Francesco Angiuli
Owner of Panevino Trattoria
416 Broadway E, 328-7817
Why did you decide to leave Via Tribunali and start your own restaurant?
I had an enjoyable experience at Via Tribunali, and that gave me strong motivation to start my own restaurant. I lived in Italy until I was 14. Since then, I've lived in Spain, London, and San Francisco. I moved here in 2008, and I like the culture of Seattle. I wanted to start a real Italian trattoria here, with great wine, great food, and great service at the right price.
Which part of Italy are you from?
Bari, in southeastern Italy, on the heel of the boot.
Did you have a favorite restaurant as a child?
Il Pescatore—it means "the Fisherman." It still exists. There's actually a photograph taken outside Il Pescatore on the wall over there. All the photographs in here are of Bari in the 1930s.
You originally intended to call Panevino "Pasta?"—with a question mark. What brought you to your senses?
It sounded too much like a chain restaurant.
What's in the Panevino Punch?
It's gin, lemon juice, simple sugar, and Campari with a lemon twist. You should come have one during happy hour. We have four- and five-dollar food specials, and every beer is three dollars.
Have you ever eaten a SpaghettiO?
No, though I've seen them in the store. Listen, if you want to ruin an Italian's day, serve them a bad meal.