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Mon. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Tue-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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Authentic all the way! The host who welcomed us at the front was, I think, one of the owners. He greeted each of us, even the "bambino" 4 month old baby in our party.
Our food was good, although a bit slow arriving at the table. But Good Food takes time, right? The portions are generous and an entree. could easily be shared. Next time, we plan on ordering family style. For desert, I had the tiramisu and next visit I'm going for the cannoli. Highly Recommend.
Good ole Italian food and the joint is run by Italian speaking staff, so that's gotta be good right?
We BOYB'ed so the wine was fantastic, thanks to Jake K.
Then the food was all good. The best was the cannolis. We had a smallish table so doing family style was a bit tricky.
And that brings me to my disappointment. I like to do Italian style, we had a small table for 4 (for 4!). And we got seated in the front cafe area. Had we been one or two more rooms down it have felt like we were at a nice restaurant instead of a cafe. So, maybe we can get a 4 star yet, but knowing what I know, I'd definitely have insisted on a "backer" room.
Step 1 - allocate about 120% of your normal stomach capacity
Step 2 - order any of the pastas from the menu at Picolino's (we had the carbonara and bolognese)
Step 3 - only finish half the dish, skip dessert and prepare for a food coma
Step 4 - Get to go boxes
Step 5 - Repeat the next day at home
Picolino's had great service, a romantic ambiance and authentic Italian food. Minus 1 star for the 2 small flies circling the table and 1 dying in my nearly empty beer.
The special risotto was fantastic, definitely recommend that, delicioso, fortissimo! Carlo, our waiter, was very knowledgeable about the wine selection, very friendly and attentive, and provided excellent service throughout the evening. Ambiance is great, old wold with modern flair, and service was outstanding. Definitely recommended!
Service was alright, but the food was soooo yummy. I had the rosemary lemon chicken....YUMMY! I would totally go back and order that again. Not sure about the pasta since I am gluten free. They don't know much about gluten free, but we had to be really forward with them and have them make SURE it was alright. I couldn't say anything better about the chicken dish.............=)
Me and my girlfriend went to Ristorante Picolino's the other night and I had a very good time. The décor was nice, the service was great and the food was as good as I've had at an Italian restaurant in Seattle.
The place had a couple different sections, all filled with candle topped tables and surrounded by paintings and statues. Some of the statues and paintings were, in my opinion, awful but overall the place was nicely laid out. Live music was playing in the background that was not too loud and gave the place a nice vibe.
We were helped by a friendly waiter (Jorge, I think) who was attentive and patient with our indecisiveness on what to order. They have a pretty good wine selection and though friendly, Jorge did not seem to know anything about wine. I don't know anything about wine and was hoping for some advice on what to order. This seems like such a small complaint for such friendly and attentive service though.
The bread given before the meal was pretty good and came with a lot of pesto dipping sauce. For dinner I had the goat cheese stuffed ravioli which was very, very good. My girlfriend had a pumpkin ravioli which she liked but didn't love. We stuffed ourselves with dinner and wine so passed on dessert.
Overall, if you are looking for a good place to take a date I would definitely suggest Ristorante Picolino's.
I am in love! The service was wonderful, the food delicious and they were so sweet to my small group and handled all of our dietary choices beautifully! I highly recommend this lovely restaurant.
Not much new has come up which made me want to venture to Sunset Hill since the demise of Zagi's pizza, but I was curious to know what kind of place was going up across from Rain City Video (one of my two favorite video shops). Tucked away from main town Ballard, Picolino's provides a nice ambience while nestled in a quiet residential neighborhood. Now I wouldn't say this place has the best Italian food I've ever had in my life, but it comes pretty damn close. And as we all know, there is more to dining than just the food. For instance, our Romanian server was so hot that I couldn't remember a word she said after introducing herself. As she listed off the menu specials I just sat there stunned like a deer caught in headlights; both the owner and the maître d' were very accommodating and sat us in an empty (quiet) part of the restaurant at our request (the cafe area). This was a good idea because the rest of the restaurant was in total Friday night, multi-party chaos. They had an accordion player playing all the old Italian favorites which believe it or not, came off as romantic, not cheesy in the least. 'Endivia Belga con Datteri' (endive salad with fennel, dates, red onion and shaved parmiggiano) was incredibly light yet refreshing and flavorful. The New York steak smothered in a capers, olives, olive oil, etc., didn't even have to ask for medium rare, was perfect. Veal and chicken pasta had a light cream sauce that made eating something traditionally fatening seem like velvet. An old standard, Gnocchi alla Carbonara was fantastic. For dessert we took a detour off the menu and instead went for the house gelato normally served at the cafe during the day.
This place really reminds me of ones that you can find tucked away throughout Europe. Even though they might not have 5 star plaques next to the front door, they provide an incredible mental souvenir.
Overall, I thought the whole experience was fantastic. It's a great value for what one receives. Not so common these days particularly from restaurants of this quality.
I will return, next time for the pizza.
The pizza is inconsistent at this place: good thickness, well cooked some nights, too thick and doughy the next. Get a good pizza maker for all seven nights of the week, or only stay open five.
Sightings of fake n' baked female kitchen helpers in hotpants may be considered a "plus" by some, I'm not one of them. Also, loud personal conversations about past drug use between staff members are generally considered unprofessional.
Some quirky decor choices going on here. And is that a wigged statue I spied outside? Someone paid a lot to make this place look like Pier One vomited all over it.
interior design gripes aside, this place is just too disorganized and too inconsistent to earn my business.
I dined here last week during our heatwave. We sat in the back, on the beautiful terraza. It was cool, the flowers and music were beautiful and the service was fantastic. I haven't had this attentive service in Seattle - for a long time.
We had ordered many plates to share and I can say that everything was mouth wateringly delicious - but especially the roasted chicken. I had to stop and stare at my dining companions when I put a bite into my mouth. It was tender, not over seasoned and well, perfect.
I haven't tried the pizza, but they do have an authentic oven... so I'll have to head back and see. I've lived in Italy three different times (4 years) and can say that this is one of the most authentic in flavor, and atmosphere (and well, considering the dollar isn't as strong as the euro - price too). The thought the price to be typical of Seattle, which means, a bit much.
But it won't stop me from going again. This place could be in Portland and I'd make the drive!
Buon Appetito Tutti!
I liked this place, MB was not sold. I was a little thrown when I walked in the door and the first 3 guys I saw had ponytails....
I had 2 of the specials, the crab bisque and the rack of lamb. My soup was really good, a tomato base with lots and lots of crab and I'm pretty sure some fish stuffed in there. Really well seasoned, it didn't need anything. My rack of lamb was also really good, pink in the middle, an excellent sear and good flavor. The jus on the plate was perfect for the meat as well as my steamed spinach and absolutely delightful roasted potatos... I might go back just for the potatos.
My dear fiance ordered a salad and then made an icky face when he started eating it. It had (from what he told me) pancetta (magic word), kalamata olives, tomatos, gorgonzola cheese, mixed greens, bitter greens and a lemon vinagarette. Not shocking he didn't like it, too many competing flavors. Some people are suckers for the word pancetta. For an entree he had the veal scallopine which I tasted and immediated deemed inferior to my dish. He liked it. Covered in mushrooms, accompanied by the same spinach and potatos.
We each had a glass of the house sangiovese, which I enjoyed, and which I felt was worth it's $7/glass price tag. Mitchell wasn't wowed (notice the trend...) For dessert we had pistachio and haselnut gelato, I loved the hazelnut and he liked the pistachio.
The biggest deterent for me coming back here was the price tag, at over $100 for dinner (and roughly the price we paid at How to Cook a Wolf) it seemed over priced.
Fun ambience, I liked the guy playing piano, as well as the hodge podge of chairs and old fashioned candlesticks. Seems to be a popular spot for 50-something dates.
I've dined here a handful of times and my experience has varied from everything between 2 and 5 stars, so until Picolino's becomes consistently great, I'm leaving my rating as an average of 3.
That said, the ambience here is fantastic. Last night we weren't lucky enough to get a seat on the patio so we missed out on the music and the long slow sunset of dinner and conversation. But inside is just as nice - it's on the relaxed and fun side of formal (white tablecloths, candelabra, mirrors, eclectic decor).
Service is generally good, if unremarkable.
Food ... well, here's where it tends to break down.
I've had the pizza; it's good, but not the best thin crust in Seattle, so not something I'd seek out.
I've been pretty satisfied with their pastas (in fact, I ate my crab tagliatelle leftovers for lunch today - yum!) and their gnocchi (mmm ... soft pillows of heaven) ... but in general, I think things are overpriced. I've had better, less expensive pasta elsewhere (the range at Picolino's is $16-22).
The pesto-y dipping sauce served with the bread is delicious, but the thick ciabatta-esque bread has recently been on the stale side (I'm not sure where it comes from or if they bake it on site, but I'd love it if they served something local/fresh, like from the Tall Grass Bakery).
Salads have often been woefully underdressed. I'm not at all someone who likes each bite to be dripping with oil, but there has to be some flavor. Last night's arugula salad was particularly dry and tasteless.
I've sampled a few of their appetizers, and for the most part, I'm not impressed. The asparagus w/ parmesan, lemon zest, basil and hardboiled egg sounded like the perfect light summer appetizer/composed salad ... but it was bland and underseasoned. There was hardly any basil or lemon zest, so the dish lacked flavor and the hardboiled egg was overcooked to an unappetizing gray ... it really was just a plate of steamed asparagus with some decorative toppings, and at $12, sooo ridiculously overpriced.
I have had a couple great evenings here, so I'm hoping that my lackluster experiences with the food are just part of the process of a (relatively) new restaurant ironing out the kinks.
Wonderful atmosphere. Great breads and pastas. Solid wine list (don't listen to the waiter recommendations, I don't think they know a Cabernet from a Hefeweizen). Avoid the lamb and Carlo the waiter.
We will go back, but will ask for a different server. Service in the bar was quick and entertaining.
Great pizza, pasta and bread, but avoid secondi piatti dishes.
We found ourselves seated in the back patio of Picolino's after a thorough search for a place with outdoor seating in Seattle. It was a glorious evening and the patio area was packed with people. That said, I think that perhaps Picolino's was understaffed and hadn't expected such a big turnout but with sun in Seattle, folks tend to congregate.
Our friend arrived before we did and went ahead and ordered a bottle of wine and several appetizers. Prior to tucking in to the delectable apps, we went ahead and ordered our entrees. After that errand had been dispatched, we got down to the serious business of chatting and enjoying the morsels in front of us.
We began with the Carpaccio Alla Cipriani (thin sliced filet mignon topped with wild capers with lemon preserve sauce) which was melt-in-your-mouth wonderful. Between the three of us we made short work of the carpaccio. Next we tried the Fondue ai Quattro Formaggi (fondue of four provincial cheeses with crostini served in Tuscan style); this was the absolute star of the evening. We couldn't get enough, and I do believe that the crock was so clean when we were finished that they didn't even need to send it through the dishwasher. The last appetizer was Brushetta Toscana (Tuscan toast topped with fresh tomatoes, olive tampenada and chicken pate); it tasted fresh and clean, just as you'd expect. Quite good! We were truly wowed by the succulent appetizers.
Our entrees arrived next. I ordered the Tagliatelle Bolognese e Porcini
(ribbon pasta sautéed with meat sauce and porcini mushrooms) as Bolognese is one of my stand-bys and a good benchmark when trying new restaurants. I don't know if it was a combination of my high expectations following the appetizers or simply my benchmark, but this Bolognese fell completely flat. Bland, tasteless, needed not only salt (and I don't salt my food at the table) but the rest of the seasonings as well. The pasta was a tad mushy and overall the whole thing just glopped together in my bowl. I finished less than half of it and did not want to take the rest home (very unusual for me). I was completely floored at the difference in flavors between courses.
We have since heard that their pizzas are good at Picolino's, so perhaps if we go back we'll try a pizza and appetizers. I would most definitely recommend skipping the entree, though. Very sad stuff.
This is a great little Italian joint hidden on Sunset Hill. We walked up there around 8 on a Sunday evening, hoping that it would even be open, and when we walked in, boy were we surprised to see a vibrant little bistro with a young high school aged three piece jazz band playing!
We were seated promptly and given enough time to glance over the menu and the wine list. We chose a very moderate priced California Cabernet, which did not disappoint.
Since we had Molly Moon's for lunch, we skipped the appetizers and dessert and instead just snacked on their delicious olive oil and pesto spread + bread.
For our entrees I had the veal shank special, which was lightly breaded and served with baby arugula and a light dressing on top. It was awesome and the perfect size. My girlfriend had the the spaghetti vongole (pasta with clams in a white wine sauce), which was full of flavor.
The service was prompt, but not too prompt, which is a good thing in my book for an Italian restaurant. I've heard good things about their pizza and happy hour, which means I will definitely be re-visiting the place to check that out!
FYI - This is right on the line for the #17 bus if you travel via King County Metro.
Is there room for another napoli thin crust pizza pumper-outer in Seattle?
Yes. The answer is yes.
Picolino's makes a great thin crust pie... and for $8 at Happy Hour (4:30- 6:30pm, Sun- Thurs) do yourself a favor and get over there so you can see what I'm talking about.
We were really impressed last night with our experience at Picolino's. From the moment you walk in, it's very clear that customer service is king. I don't remember the last time I've rec'd such a welcome- maybe this last weekend at my parent's house for Easter dinner. From the owner to the chefs, busboys and bartenders- nothing but smiles and service.
The space itself is really nice. They took a lot of time to ensure a comfortable dining space... three of them actually. The restaurant is sectioned off by rooms, but the flow remains. There's the family area, a bar/ dining area, and the private dining area. All the rooms have big windows, light wood and white table clothes.
We ended up sitting at the bar where Quinn took care of us. We over ordered thinking that one pizza would not be enough. We ordered 2 pizzas, the calamari/ fries/ shrimp dish, and the meat plate. They have a decent selection of beers on tap, including brews from Maritime and Trumer Pilsner. I had a (big, BIG) pour of the house red.
Our food arrived quickly. The charcuterie plate came with prosciutto and bologna, capers, red peppers, a few kinds of salami and some garlic toasts. At $6, it's a great deal. The fried seafood plate was good too. The calamari, tasty, though I'd prefer some sort of aolii or a lemon for just a tad more flavor.
The pizzas were the real winner. Not too much cheese and just the right amount of toppings. The sauce is good, light and fresh. We enjoyed the funghi and salame pies. The consistency of the crust was perfect, the flavors were great. Their secret? It has to be their Italian chefs that i had the chance to chat up for a minute as I snuck a peak at their back patio. (which is going to be GREAT in the summer- I cannot wait!!).
The damage was $41 before tip. This dinner would have been twice the price anywhere else. You definitely get a lot of bang for your buck here.
We'll be back soon. The dinner menu looks great. Lots of pasta (and more pizzas) seafood, steak, chicken and fish to be had. I'm very happy to have another great, reasonably priced dining establishment in the 'llard. One that lacks pretentiousness and thrives on customer care.
We first visited Picolinos soon after they opened. BLECH! It was so bad, we had no intention of returning. The other night we finally gave them another chance, taking advantage of their happy hour. Their fried seafood plate was fine, albiet a bit strange, because the few shrimp that were included had no breading on them, and the lone "vegetable", which appeared to be sweet potato, was undercooked. The calimari itself was great, although some tartar sauce or aioli would've been nice. But i came with half a lemon, that's all, nothing else.
We also ordered a pizza, which I think had prosciotto, pepperoni, and mushrooms on it. When it arrived, the three ingredients were distinctly portioned atop their own quarter of the pizza; the fourth quarter was just plain cheese. While the pizza was very tasty (especially the pepperoni), and I LOVE "Monk", it felt like we were given a OCD pizza.
We also had a fried seafood platter, which was pretty good. There were a few fried shrimp (non-breaded) on top, plus some weird, breaded discs. They turned out to be sweet potato. Which is fine, I LOVE sweet potato fries, but these weren't cooked all the way through. Plus, there was no aioli or tartar sauce served alongside; just a nice big lemon half.
Our favorite part of the meal was the bread ,and the TDF spread that came with it. Per the waiter, it had "herbs, olive, and garlic", which he said in a casual manner that indicated we all should know how to make it. But I think there was something else in there. It had been pureed, but still had some chunk to it. It was so good, I used my pizza crusts to finish it off.
We split a dessert, the creme brulee, which was pretty tasty. But they had blueberries sitting on top. Which would've been nife, if you don't want
This place is very pretty inside, someone dropped a serious dime turning these stores into one large extended restaurant. Ambiance is beautiful and it's in a great neighborhood. But that's about all the positive feedback I can give it. I went to meet friends for happy hour and was very disappointed. Especially when regaling the story to my friend I found out he'd had a similar experience. I checked their website regarding a happy hour, however we went in to discover there was in fact none. We were told that they hadn't updated their website (my friend was told the same things a couple weeks before, hmm). The bartender stated he'd negotiate with us but had no menu to offer. Nor was the bartender really offering up anything. Strike one. My friends had a couple of nice smaller pizzas in front of them and thought they looked good. I asked about the Italian ham and was told it was just a prosciutto. I ordered a mushroom and Italian ham pizza and my partner an arugula and prosciutto pizza. Bartender comes back to inform me my pizza was dropped on the floor and they are making me another one. Strike two-don't tell me that. We get our pizzas and mine isn't what I ordered. My partner's pizza was a joke. It was a heavy pile of arugula, a slice of prosciutto on a baked pizza dough with scant sauce. Cheese anyone? It was to have had provolone. I knew then my husband had decided he'd never come back. My pizza was taken and slices of it offered to the people next to me for free. As well as the bartender ate it in front of us. A couple minutes later another pizza arrives. It's a large pizza with light covering of arugula, prosciutto and cheese! Just what my husband had wanted, instead of the salad he was eating. Still not what I ordered. To make a long story short. I eventually got the pizza that I ordered. Italian ham is nowhere near prosciutto and we got socked with a full priced bill for a large pizza we hadn't ordered, while the bartender ate the pizzas he messed up. On the nice end of it, he did offer us a slice of it. After three tries he never offered to comp me a drink or anything. Instead over charged us. Rule number one, be consistent, if you're going to lure people in with a happy hour, then have one. If you F' up don't explain it to me, fix it and apologize if necessary. Two don't give freebies to everyone around me when I'm still waiting for my food. Finally, don't overcharge for that fiasco of a dining experience. They've lost our business for good, and that of our friends for trying to pull a fast one.
Good Napoli style pizza. Semi fancy atmosphere. Good classy service. Live piano and accordion music. Semi expensive. Pretty good pasta. Great outside patio. Good wines - some locals. Nice quiet part of Ballard. Romantic.
I went again the other night. Their margarita is still amazing, but their other pizza's are just so so (the toppings are too heavy for the pizza). I'd get margarita's from them and everything else from Veracci's
I've tried almost every pizza place in Seattle and have traveled the world (including Italy) looking… Read more »
I went here with a very large group of people on a Friday night. We didn't have a reservation and were still seated quickly. Now, with 8 or 9 people ordering drinks and appetizers and then changing their mind about their drinks and then someone else wants an appetizer and then someone else shows up and just wants drinks but then oh wait maybe they do want an appetizer but no maybe they will just wait and order an entree and then everyone orders an entree and some people are sharing but then they don't want to do that and then wait maybe we don't need so many appetizers and can i get some more wine already -
you'd think that with all that fuss, there'd be a hiccup somewhere. Nope, none. They got our oft-changed order perfect and the food was DELISH. I had a pasta dish and came close to licking the plate in public. Some people got pizza and while I wasn't allowed to try any (selfish, selfish friends) it looked like something worth eating a lot of.
Prices were reasonable and service was friendly. The waiter had this Italian accent that seemed to sort of fade away as the evening went on and then mysteriously disappeared completely when we elected to not order dessert and asked for the check.
I'm not sure if this place will make it into my regular circuit but it was a lot of fun and I wouldn't object to eating here again.
I've only ever sat at the bar, so perhaps I'm a little biased. But every time I've gone I've received GREAT service and even better company. All of the bartenders are super nice and will chat with you if it's even a bit slow.
The calamari is delicious (I've had it twice now), as is the eggplant/crab cake my friends shared. The bartenders brought us multiple bread refills, without our asking (and yummy bread it is too)!
My friends and I have started coming here often enough that they are starting to recognize us. I'm loving becoming a new regular!
After seeing Picolino's get roughed up by some diner-reviews after their initial opening I was discouraged. I want the place to succeed. I like the people and they have obviously invested a LOT of money in every part of the operation from the design to the kitchen. The thing was the food was just ok on my first few trips. Don't get me wrong. I liked it. I just didn't like it enough to be as much of a regular there as I hoped I woud be.
Then I got a tip that I knew would change everything ... master pizzaiolo Espedito Dino Santonicola, who opened Via Tribunali and made it a pizza force-to-be-reckoned-with in Seattle was taking over the pizza oven!!! The kitchen was also getting a new Italian chef.
When I walked in the room and saw Dino standing by oven, sporting his trademark bandana I got a rush. I love his pizza. We probably made a trip to Capitol Hill once a month after I first tried Via-T. When they opened their Queen Anne location we went maybe 50 times the first year. Now they are .5 miles max from my house. Yikes! Bottom line is that if you love authentic pizza napolitana it's available in the heart Ballard. I had the prosciutto crudo .. amazing fresh tomato sauce, olive oil, smattering of mozz and basil, translucent strips of prosciutto. My wife had the salame -- same basic setup but with pepperoni. It was exactly what I was looking for. We also had the fritto misto: battered and fried calamari, shrimp and fried fruits and vegetables (Delicious) a surprisingly good bottle of Aglianico from Puglia and finished the meal off with lavender creme brulee and tiramisu.
The service was friendly and attentive and the kitchen was much quicker than it was on my first few trips. I am giving Picolino's 5 stars not because it serves world class cuisine but because the wine, the service and the pizza were all exactly what I wanted. I think it is becoming the neighborhood trattoria that I have wanted for our sleepy section of Ballard. I can't wait for the coffee shop and outdoor dining with planned outdoor pizza oven to open!!!
I have been to Picolino's twice and I am going to discount the first visit which was on opening… Read more »
I dined with friends at Picolino's last night and enjoyed the evening immensely. We were seated on the beautifully terraced patio, which is something to savor on these rare, balmy summer evenings that Seattle offers to make up for the long, dreary winter.
The food: the bread provided as a start was lovely (a soft, fluffy bread with thin strips of onion) and the olive-oil dip just right. I ordered the seafood special, which was scallops and shrimp on a bed of pasta, and it was OK (the scallops were underdone and rubbery), but as I was mainly here for a rare evening out and recalled having a delicious meal that was over-the-moon excellent last time I'd come here, I was quite willing to forgive. (That former meal was a special and I only remember "delicious" but no details, alas...). Desserts were fine.
The service: just right. Attentive but not hovering, and never ever were we given the feeling that it was time for us to move on or that we should hurry up and order. It was very gracious.
I had told my friends to expect gracious but slightly eccentric service, and I meant that in a good way :) Last time we came here our waiter told my husband, who mentioned that he ate pork but not beef, that he thought that was "weird", and this time when I asked what was in the seasonal fruit tart, our waiter looked taken aback and said, "Fruit." But you know what? We were amused by the former, charmed by the latter. It reminded me of my days living in NYC. (Where I actually heard a woman ask a bus driver, 'how much does the bus cost?" meaning the fare, of course, and he responded, "Oh, about 600,000 dollars" and then roared with laughter at his own joke.)
Thing is, it was REAL, not plastic. And these little funny moments in no way reflected the overall high quality of the service.
I am glad this restaurant is here. Decent, often very good food, fine service, beautiful terrace for lovely evenings and cozy, pretty interior for chilly autumn evenings--what's not to like?
All I have to say is wow! We went here and asked to be seated in the back patio, which to me was the perfect back patio. Sitting there, I felt like I was taking in the beautiful weather and beautiful ambience. Someone, I believe the manager or owner, walked around several times checking that everything was okay. It felt very authentic, I heard Italian being spoken from many of the waiters.Our service was great and so was the wine and food that we ordered. We ordered pizza and this goat cheese pasta,which tasted amazing. I had a complete culinary orgasm! Leaving this place all I could think was wow, I will definitely be back!
Came to check this place out after trying their pizza at the Neapolitan Pizza Forum last week.
For starters we had the Capricciosa pizza. I enjoyed the combination of Italian Ham, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms but I think the pizza should have been served a little hotter. The crust wasn't underdone so I suspect that the pie was taken out of the oven and waiting for a server to bring to it out. Overall, it was still a good pizza. We ordered the Risotto Riviera and the tagliatelle with crab as our entrees. Both dishes were good. The Riviera had a good assortment of seafood, and a couple really large prawns, but the tagliatelle was just a bit better.
The service was attentive and friendly. I had an interesting conversation about Diet Coke with some of the staff... I didn't think I was drinking Diet Coke and they thought I was. The bartender confirmed that I was right... it was something called Royal Canadian?? Anyway, I only drink Diet Coke so that didn't work for me.
I'll definitely go back to check out some of the other things on the menu. There's a little ice cream shop across the street that serves Snoqualmie Ice Cream too.
Excellent wine selection. (Our waitress Shannon recommended something that we both liked.) Great service. (not too much or too little attention) Incredible food. (Delicious arugula salad and pizza margharita) And it was very affordable. The live piano music was nice in the background, though the room volume was a bit loud. (We were in the bar room.)
We sat on the back patio which was beautiful. There was even a classical guitarist. We ordered 4 appetizers, 4 entrees & 4 desserts and everything was excellent. Lovely service, food & atmosphere. We live in the neighborhood & will definately be going back soon.
I am amazed at the difference of opinions on the restaurant.
Quite possibly this could be explained due to a lack of education on fine Italian restaurants. As we live in the PNW and access to good Italian is limited by experiences people have in older cities throughout the world or the 2 or 3 other places in the city that cater to a higher end clientele.
Picolino is a welcome addition to Sunset Hill and certainly Seattle That being said, if your idea of Italian cuisine is limited to Pizza, Ceaser salad and pasta with red sauce, you might be better served by going somewhere else.
This is a wonderful neighborhood place that could easily open and find success in any area of NY, or Boston's North and South End. Quite Frankly, my experience here was akin to a big East Coast Hug.
As soon as my date and I sat down at the bar, I knew that we were in for a treat.
I'm a single malt scotch fan and they had more than enough to select from, she is a white wine fan and immediately found several that fit her needs. While nursing my drink, I reviewed the wine list and was very impressed at the unusual and educated selections.
When I was served rustic bread, baked on the premises served with fresh parmesan reggiano, oil with herbs and pepper (no.. the individual pieces of butter are not going to arrive in the basket), I surrendered my choices to the waiter and just requested they bring me their selections as if they were going to have dinner that night.
My companion and I shared each serving as it arrived.
First course was mussels cooked in a white wine and cream reduction, with caramelized onions, shallots and pancetta. Followed up with a mixed green salad with fennel and a home made salad dressing.
The waiter then brought us some amazing chicken soup to try on a whim and explained the cooking process; the chef (yes, chef, not line cook) used rice in the stock and then removed it after the broth became sufficiently thick.
When our entrée arrived: a mixed grille with homemade sausage, a wonderful cut of beef, sautéed shrimp, served with Gorgonzola mashed... I reached my saturation point and was overly full.
A few minutes later the waiter stopped off to show us what his final decision would have been... A plate of artisan chesses that could only be compared to the cheese plate at the Sahlish lodge.
As we had friends that were dining in another room, celebrating a birthday, we joined them for after dinner drinks and were surprised when a sample plate of desserts arrived, sent over by our server.
This is a young, quality, neighborhood restaurant just gaining its stride...
Oh, it's also my new favorite place
Original Review, December 2008: We finally decided to try this place on a slow night after a year or more of watching renovations to the building. First I'll say it's overdone for Ballard and even for Sunset Hill. I hope they make it work, but I think it's too nice and too pricey for what the neighborhood will sustain. The ironwork is amazing, but incongruous with the pickled fir and living room decor throughout the rest of the spaces.
The food was good, but overpriced. We spent just over $100 for two, including 4 mixed drinks and tip. If you can afford that, give it a try. Otherwise, it's a special-occasion-only place; not what you want in a neighborhood restaurant that you hope to go to once every week or two.
Their pasta menu is a la carte: choice of noodle style and sauce, with suggested addition of an appetizer-style (and priced) meat. I prefer Lombardi's amazing sauces to the watery putanesca I had. The pork skewers were dry and tough, though I suppose I should expect that from skewer-cooked meats.
The rather dull waitress cleared our cutlery after the appetizer (charcuterie with pickled vegetables - very good), but never brought replacements. We had to steal forks and knives off the empty table next to us when the main course arrived. The decor and table settings were high end, but the menus were grease stained sheets of paper that seemed out of place. The festive seasonal table cloth was felt-like and hadn't been cleaned; there were bread crumbs all over it. The choice of table cloth probably sounded like a good idea, but doesn't pan out in practice.
We will try this place again on a busier night to see how it goes a second time. I hope I like it better next time.
Review Update, September 2009: We went back a few months ago and the menu was VASTLY improved. A complete change of chef and staff. However, the experience was still horrible. I've dropped my rating from a hopeful 4 to a realistic 2. The chairs are absolutely uncomfortable. The first time I thought maybe I had just gotten that one unfortunate sprung chair, but I've been back twice since and ALL the chairs are sprung.
My most recent visit was for their advertised late nite singer. Upon arrival at the 9pm start time, the only thing the maitre'd was worried about (even before he offered to seat us) was whether I was going to order food or not so he could notify the kitchen. I said I was there for drinks and meeting several friends. I am now embarrassed that I asked people to join me there. There was no table service, other than a waif of a waitress who ignored our table the entire time. I had to go to the space cadet at the bar several times to order drinks. There was bread on the table and I would have liked at least some appetizers, but there was no service, and I remembered that the host was more concerned with closing the kitchen than serving guests. All-in-all a really bad experience. I won't be returning, even though it's down the street from the house.
I have been keeping an eye on Picolino's since they opened, and I am glad I finally took the plunge!
First of all, the space inside is beautiful. They have three rooms, and we were seated in the middle/main room. They have a bar with about ten seats (looks like a great place for a glass of wine or two!), and then two long "community tables" in the center, that are about bar height. Then the outside of the room is spotted with tables for four. The lighting is great, really beautiful wrought iron chandeliers... very warm, and perfect for fall! They also have a "barn room" which sounds odd, but there were hay bales in there... I didn't check that out thoroughly.
On to the food and wine! They have 14 Hands Merlot for their house wine for $5... Cavatappi Sangiovese for $6 a glass - both great wines. We ordered the calamari appetizer and a house salad. The calamari was soft, and came with three sauces on the side. We ordered the Napoli pizza to share, and it was the wood fired pizza, though not as thin crust as Tutta Bella. The ingredients were fresh, and the sauce had a kick to it. Oh, and before I forget! The bread and olive oil/herbs they bring out while you are deciding on what to order - really great. They also have a bottle of olive oil on the table... which is never a bad thing.
Honestly, I really want to go back and try their pasta dishes, or entrees. They had several kinds of pasta sauces from Sage Butter to the Bolognese. They had additions you could add like meatballs, and also many vegetable sides. The entree that really caught my eye was the mixed grill which was served with blue cheese mashed potatoes (that sounds really, really good)... but they had dried tomato coated pork loin, a chicken dish, and... my memory fails me.
I also want to add that they have veggie sausage, and tofu pepperoni on one of their pizzas. It's nice to see a vegetarian option like that.
All in all, I'd say it's a great neighborhood place, and I'm excited to go back and try more items to get a true sense of their options other than their pizza. :)
I have been watching this place transition from a piano shop and pottery studio for what seems like years now. As it was being remodeled I heard buzz that it was going to be an Italian food joint like Tutta Bella in Wallingford, I heard that the neighbors were putting up a big stink about it going in, and I heard that Jimmy Hoffa's body was buried under the Men's room toilet. Ok that last one was a lie but it seemed lame that I only heard two things about this place, three seemed a bit more "rounded". Any who.....When I saw that it was a bit more upscale looking I was a bit turned off, as I am cheap and trashy. Also the reviews on Yelp were less than enchanting. But C-Stan and I finally jumped in the car and made the 10 block trek (shut up...it was raining.....OK I am lazy too) to try it out.
As I walked in wearing my blue jeans, low top Chuck Taylors and a t-shirt from the 1999 Darrington Bluegrass Festival I felt a little "trailer-ish" as the gen-u-wine Eye-talian Maitre...matre....m'aitre....host guy greeted us. The restaurant is nicely decorated and is actually five distinct rooms. The Bakery, which has yet to open its retail doors yet, is at the far right of the block long building. Next is the cafe (I had an espresso after dinner and it was fantastic BTW), then you have the more formal dining room and kitchen. The next room is a more casual looking room that houses the bar (and a grand piano), and finally there is what appears to be a private dining area but rumors have it will be a cocktail and tapas bar.
We sat in the dining room where the kitchen was. It is a really nice area with wood stacked for the wood fired pizza oven, and the cook staff chatting away in Italian. Despite my looking like a moderately gentrified hillbilly the host/waiter/maitre de was very helpful and friendly. He was also very understanding of our refusal of any wine due to a hard night of drinking the night before. I ordered up a baby green salad that had some gouda and Italian bacon on it (yum) and the ...Oh what the heck was it....the "Spaghetti something de Mare", yeah spaghetti with seafood. I thought it would be spaghetti with a few clams and a shrimp or two, but it was more like, in-shell clams, and muscles, scallops, shrimp, and calamari with a little spaghetti. It was great. I have had similar dishes elsewhere and the seafood seemed less than fresh tasting, but here it was all wonderful. We finished up with a Mango tart and coffee. The tart was great and if you like almond flavor you will love the tart crust. The whole experience was very nice. At first thought I was a bit put-off by the fact that we were not being hassled by the waiter every two minutes like you are at most places. But in actuality it was refreshing. He came to us only when obviously needed (water refills, plate removal, and check) and allowed us to just take our time. I appreciated that there was a break between our bread (with fantastic sun dried tomatoes/basil olive oil "dip" ...yeah, see I am a hillbilly) and our salad and the main course. It was all very deliberate, so don't go in if you like to be rushed out. If you are in a bit of a hurry I would recommend the pizza. We had a couple come in after us and within 10 minutes of them being seated they were eating a pizza that was hard not to reach over and steal a slice of.
We will definitely return and will not even feel bad about looking like "hill people" (before I get in trouble...CStan you looked great...I looked like GWB's second cousin Eddie). Seriously though go as you are. Sunday best, business casual, prom ready or shorts and T-shirt. They were all there and welcome. Oh yea and despite its very upscale appearance, staff and food it was very reasonably priced at about $14-$20 for a main dish. Very worth it.
P.S. I said "not good for kids" in the additional tips section because I liike the fact that it is quiet and relaxed. If you have well behaved quiet kids have at it. Otherwise Tutta Bella may be a better option.
Had a wonderful experience and will definitely be headed back soon. For details, please see Kyle S.'s review. He's funnier, and I'm lazy.
Came here for dinner tonight without a reservation, ended up walking out. The dining room was amazingly packed, and I owe this mostly to the novelty of the place and the dearth of dining choices in this quiet nook of Sunset Hill.
The decor is tastefully done, if a bit antiseptic; the stonework on the outdoor patio is gorgeous. It's loud in the dining room, and I spied more than one family with kids, so maybe this isn't the right ambience for a romantic date.
They have smallish menu-- a build-your-own-pasta section, an abundance of salted, preserved meats in the entree section, pizzas, and some appetizers. The pastas are supposed to be made fresh and the herbs plucked from their own garden out back. I didn't try any of it because I refused to pay $13 for the mix & match pasta. Please. I thought the prices were very spendy for a restaurant outside of downtown Ballard (entrees were about $20-- I think the proper price point for this neighborhood should be $12-17 per entree, mix and match pastas for $10.)
We ended up walking out after having a Guinness. The first bottle the bartender grabbed from the cooler was already open. WHAT?! he got me a new one, but still...
Skip this place and get thee to Pasta Bella.
What can I say. Atmosphere. Friendly service. And great food. Everything we got, from appetizers to dessert, was excellent. You guys do good work - I'll definitely be back. Thanks for helping to make my date one to remember.
The espresso shop is now open! Moved my review of it over to its own listing. LOVE.
Sounds like Picolino's is a bit of an enigma! But I think they are hitting their stride and will… Read more »
too expensive and pretentious for what's basically a neighborhood Italian joint. My clams and linguine had that odd "garlic that's gone bad" aftertaste, his gnocchi was smothered in cheese, but not in a good way. Service was minimal even though the house wasn't crowded. $60+ for 2 glasses of wine each and 2 entrees (no appetizers or extras). Meh. Go to Lombardis instead.
LOVE - love this place! I am so happy that such a wonderful place is so close to my home....and off the busy path of downtown Ballard.
I've been there twice and have had great food and service experiences. Pizza is excellent and is definately my favorite so far. I think it's great they have seperate dining areas and seems that one is dedicated to families/kids. I have a child and fully appreciate dining sans child in a quiet and grown-up atmosphere. The place is beautiful and the piano is a great touch. This is a special place!
Real Italian.
The restuarant has all the trappings of a cute neighborhood italian eatery. The trappings are quite misleading. Tough parking, poor service and average food will doom this place.
The parking issue cant be solved, but the poor service and average food can be improved. I could not catch my waitress to get another glass of wine (my 2nd), and I had to ask the busperson if he could get our table the red peppers and cheese that she was to bring 10 minutes before that.
The pasta sauce was quite sweet, although not advertised on the menu to be that way. And what's up with the ONE peice of bread at the beginning of the meal? That's just cheap and unnecesary.
The place isnt overly expensive, but they arent giving away either. We wont go back.
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