Editor’s Pick: Cascina Spinasse

Chef Jason Stratton has given the Seattle restaurant an overhaul

By Julien Perry

Cascina Spinasse

Cascina Spinasse

1531 14th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122-4023
(206) 251-7673
www.spinasse.com

My inaugural visit to Cascina Spinasse can be summed up in one word: “meh.” But that was more than a year ago, when there was a different chef, a confusing set-course menu and an unexpectedly icy vibe. Fast-forward to August 2009. A new chef is announced who brings to the table a new menu, a new attitude and a staff who seems as if they are truly happy to be standing on their feet all night.

Chef Jason Stratton recently took over for Justin Niedermeyer, whom he helped launch Spinasse a year ago. The two also worked together during Jason’s five-year stint at Café Juanita. But all you really need to know is that pasta is still the focus at this neighborhood trattoria.

When I returned post-Niedermeyer, I came armed with a food writer and a pastry chef to get their take on Spinasse 2.0. The insta-cozy Capitol Hill space is exactly what I imagine an artisanal pasta joint in Piedmonte looks like. There are a handful of seats at the bar, an intimate four-top near the window and several differing lengths of wooden communal tables packed into the tiny dining room, which makes for a raucous atmosphere when the sun goes down and customers work to crush their personal wine consumption limits. How could they not? The humble cuisine at Spinasse (pronounced spih-NAH-say) is meant to go hand-in-hand with wine, specifically Barolo and Barbaresco, which is abundant in northern Italy.

As we sat down, we looked over the menu and decided on the antipasti sampler, which, for six sumptuous dishes, is a bargain at $28. The dishes were so good, it was nearly impossible to pick a favorite. Standouts include a soft-cooked duck egg with peperonata and nectarines, which provide a sweetness that offsets the unctuous yolk and tanginess of the red wine vinegar deglaze; a creamy plate of slow roasted pork served cold with tuna maionese that makes you feel instantly satiated; and zesty green beans with crushed egg, pecorino and breadcrumbs.

Moving on to main courses, I chose the tortelli filled with a delicate hazelnut-finished pork belly atop sautéed cucumber doused in olive oil ($16). One bite and I felt swathed in contentment. I can safely say the same for my friends, who ate their entrées in silence, parting their lips just long enough to praise their food. “My palate feels like it’s on a magnificent trip,” said the food writer of his hand-cut egg pasta with butter and sage ($18). “Great consistency. Perfection,” said the pastry chef of her roasted quail with polenta, sweet corn and chanterelles ($24).

I have since returned to Spinasse several times, as it’s rare that I find a restaurant that scratches my itch for homemade Italian food. While I struggle with exact descriptions of the food, I do remember the seductive layers of flavor and textures. Even more importantly, I can instantly recall the deep satisfaction I felt after I ate and how I still crave the menu a month after my last visit.