Volterra

An ideal spot for brunch, Volterra offers an accessible and outdoor setting (weather permitted) for those looking for a mid-day bite. After arriving at Volterra, I ordered the “Milano” herb breading pudding with scrambled eggs and brie. The food arrived promptly and every morsel was exquisite. Each item perfectly complimented one and other and came at such an unbelievable value.
My brunch guest a more meat heavy order, poached eggs with Italian sausage and toast. The eggs with poached to perfection and the sausages were crispy. Even the toast was just the right crunchyness and Volterra offers a wide variety of jams for you to slather on the toast.
While I’ve experienced the dinner menu at Volterra, I don’t find it quite compares to the quality that is offered during brunch. Overall, Volterra offers a well balanced menu no matter which time you show up.

Restaurant Zoe

It’s all about the gnudi according to local Seattleites who’ve dined at Zoe. What is gnudi you may ask? Well, gnudi is effectively bare gnocchi or in ricotta without the starchy shell. The process for this is simple, just leave the bare gnocchi out to form its own shell and voila gnudi. Now apparently Zoe had the best gnudi in town and after sampling it myself, I can confidently say this is the best gnudi in the Seattle area.
Dessert wise, Zoe offers a small yet satisfactory selection of chocolately and not so chocolately concoctions. I sampled the peanut butter brownie which comes covered in gold-flecked banana ice-cream with a nice drizzle of caramel. Decadent would aptly describe this dish, a tinge on the sweet side and could have used a bit more salty bite but overall delicious and well presented.

Harvest Vine Madison Park Seattle

Harvest vine is a very small tapas restaurant featuring an intimate setting and seasonally rotating dishes. Given its size and popularity, I highly recommend making a reservation at Harvest Vine then risk having the sometimes extended wait to grab one of the precious few tables.

Now because of Harvest Vine’s policy of having a seasonal rotation of dishes, you can expect a high degree of variation in the dishes. The dishes themselves can easily be labeled as gourmet. If you’re lucky enough to be seated near the chefs, you can see them work their magic in their tiny little kitchen area.

As for the food, I sampled the foie gras and squash and can safely say both were immaculately prepared and delicious. The octopus salad was also very fresh, covered in some sort of citrus based dressing with crumbled blue cheese. Harvest Vine also offers a large selection of wine’s for one to sample. The wait staff seems to all have a grasp of which wine will compliment which dishes so don’t be shy on asking.

Toulouse Petit

If your ideal meal consists of either seafood, pork and any other meat than Toulouse Petite may just have what you’re looking for. Toulouse features many exceptional dishes including, crispy pork cheeks confit, garlic sausages and shrimp cakes. Portions can air on the smaller side so it may be recommended you sample a variety of dishes.
Aesthetically, Toulouse, features a clean and plush interior with moody tones which is a nice change of pace from their former occupant who stylings were less than appealing. Pricing wise, Tolouse, is more than reasonable given the exceptional quality of food. If you’re after some delicious Creole styled dishes at affordable prices, then you are going to want to sample this restaurant.