The Asteroid Cafe

1605 N 45th St (Wallingford), 547-2514. Lunch daily 10 am-3 pm; dinner Mon-Thurs
5-10 pm, Fri-Sat 5-11 pm, Sun 5-10 pm. $$.

The Asteroid Cafe would like to dispel the rumor that it is merely a coffeehouse.
This small storefront in Wallingford is a full-fledged, authentic Italian restaurant
focusing on southern, central, and northern Italy, where owner Marlin Hathaway
has spent much of his time. The Asteroid is small, and you might feel crowded
if you’re in a romantic mood, but the food, beginning with a stunning, complimentary
bruschetta, will make up for any lack of privacy.

The pastas are a work of art, and the portions are immense, but you will keep eating. A few unusual dishes, like wild boar (available on a seasonal basis), have developed a following, and the daily dinner specials often feature unique seafood entrées. Hathaway is also proud of his wine list, which spans several regions of Italy but concentrates on Tuscan reds.

MEGAN HAAS

Il Gambero

2132 First Ave (Belltown), 448-8597. Mon-Sat 5-11 pm, closed Sundays (reservations recommended on weekends). $$.

You could walk past Il Gambero a hundred times before noticing it: It’s probably the only restaurant in Belltown that doesn’t call attention to itself. But Italians don’t need to be flashy to get respect, and Il Gambero will eventually muscle anyone into submission anyway, because the restaurant serves the best chicken Marsala in the city. Period. The chicken swims in perfectly formed red wine sauce and mushrooms, looking as good as a bodyguard in leather. You can get a side of pasta (served with just the right amount of sauce) for a little extra.

Il Gambero isn’t as romantic as it would like to think–the wine does more than the atmosphere–but if you arrive early, you can cozy up with a cocktail in the “Volare Room,” Gambero’s slender, low-lit side bar with a wonderfully kitschy name. TRACI VOGEL

Il Capo Italian Restaurant

17171 Bothell Way NE, Third Place Books Mall (Lake Forest Park), 364-6001. Daily 11 am-9 pm. $.

I understand why people make it a rule to never, ever eat inside a mall, since the undercurrents of despair at such suburban dens can induce panic attacks or aggression-displacement behavior in even the most balanced people. That said, I must point out this Italian counter in the Third Place Books mall.

Il Capo’s inexpensive entrées are its strongest point. The Tuscan red sauce is full of fiery, garlicky character, and chef Francisco spoons it thoroughly, with the stern attention of a mother wolf, over his lasagna, rigatoni, and spinach/ricotta-stuffed manicotti. The results are satisfying, but not heavy. Il Capo’s thick pizza crust is strangely puffy, but with its smooth blanket of mozzarella and ubiquitous garlic, the stuff slides right down. Francisco will even prepare requests that aren’t on the modest menu. STACEY LEVINE

Serafina

2043 Eastlake Ave E (Eastlake), 323-0807. Lunch Mon-Fri 11:30 am-2:30 pm; dinner
Sun-Thurs 5:30-10 pm, Fri-Sat 5:30-11 pm; bar open later. $$.

Peopled by wealthy young standard-jazz aficionados dressed in stretch cotton,
Serafina offers “rough” Italian country fare, which seems to mean that the bread
is chewy and the dishes are covered with lots of cheese. The succulent pork
medallion entrée is very popular, along with the rich and complex pasta
specials, which take advantage of seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs. Serafina
also offers heavenly house-made desserts, and the real reason to stop by this
darkly lit Eastlake haunt may be to knuckle up to the bar, get yourself a juicy
drink, and dip into the tiramisu. TRACI VOGEL

Buongusto

2232 Queen Anne Ave N (Queen Anne), 284-9040. Lunch Tues-Fri 11 am-2 pm, dinner
daily 5-10 pm. $$.

Queen Anne’s best Italian restaurant feels like a “special occasions” kind
of joint. You know–after the wake, before the wedding, whatever–there are
some events that require that special blend of elegant dining with a relaxed
atmosphere.

With a candlelit dining room and affable owner Salvio as your host, Buongusto offers that same serene experience. But the best part is that this is not Rocky’s Italian food; this is minty olive oil on tomato bruschetta, pumpkin ravioli with raisins and walnuts, perfectly spiced beef and grilled vegetable lasagna, and a host of other delicate wonders. The food and ambience are so enjoyable, in fact, you’ll find yourself eagerly counting the days till the next wake. NATHAN THORNBURGH

Bizzarro Italian Cafe

1307 N 46th St, 545-7327. Sun-Thurs 5-10 pm, Fri-Sat 5-11 pm. $$.

This cafe seats 40 or so people at small tables beneath an oppressive avalanche of decorative junk. It offers a mishmash of Italian foods–lasagna, puttanesca, osso buco, marinara this and marinara that–loosely thrown together from all the cuisines of Italy.

Bizzarro is no ideologically driven project: The simplest pleasures of Italian food are offered, presented in whatever combinations might please the palate and imagination of the chef. The Rigatoni Margherita was a little disappointing–the pasta itself as firm and buoyant as a high-priced summer air mattress, rather clotted with cheese and then tossed in a blend of the ubiquitous marinara with chunks of tomato and a great handful of oregano. This shotgun marriage of what was essentially pizza topping and pasta seemed to be the culinary equivalent of the restaurant’s decor: Throw in a handful of everything, and some part is bound to prove interesting. MATTHEW STADLER

Spaghetti Red’s

2355 1/2 10th Ave E (Capitol Hill), 709-8744. Sun-Thurs 5-10 pm, Fri-Sat 5-11
pm. $.

Spaghetti Red’s retro-hip atmosphere–blood-red walls, arched doorways, fountains,
plastic fruit, frolicking cherubs, Frank Sinatra in the background–screams
“too cool for you,” but you’ll forget how nerdy you are when you’ve got your
snout in a plate of noodles.

The best value is the $7.95 Mix & Match Pasta: your choice of spaghetti, capellini, linguine, penne, or bow-tie pasta with regular or fiery red sauce, pesto or roasted garlic cream sauce, or olive oil with garlic and spices. A house salad is included, which is superb in its simplicity: romaine with carrots, marinated onions, and an amazing house vinaigrette. Get a friend to share Spaghetti Red’s superstar red velvet cake, a deliriously rich and moist chocolate cake with bright red frosting, thanks to plenty of beet juice (way better than it sounds). MELODY MOSS

Salute

3426 NE 55th St (Ravenna), 527-8600. Sun-Thurs 5-10 pm, Fri-Sat 5-11 pm. $$.

Salute has a long, convoluted history dating back to 1984. Suffice it to say
that the current Salute in Ravenna–run by longtime Salute dishwashers/busboys
Tony Eren and Gao Le–is not to be confused with Salute of Bellevue. In this
eclectically decorated 55th Street establishment, Tony waits tables while partner
Gao cooks, and the key word here is accommodating: If you need to have menu
items carefully explained, if you’re undecided, if you want to mix ‘n’ match–all
is forgiven.

Best of all, the food is so good that even old standbys like Fettuccine al Pesto seem innovative. The Vitello Saltimbocca–thin-sliced veal with prosciutto, lemon, sage, butter, and white wine–is juicy and savory. The Spaghetti di Mare offers an unusually flavorful marinara sauce with impressively fresh clams, scallops, mussels, calamari, and prawns. Desserts are excellent; a special white and dark chocolate mousse terrine is especially heavenly. MELODY MOSS

That’s Amore

1425 31st Ave S (Mt. Baker), 322-3677. Mon-Thurs 11:30 am-10 pm, Fri 11:30
am-10:30 pm, Sat 4-10:30 pm, Sun 4-9 pm. $$.

That’s Amore seems rather humble at first, with its Spartan furnishings and
quiet Mount Baker location. Go all the way to the back of the restaurant, though,
and you’ll find a pleasant surprise: a magnificent view of downtown Seattle
to the west.

The menu is anything but humble, with a good variety of appetizers, pizza, pasta, and specialite della casa. The Insalata Pera is a lip-smacking combination of tangy and sweet, with glazed pears, wild greens, crumbled blue cheese, walnuts, and a honey chardonnay vinaigrette. The six-ounce piccola-sized version of the Bisteca e Gamberi–grilled top sirloin medallions and prawns with tomato balsamic relish–is delicious and more than adequate for a healthy appetite. A marvelously light lemon pepper cream sauce adorns the Fettuccine Pietro, providing a bright punch of flavor rather than the lake o’ dairy offered by so many local Italian restaurants. Loosen your belt a few notches, and ask for a table in the back.

MELODY MOSS