March 23, 2005 8

Il Bistro (Seattle: Pike Place Market)

By in 05: US Other, Travel

DSC02773.jpgDSC02777.jpgDSC02780.jpgDSC02781.jpgPike Place Market is Seattle’s famous landmark (will be in Part 3 Seattle entry). There was this dark alley descend down to a dark Italian restaurant where we would dine. The stone pavement, old flyers & poster plaster all over wall (very cool, almost a deliberate artful collage), parked bike leading to more narrow sketchy looking dark alleys…looked like straight out of a Fellini nightmare. From outside the restaurant was totally dark, only lit from inside with errie red glow. You’d think it’s a mafia hangout place ^^;;. The middle age male host inside looked like from a 70s European movie (greyish platinum blonde long wavy in a 70s grey suit), I totally dig these hints of otherworldly-ness. ^^;;

DSC02786.jpgDSC02788.jpgWe got half a bottle of champagne (and I got another glass later). The bill came out to be $45 for the bottle and $16 for a glass…though it was reallly good but I could have just get cheap cheap red wine. ^^;; Appertizer: grilled scallop with bacon. Jumbo juicy scallop *O*, very good~

DSC02790.jpgDSC02794.jpgDSC02795.jpgJoan:Special of the Day Halibut. Very good, fresh and the sauce is yummy. Freda: Picatta Pan Sauteed Veal Tenderloin with Preserved Lemons, Caperberries & Vin Santo, $25. Normal. Really regret, I should have order seafood or go all out for the $42 lamb. Vero: Cioppino Fresh Local Seafood & Sweet Peppers in a Roma Tomato Broth, $24. This is very delicious, the broth~~ my god…heavenly~~ Lots of fresh seafood.

DSC02796.jpgDSC02797.jpgZabaione Chilled with Fresh Seasonal Fruits, $7.00. Zabaione is a delicate, liquid custard made from eggs and Marsala. Very very good~ *O* The sorbet was ok.

Since the place way too dark so I have use flash, which totally ruin the ‘otherwordly-ness” I fantasized. ^^;;;

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8 Responses to “Il Bistro (Seattle: Pike Place Market)”

  1. vero says:

    I stumbled over this place when I forced wira to go out for a walk at night… and there was a table of mid-age men in suits, I was so excited and thought wow.. mafia hang-outs, should check it out haha.. and it turned out one of the best restaurants I’ve tried in seattle. Price is steep, but it’s worth it…
    Although, the champagne is pricey for beginners like us haha…
    it’s a cool place … underground, red-light, david bowie looking maitre’d … what more could i ask for?

    I really wish LA preserves more original looking places that cook non-californian fusion food… I’m so sick of minimalist wooden mirror decor… with overly decorated food

  2. seat says:

    From the pictures the place looks like a European red light district!! Look at those windows~~~~so seducing. ^^:;;;;; All the seafood dishes look good!! The scallop is huge~~

    $45 a bottle is not over-priced I guess if it is good – Champagne IS expensive. Does put you in a celebrating mood. Having said I always get the cheapest house wine. ^^;;;;

  3. seat says:

    vero, have you dined in this restaurant before you went with J&F?

    Seattle does feel so European – or you guys picked all the European-feel places to go to??

  4. vero says:

    seat, Seattle just feels more european than LA, but I think I also take joan and Freda only to places that I love –> which has european flair haha…
    There’s downtown area which looks like LA-wannabe, and that’s not my fave place to go…

    Yeah, I tried that restaurant first, and I loved it so much that I thought this is a must for joan and freda to go… hehe..

  5. Freda says:

    Vero, thank you for the great find! $45 a bottle is not that bad, it’s that it’s a smaller size half-bottle! (so a full bottle is $90!?) ^^;;; Especially champagn is so easy to drink that you keep on going and going. We only get one round. I got a $60 bottle before but we shared it with a huge table and got at least 2 more rounds~ (that was red though).

    Haha Seattle is a good city for Europhiles~ 😀

  6. Joan says:

    Hey Seat I think you’ll love Seattle too! May be you can go there too with our potential New York trip later this year? haha~~~

  7. seat says:

    Oh I would love to visit seattle! But even our NY trip is so full of uncertainty~~~let’s plan one at a time. ^^;; Actually an “idea” just came up amongst my HK school friends to go to Hawaii….complicated!! ^^;;;;

  8. Joan says:

    oh ha…may be you can meet us at NY first, then meet your friends at Hawaii? haha~~that’ll be an awesome vacation for you.