slightly charred sourdough, smothered in mushrooms, with an arugula salad on the side, topped with a little fresh parmesan. For dinner, the Mister had the lamb gnocchi - said it was the lightest, fluffiest gnocchi he's ever had - and the sauce was rich, savory, yet sweet and not over seasoned. I'm not a huge lamb fan, and I have to say, it was amazing. I had the special of the night, ribbon whole wheat pasta with pumpkin, onions, proscuitto and roasted garlic, an olive oil splash to finish, the slippery feeling in the mouth. Wow. Can't wait for lunch today!
Finished with a shared salted caramel gelato - this was the only disappointment of the night - it was a little grainy - I expected the smoothness of gelato - but the flavor - Amazingly on the button without being too sweet. Dark chocolate chunks added a nice balance.
Two out of two visits were amazing. So can't wait for another meal here. Also, check out http://www.restaurant.com and get a gift certificate, should help if this is a little out of the price range. But with entrees ranging from 12-20, it's a nice night out, without breaking the bank. -
Review from Laura M.
1/28/2011
Maybe they had an off night, but I am wholeheartedly and without reservations giving Cafe PIcollo 2 stars. The general thought throughout the entire meal was exactly "meh, I've experienced better." However, there also were some critical flaws in the meal.
First, we ordered the bruschetta with mushrooms and arugula on top. It arrived with romaine on top. When I asked the server he pointed to a few little sprigs of arugula. I guess it was sort of mixed with the romaine but it was 5% arugula. If you say you're going to top your bruschetta with romaine, then say it's romaine. I wouldn't have ordered bruschetta with romaine on top though!
Second, for a place that has several types of bruschetta you've got MINIMALLY have crusty bread. I think they use their homemade buttery bread. It was like bruschetta on a brioche. Ick.
Third, my man ordered the seafood and the mussels weren't cleaned well, the seafood was over cooked (I hate that!), and the scallops were tough dime- sized eraser tops. The mussels not being cleaned well was particularly gross because there were little pieces of green nastiness in his food. He ate it anyway!
Finally I ordered the pasta and it was really just not cooked properly, waterlogged or something.
What disappointing meal! But even if they had cleaned and cooked things well, and the bruschetta was crusty bread with arugula on top it still wouldn't have been a good because the overall quality of the ingredients here is just sub-par.Listed in: Never Again.
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Review from Lisa D.
3/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food and service here is excellent. The chicken saltimbocca was delicious; it came in a rich gravy that had a nice deep flavor. The only thing that I did not like was the polenta, it was very bland. Substitute a side of their lovely house made fettuccine, instead.
The space is a little small and it can get noisy. I'd recommend calling ahead as this seems to be a very popular spot, although they usually do not take reservations for less than 6 people. It is a family friendly restaurant, and they have a corner with some toys to keep the little ones entertained if you want to linger over your meal. -
Review from Amanda H.
Seattle, WA
3/17/2011
One of my favorite places to go in North Seattle. I may have never gone here except that I live just a few blocks away, but even when I move I will plan on returning.
My most recent meal was the Sole Picatta. The fish was cooked perfectly and the sauce was full of capers (yum!). It originally came with sauteed kale, carrots and turnips (if I remember correctly) and potatoes. At the time I was on a low-carb diet and asked for double vegetables. Our friendly server asked if I would like it gluten-free and I said sure, but didn't tell her that I was not on a gluten restricted diet. She then pointed out that a large portion of the menu could be made gluten-free, and brought out GF bread along with their regular bread. If you ARE on a GF diet, I HIGHLY recommend coming here!
There are a couple reasons as to why I gave Cafe Picollo four stars rather than 5. The service is reliable, be it a little slow, but it is also VERY relaxed. I don't have any problem with that but I know what 5 star service is and this isn't it. Also, the ambiance is a little lacking (though I do like the leg lamp from A Christmas Story in the back!). And since it IS kid friendly, there are usually young ones running around the restaurant and making more noise than I might prefer than at another chosen '5' star restaurant.
Summary: Reliable service, great for GLUTEN-FREE, consistently good food! -
Review from Tyler M.
Seattle, WA
4/19/2011
A little outside my usual price range, but all in all, great place. Had the calamari pasta, which I wish they hadn't used a red sauce for, as seafood and tomato sauces don't really party well together, but gave it a shot out of curiosity. I liked it, buuuut probably wouldn't order it again. An oil based sauce would've made it AMAZING, though.
Service was excellent. The waitress was attentive and pleasant, and the food was delivered very quickly.
Only real complaint I have is the parking. What few spaces there are in front of the building seem to always be hogged by asshats. This actually kept us from going back again twice, once due to two cars taking up four spaces worth. Maybe put up a sign encouraging people to not park like dicks?
If I could give it a 4.5, I would, but I just wasn't impressed enough by the dishes we ordered for the price to feel justified. Willing to give it another try though. -
Review from Kerry P.
Seattle, WA
12/6/2011
Used to be SOOO much better. Had the lamb gnocchi about a year ago when it was offered as a special and I can honestly say it was one of the best dinners I had ever had. I ate every bite and could barely waddle out. But the last 2 times we have been there it has been disappointing. I tried the lamb gnocchi again (now its on the menu) and as a previous reviewer said there was no meat, just a few strings and metiocre gnocchi. The first time it was full of chunks of melt in your mouth lamb with a wonderful slow braised sauce and PERFECT gnocci. My husband's pasta was pretty good (it was something vegetarian I just can't quite remember what was in it besides some great olives (though he was wishing there had been more.)
What is so upsetting is that this used to be a great neighborhood spot and we know that the kitchen is capable of turning out great dishes but I'm not sure they care to anymore.
It has become such a family stop that we felt we were at Chucky E Cheese, and the noise level matched! Granted it was early on a Saturday (5:30). We counted 18 kids in this small little restaurant, it was hardly the early romantic dinner we had planned on!
So with all that said, I guess if you want a place to take the kids where they can be as loud as they want, but you want to feel like you are out for a nice evening then go ahead. For us I think there are way too many other places in the neighborhood that haven't forgotten how to turn out a really good meal.
Sad!!!! -
Review from Tim M.
Seattle, WA
10/7/2011
Fri 9/30/11 5:30pm Cafe Piccolo/Seattle/piccoloseattle.com: The dishes are a bit salty: the bacon flat bread, even the Panzanella Salad, the Flat Iron Steak Pizziola was chewy, the Fazzoletti Bolognese is the only good dish, third try on the wine hits the spot. We couldn't figure out how the 18% tip was pre-added, our calculation turned out less but we forgo since it was a coupon meal. Our daughter loves the while-we-wait-play area, though it could be moved away from the entrance door. Our first trial was excellent, this time a low rating of 2.5 star, we may come back next year.
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Review from Kim C.
5/29/2007
Wow.
At the advice of a fellow foodie co-worker, I did the 10 minute walk to get to Cafe Piccolo to try it out; boy was I happy I did!
Cafe Piccolo is housed in a condo-type building in a north Maple Leaf residential area. The interior is sparse (the furniture and spacing remind me a lot of Cafe Flora) but inviting, with unusual bathrooms that you must walk down the hall to get to. Parking is street-only.
My first visit, I ordered cheese ravioli with marinara sauce, and an order of the white bean bruschetta. Upon arriving home, I discovered that by some fluke, I had been given a mushroom/goat cheese ravioli special that had been around the day before -- odd! Too bad goat cheese makes me remarkably ill. I called back to mention the mistake, and not only was CP very apologetic, but they gave me a free dessert flan to make up for it. Nice!
The cheese ravioli and most of the pasta there is made in house, and you can tell. The "ravioli" is a big pasta sheet folded in half, with plenty of creamy cheesy goodness inside. The marinara is hands down THE BEST MARINARA SAUCE EVER, with a decent bit of wine, a bit of kick, and minimalistic texture. The white bean bruschetta is equally as amazing: thick toasted bread covered in perfectly cooked white beans, tons of arugula, oil, and parmesan on top.
My second visit was even better. We ate in the dining room and had great service. We split a penne pasta with marinara (I could seriously eat this every day) and I had the chicken scallopine -- chicken medallions with tomato, mushroom and wine over mashed potatoes. Though delicious and affordable ($14.95 for the chicken) there were only two small chicken pieces -- I easily finished the dish (after already eating half a plate of pasta and some bruschetta), and given that I'm a small girl who normally has leftovers, that says something. Still, the quality was superb. Mashed potatoes were creamy but fairly plain, but still better than the other option (polenta) was which a little too runny for my tastes.
In hindsight, I'd always order pasta here: it's insanely good, homemade, and cheap ($10 for the best penne marinara ever). The included foccaccia bread is also wildly amazing.
Easily one of my favorite italian places in the city. I'll definitely be back again.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Sameer ud Dowla K.
Providence, RI
7/3/2009
My friends went to Cafe Piccolo looking to carbo-load for the next day's marathon... I just went with them after hearing the words "homemade pasta". I love homemade noodles, no matter the cuisine -- Korean, Chinese, Italian, you name it. This place makes homemade fettuccine, ravioli, and squid ink pasta. They also have non-homemade pastas, but of course none of us got any of those.
I ordered the homemade ravioli stuffed with two cheeses and lightly fried in butter and sage. I just wish I could have had two or three orders of that dish it was so delicious. Everything my friends ordered (homemade fettuccine with truffles, homemade squid ink pasta with seafood, and others that I can't remember right now) was equally fantastic. The texture of all the noodles was exactly what I wanted: a little on the doughy side. It makes such a difference when the pasta is fresh!
I'm not a dessert person, but the bread pudding topped with rhubarb gelato was undeniably tasty. Perfect complement to my espresso and my friends' French press coffees.
The service was also noteworthy. The host, the water-and-bread guy, and our server were all very friendly, helpful, and fast. Our server told us he actually made a second batch of coffee when he felt that his first batch was not absolutely perfect. He really went out of his way to make our dining experience a memorable one. -
Review from William B.
Seattle, WA
8/19/2009
Cafe Piccolo is incredible. I went their with a small group to just "catch up." My girl and I were amazed by the place! The food was incredible! We had eggplant Parmesan and baked lasagna, and both were the best we've ever had. All their noodles are made in-house, a rarity in Italian restaurants these days. Our server was very friendly, and the owner/chef is obviously striving to give you an unforgettable experience. Talk about service - he sat down and had a glass of wine with our table! His wife, a hostess, joined us shortly thereafter.
For $4 or $5 more than Olive Garden, we were able to support a husband and wife team, while enjoying some of the best food Seattle has to offer! We will definitely be returning! -
Review from Nina W.
7/31/2008
This is a wonderful, hidden little neighborhood cafe-style local gem. Wow, what a mouthful!!
The guys who own it are locals, and they take their food seriously. The pasta, for the majority, is made fresh (except the spaghetti which is a high quality italian, still ok for restaurant standards). Fresh made pasta?? Yah, seriously, its fresh made. The fettucini noodles will leave you dreaming about them for days afterward. You can build your own pasta dish here, Ive had the marinara here, and it is outstanding. Their meats are local and organic, the sausage and meatballs are stellar, the chicken, although a small portion (come on people, a proper portion of chicken for one is what? 6-8 ounces?? we are so spoiled in the US, we eat way more portionwise than we should, so a smaller poriton of fantastic tasting bird shouldnt bunch your panties too much!!!) is always juicy and flavorful.
Ive tried the puttanesca, and found it to be very rich but a little salty for my taste. too much capers, i think. My favorite sauce for the pasta is the bordelaise. its a demi-glace and buttery erotic dance in your mouth.
They always have fresh ingredients, their salads are really really tasty, and their specials are alaways new and unique. Try this place, and visit their website:
http://www.piccoloseat...
P.S. can get pretty pricey if you come with a large group. -
Review from Jonathan B.
Seattle, WA
12/16/2010
Best bolognese in the city. Get the housemade fettacini noodles with it or $10.95!!!! Comes with good bread too. Great deal! Especially if you have a http://restaurant.com GC. Some of the other dishes are hit and miss, but the bolognese is 5 stars for sure. Not the fanciest place and has worn carpeting, but still cute for a neighborhood spot.
Again, go now and get the bolognese with fettacini. It's bomb and cheap. Compare that price to Spinase. Hell, compare it to Olive Garden or Old Spaghetti Factory... Go here instead.. -
Review from Heidi S.
Seattle, WA
3/20/2007
Cafe Piccolo is in my neighborhood, but I'm embarrassed to say it's taken me several months to try it out. I will never be gone so long again! It is approachable and affordable enough to be great for dinner on a random weeknight, but the food and service are perfectly suited to a special occasion. The place also sources their meat and produce from local, sustainable sources, which I appreciate.
My husband had an amazing truffle pasta dish served with wild mushrooms and a light buttery sauce. I had a free-range veal ravioli made with gremolata pasta that was absolutely divine. Both were specials, so they unfortunately can't be found on the regular menu. However, all of their pasta is fresh and homemade, so you really can't go wrong.
The service was very friendly and knowledgeable, the wine list was fairly extensive, and the check was delivered to our table accompanied by two house-made orange madelines. I just might have a new favorite restaurant in my 'hood! -
Review from Lee A.
Seattle, WA
9/11/2009
This is kind of an amusing place to have dinner, if you enjoy watching the waiters literally run from table to table and then back into the kitchen. If it weren't for the carpeting, I'd suggest roller skates would be a good investment. They either can't manage their tables or they're too overwhelmed, but the service isn't what you'd call fine around here.
Which is kind of a bummer, because it ain't cheap. The pasta with grilled chicken will run you nearly $17. It wasn't terrible, but the sauce was watery, and the chicken was not very fresh. The seafood risotto was curiously skimpy on both seafood and risotto. What there was, was swimming in oil, as was everything else, including the salad and the bread.
Did I mention it was noisy? Oh yes. That across from us, a young couple allowed their two year old to throw leggos, one of which pinged me on the knee? (I know. The romance.) But I'm giving it another star for the very good wines by the glass selections, and the fact that I spotted a replica of the Ladies Leg Lamp from A Christmas Story. That's worth one star, right? -
Review from Angela M.
Seattle, WA
9/1/2010
I went because the weather was miserable and a friend of mine had said this place was great at home style Itallian sauces. They weren't kidding! I took the friend who had recommended it with me and got a gift certificate online for $10 for $25 worth of food at http://Restaurant.com.
We got there and it was a nice open space with little quirks hear and there. My favorite was the lamp that is tucked in the back corner to give indirect lighting. It's the leg lamp from The Christmas Story. That instantly made me feel like I belonged.
The waiter was very fast to make sure to show us to a seat and recommended a nice Syrah. The place was full but the service was never lacking or inattentive. We started with the Mushroom Brushetta and it was very nice. That was followed with, for myself, the Lamb Ragout with house made Gnocchi and it was DIVINE. My friend had the Cioppinno. I loved mine, but he unfortunately didn't realize that he was ordering a seafood chowder essentially so, while he liked it, it wasn't what he was expecting. We finished off the meal with a Choclate Cheesecake that was made in house and was delicious. They even threw in a free aperitif of the Fennellocello which was the perfect compliment. I asked to compliment the chef and it was actually the owner doing the cooking and he was very nice.
I live in West Seattle and usually travel by bus but this is one trip I will make again and probably soon. All totalled with tax and tip the final bill was $60 so after the gift certificate it was $35 for a nice 3 course meal for 2 with wine. -
Review from Katrina N.
Seattle, WA
5/26/2009
One of my favorite restaurants ever, ever.
Cafe Piccolo is pretty much amazing. They serve up fresh and quality "Italian comfort" food at prices comparable to those chain restaurants at the mall. They make their own pastas, breads, and desserts as well, which seems to be getting rarer and rarer.They also offer quality wines by the glass at reasonable prices.
And the ambience is just perfect. I love the dim lighting, candles, and the distance between tables.
Last time I went, I ordered the cheese ravioli with the cream sauce, which was just divine. The portions are pretty generous, as well, and I was able to take home about half of my entree. For less than $15, I got two meals worth of delicious, creamy, cheesy ravioli.
Oh, and you can see into the kitchen from the dining area as well! Which is always fun for me.
It's the perfect neighborhood restaurant. I just with it was in my neighborhood! -
Review from Amy L.
Seattle, WA
9/21/2007
I've been craving Italian food since I moved to Seattle. Last weekend my friend and I were going to meet for dinner and she said she was a vegetarian, so I recommended Italian and she said she knew of a great place in Maple Leaf...
On first impression the place seemed like a date place...we were eating with a group of 4, but it was still perfect. The waitstaff recognized two of us as being big bread eaters....so they brought us an extra basket...I was a little embarrassed, but my friend said she come a lot and they knew her. The bread was good...a little bit greasy, but the perfect amount of grease to make it just right.
I ordered the chicken parm which is my favorite. The entrees say they come with polenta or mashed potatoes, but I just couldn't picture either of those with my chicken parm, so I asked if I could have some pasta instead (they make their pasta fresh daily)...they said yes and I was so happy. I had the fettuccine with marinara sauce. It was awesome! The others at the table ordered ravioli with different types of sauce and I got to have a bite and they were yummy too.
If you are in the mood for some down home Italian this would be a great place to check out. -
Review from Just Y.
Edmonds, WA
12/29/2008 4 Check-ins Here
My desire to love and support this place has been strong since they opened - Local owners trying to establish a quality restaurant. When they first opened the chef was creative, the food and menu developing, and the small staff (often just one of the owners) very interactive. You could forgive the 80's travel agent office look of the place because they were new. Now, the chef seems a little beaten down with owning a business. The menu hasn't changed in months, which is a shame because it moved from straightforward with a smaller but diverse selection, to a more cluttered offering which includes mix and match pasta and several main course offerings that seem to be the same sauce but different meats. They used to have a wide selection of home made deserts, but have gone the route of externally supplied items.
Their hired servers also leaves something to be desired. I am always amazed at how bad they are at describing the main dishes, let alone the specials. I always wonder if they ran their presentation by the chef before giving it to the customer - rarely do the descriptions make the dishes sound enjoyable. At least they are nice and attentive.
I do wish them the best, and I hope they reach a happy medium between creative cooking and running a business - but they aren't cheap and I haven't left completely satisfied in quite a few visits. -
Review from YO O.
Edmonds, WA
11/1/2008
Wow, it hard to believe that such an incredible place is not only in Seattle but in such an unassuming location.
We saw Chef Nick at the Lake City Farmers market doing a cooking demonstration. He was a total charming sweetheart and an extraordinary chef. He made a mouthwatering bread soup! We knew that we had to try his restaurant ASAP.
When we finally walked in it was as if into a more romantic culinary time and place. From the homemade limoncello drinks to the delightful antipasta platter we were smitten.
We even tried the grilled romaine salad and loved it! What a delight to experience something totally delicious and unique.
The noodles for some of the pastas are homemade. The cheese ravioli I had was perfect in both texture and flavor. I choose the brown butter and fried sage sauce which was a delicious as it sounds.
I have to admit, I fall in love easily with a restaurant that has an intimate yet not pretentious feel AND extraordinary food but Cafe Piccolo is truly worthy of an LTR!
Chef Nick became even more of our hero when he prepared 2 huge, amazingly delicious pans of lasagna and one pan of their incredible focaccia for a birthday party. It was the first party we have ever had where my Mom didn't exhaust herself by cooking up a storm. She was completely overjoyed with the food from Cafe Piccolo. It was fantastic and reasonably priced! We will definitely order more party food from this amazing restaurant!
Enjoy! -
Review from melissa l.
Minneapolis, MN
8/11/2009
I'm always afraid of Italian restaurants because I tend to end up at the ones that come from the Olive Garden School of Italian Cooking. I found myself at Piccolo's after hearing a rave review from my boyfriend's dad.
Atmosphere: plainly decorated, pretty dark. But not overbearing. The room is an interesting shape. A little cold, so take a jacket if you can't generate body heat like me. Roomy, so even when it was full of people, there was ample room between parties.
Service: We had a really cool waiter who was relatively attentive and great at giving recommendations. I wanted some kind of apertif, and he went over to the owner to ask, since he didn't know himself. Good attitude.
Food: Holy crap. Almost everything was alarmingly delicious. We started off with the appetizer specials: flatbread with slow roasted onions, goat cheese, and squash blossoms and the stuffed mushrooms. The mushrooms were all right, but paled in comparison to the flatbread. The roasted onions were sweet and deeply flavored, which contrasted with the sharp taste of goat cheese.
The four of us ordered the eggplant parmigiana, lasagna, cioppino, and fettucine with marinara. All the pasta is homemade and both the eggplant and lasagna are made to order. It takes twenty minutes, but totally worth it. The lasagna was light and airy, not heavy at all, yet delicious.
The cioppino - a type of seafood soup - was heavenly. Galicky, tomatoey, and smelling of the ocean without being fishy. Scallops, shrimp, squid, mussels, and chunks of fish. I ate every last drop. Being from the Midwest, I rarely get to eat good seafood. I'm still dreaming about it. It came with grilled focaccia, but I thought that was too dense for the soup so I didn't eat it.
We left feeling full, but not disgusting. The portions were perfect and the prices were pretty good. I would love to come back if I get another chance to return to Seattle. -
Review from Right B.
Seattle, WA
7/24/2009
My wife and I went there for the first time and enjoyed it. Service was attentive but not cloying. The missus had a Limoncello which was stellar, apparently - I stuck to Manny's. ;-)
She had the Ravioli and I, the Penne pasta with the pesto sauce. Both of us enjoyed the food and although not particularly cheap, was not excessive and we both felt that we had good value for money.
Atmosphere is a little cold, perhaps due to the nature of the room. It's a bit too new and needs something to warm it up but really, that's a minor, piffling grumble.
Go there and enjoy the food. I know we'll become regular visitors. -
Review from Brooke D.
Seattle, WA
10/5/2010
I live in the Maple Leaf neighborhood and I am always very excited to try new restaurants. We have been going back to Piccolo over and over since it opened and each time we have enjoyed the food.
I like that they menu is not to large and overwhelming but instead features just items they do well. It is always nice to hear the specials and either me or my husband usually ends up with one of them. Their appetizers are nice to start with and don't forget the home-baked focaccia bread.
The wine list is nice and features very reasonably priced bottles. My favorite part is that it is only a short walk away. -
Review from Francine N.
WA
9/19/2007
My husband and I are always on the hunt for great Italian and a place that you could frequent on any occasion. I would say that Cafe Piccolo is such a place. We have visited twice now and have been consistently pleased with the food.
On our first visit we came early and the restaurant was fairly quiet. Our server was friendly, comforting and timely with all courses. So the test here is the marinara sauce and the eggplant parm, if these are good we are sure to return to try some of the more complex items! The special salad app of the night was crisp, fresh and delightful. The house made fettucine with marinara and meatballs was flavorful and balanced; the eggplant parm equally pleasing!
Gelato for desert and we are coming back!
The second visit was at the prime dinner hour and the restaurant becomes disappointedly LOUD. The service was not as good as the first visit; albeit that is was busier, there were more servers to accommodate. Still friendly, just lacking the needed attentiveness of typical service. This time we had the bruschetta, the ravioli, and a smoked salmon special. To our delight the food was just as good as the first visit; the flavors of all that we've tried are pronounced, balanced, fresh and very enjoyable!! The chocolate cheesecake has the perfect texture and richness.
Very much recommend, but go early unless you like it loud. -
Review from Melissa S.
Seattle, WA
9/9/2009
Food - The bread they serve is dry and I would say almost unedible. If they wanted to open up my palette they failed at that. The romaine salad I ordered tasted really great! However I ordered the Ravioli with Bolognese - yuck! I would have sent it back but I was already using a coupon from http://restaurant.com and thought it would have been tacky to do so. But this pasta had NO flavor - I asked for red chili flakes and even that hardly helped. NOT what I expected from an italian restaurant that makes their own pasta. I only came to this restaurant for food - and I was NOT satisfied with it.
Service - for a nice date-type restaurant I expect the servers and service to be on the ball. It seemed like these guys were fighting in front of their guests! As a server I know this is not acceptable. And the server (not ours thankfully) looked really dirty. I totally respect being able to show your personality through what you wear but I don't expect a guy to come serve me with ripped rolled up jeans and a band tshirt.
All together if you are looking for a nice professional environment to eat at with good food - this is NOT the place to be! -
Review from Chad Y.
2/4/2009
Cafe Piccollo is a wonderful little place in a quiet negihborhood. The place has a simple ambience and they offer fantastic food and very decent prices.
A great place to go on a date when you are trying to impress. Food is great quality and tastes great! I would check out what's on the specials menu and the lasagna is to die for! Service is pretty good and the servers are very knowledgeable about the menu.
Make sure to save room for the homemade limoncello. -
Review from Jenny F.
Seattle, WA
2/22/2010
I love this restaurant. The staff is very friendly, timely and here we go with the food:
The complimentary bread they bring melts in your mouth with goodness. I crave it a couple days after I leave the restaurant!
If you have a chance, try their puttanesca sauce on a homemade pasta; it is incredible. I have been to this restaurant lots of times, and even though they have great options for my order, I always go back to the puttanesca. It is amazing.
It is hard to find great Italian food in Seattle, and this is it. Highly recommend it. -
Review from non o.
Seattle, WA
7/10/2008
This restaurant is sort of hidden. Previous restaurants didn't make it more than one year at the same location, but Piccolo seem to be making it so far.
We used to walk to this place quite often right after they opened. I like their handmade pasta, and ragu is really good. My hubby usually order chicken dish but everytime we go there, their portion size was getting smaller and smaller. And price isn't so reasonable. Since their dish got smaller and smaller and price stay the same (of course) we stopped going there. Their food is yummy though. Maybe I'll try sometime again soon.
So, I'd give 4 star for their food, but price and portion I'd give 3 star. It would be nice if the food comes with small salad...
Hey, don't call me pig! I'm starving! -
Review from G. S.
Seattle, WA
10/12/2011
I'm giving this the third star for two reasons: One, I really like small family businesses just for being small family businesses. Two, in all fairness, we had a $15 off coupon which we got at the Maple Leaf Neighborhood social from the owners themselves, who seemed very friendly, and with that in mind, the food was a reasonable deal.
I went with my spouse and 8-month-old baby early on a Tuesday night when neither of us felt like cooking. The place was pretty empty, except for two other tables, one of which had kids as well although they were older. We got a high chair for the little guy, and a spoon for him to play with. The server belatedly asked if we wanted a kids' menu (didn't want one anyway) and that was that. I felt a bit as if we were imposing on them bringing a kid that little, even though he's very well behaved in public and didn't make a fuss, besides which we'd been assured bringing him was just fine (we like to do our research on this. No need to spoil someone's dinner).
The server also very belatedly (ten minutes after we'd been seated) asked if we wanted bread. It was cold focaccia bread, and came with plain bland olive oil in a bowl. Not too exciting. It was also rather impossible to ask the server for, say, vinegar, because he simply didn't return until we got our main dishes. We also had bruschetta, which were cold, yes, but fine.
We also wanted to try their wines, but when asked for a wine list, the waiter pointed to a (hard to decipher) chalkboard above the bar, saying that was their wine list. He also proved unable/unwilling to make any wine recommendations, again pointing to the chalkboard. So the dude ordered a glass of California Riesling, since that's what he knows and likes. Oh, and you don't get to do their half-off wine night if you come with a coupon. Which is fair, but we did have to ask first; this information was not volunteered.
The main dishes were the real disappointment, here. I ordered the braised lamb gnocchi, and the dude, who doesn't eat meat, the vegetarian ravioli (forgot the exact name of the dish). The ravioli were delicious, pasta, filling, sauce, and all. There also were only 3 of them. You heard me, three. And not three large ones. Three regular sized ones. On a large dinner plate, it looked a bit ridiculous. My gnocchi were a much more generous portion. The gnocchi were a bit soggy, which I don't really mind, but it took some serious searching to find any lamb in it at all! Eventually, I found a very few overcooked strings of meat in the very acidic tomato sauce - not enough to even make me taste it. Maybe that is what "braised" lamb means? In any case, for $15, this dish is too expensive.
The real kicker for me was our server coming by and saying, "how is everything, good?" which doesn't exactly give you the chance to mention these concerns.
We had the lemon goat cheese cake for dessert, to share, which tasted fine, except I let the dude eat most of it, seeing as how he hadn't really gotten a fair portion of food.
Short version: Food and service sort of blah, overpriced for what it is, but with the coupon it sort of was an OK deal. -
Review from saul c.
Seattle, WA
6/8/2010
Very few dishes are not that great. The home made pasta is close to perfection.
Love most of the food. Great appetizers!
Good service. Good wine list.
Very friendly! -
Review from Jon W.
Seattle, WA
3/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is my favorite neighborhood restaurant. The servers are friendly and helpful and the food is great. The focaccia is awesome! Here's a tip- the special is always good!
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Review from T H.
Seattle, WA
10/30/2010
The pasta noodles were really well made, however the meat sauce on them was not good- it was greasy, salty, onion-y and had way too much garlic (and I love garlic). I wouldn't go back.
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Review from Jeff S.
4/1/2010
I've only eaten here once, but their eggplant parmigiana was outstanding. Sure, it's a bit quirky and hard to find, but my wife and I were very surprised by the meal. Decent wine selection (some Dolcetto's). Staff was very friendly and the chef came out to ask us about the meal. Overall a nice experience. Will be back soon.
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Review from Calen K.
Seattle, WA
9/6/2009
This place was really a find, a great neighborhood Italian joint. I'm sure I've gone by it a dozen times and never had the slightest interest but I like trying local places and it was on my list. We were warmly greeted when we entered and the place was packed with patrons from families to large groups to couples of all ages.
The menu is fairly simple, but most of the pastas are made in-house and what they do they do well and for a reasonable price. The basil gnocchi was tenderer than most and melted where many have a doughy texture, I was quite impressed with the flavors evoked in such a simple dish. The calamari and squid-ink pappardelle was pretty good, the calamari was a bit lacking in flavor, perhaps not as fresh as it could've been, but the paparadelle was wonderful, fresh pasta makes such a difference. We were also very happy with the wine list, which has an excellent selection including an $18 and $24 section, the $24 Perolla Rosso was better than most $40 bottles I've had at other places.
Service was friendly, courteous and knowledgeable, which I've decided is really all I'm looking for out of a waiter. Overall the experience was surprisingly nice, probably in part because I wasn't expecting it., but regardless, I'll probably be back. -
Review from Michelle W.
Seattle, WA
10/20/2009
A solid Italian restaurant. Chicken Parma was very tasty and organic. Rosemary lemonade is worth a try - interesting selection. Panna cotta was delightful with warm spiced pears - this was what moved me from 3 stars to 4 stars. Live music the night we went left a bit to be desired. Kids are welcomed so friendly for families but also has a romantic atmosphere for couples.
