Welcome to Type Appetite! A blog about all of my dining experiences and adventures in Los Angeles, Seattle, and wherever else I may end up. Check out why they Call me Type A.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Grandpa is in Town

The whole family was up in Seattle for LuLu's Bat Mitzvah this weekend.  After all of the festivities, Grandpa P said he would treat the family to dinner.  After visiting many times, he's been to quite a few restaurants in Seattle with us.  I recommended the restaurant we all went out to after my high school graduation in 2011.
The three sisters with Grandpa P
We made a reservation for 7:45 at Serafina, an Italian restaurant close to Lake Union on Eastlake.  Even though our reservations were for outside under the decorative lights, we ended up sitting inside due to my grandfathers wishes (his California blood wasn't quite used to the cold Seattle weather).

Although this is probably not customary, my dad insisted to order an entree as an appetizer.  We asked for the specialty of the house, the Mellanzane all a Serafina.  This is a vegetarian dish that resembles eggplant parmesan.  The thin slices of eggplant are rolled up tightly and stuffed with rich ricotta.  I love eggplant, and the light slices soaked up the flavors of the dish very well.  I didn't really like how they were served over cappellini, but makes sense if it is meant to be an entree.  I think the eggplant rolls a la carte would actually be a great appetizer idea for the restaurant.  The eggplant was a sufficient way to start the meal, but I personally like my mom's eggplant parmesan better.
Insalata della Casa
Delicate butter lettuce dressed
with champagne vinaigrette,
topped with pickled red onion

Zuppa del Giorno
Split Pea Soup
For the my appetizer, LuLu and I split the Insalata della Casa.  Because we split the dish, we each only received 2 leaves of lettuce on our plate.  It was a very light starter, but with a little bit of fresh ground pepper it cleared my palate perfectly.  I really liked the sweet pickled onion on top, not usually one of my favorite sides.  Zoe ordered the Zuppa del Giorno (split pea soup) for her appetizer.  I was contemplating between this and the salad, so I made Zoe promise that she would let me taste it.  I don't usually order soup at a restaurant, but the cold weather kind of put me in the mood.  I'm glad I actually went with the salad because the soup was not as sweet as I would have liked.  It was was pretty bland with a slight earthy taste; definitely needed some pepper or other spices.  But Zoe liked it and finished the entire cup.

Polpettine di Vitello
Veal meatballs simmered in greenn olive-tomato
sauce; tossed with penne rigate and finished
with Ricotta Salata
For dinner I felt like it was classic spaghetti and meat balls kind of night.  Zoe and I both ordered the Polpettine di Vitello.  The meatballs were big and dense and the homemade pasta was cooked al dente.  Theres nothing I love more than homemade pasta but this did not completely inspire me.  The sauce was good; the olive oil base made the dish very unique ( I was just craving something a little more tomato-y.  I was only able to finish two of the meatballs, they were just a little dry for my taste.

LuLu ordered my other possible option on the menu.  The vegetarian Ravioli con Piselli looked light and zesty.  I tried a bite and could taste the black truffle infused potatoes inside.  The butter sauce was quite watery, but overall very light.  

We decided to skip dessert and just have the leftover gelato in the freezer at home. Dinner was nice, but I think our experience 2 years ago was slightly better. The service was excellent and I would still recommend this authentic italian restaurant for anyone wanting to dine outside on a nice summer night in Seattle.


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