Dinner Date with Dad

Zoe was at a lacrosse game and Mom took LuLu to diving practice.  After Mom texted me saying that Dad and I would be on our own for dinner tonight I knew we were most likely going to go out.  About 20 minutes after my conversation with Mom I was expecting a text from Dad asking where I wanted to go.  Not that my Dad doesn't like to cook, I just knew we would take this opportunity to treat ourselves.  And that we did...

At first we were going to go to one of our favorite date spots, Via Tribunali, the pizza/italian place on Capitol Hill.  Then, right before we left, Dad remembered a great Italian place also on Capitol Hill that he swore was better.  I trusted him and took the keys and drove us downtown.  He said I would be chauffeur for the night because he was exhausted from work.

Carciofi alla Giudia
Fried Artichoke, Pangrattato, Aïoli

Luckily we found parking and walked to Rione XIII, the somewhat new Roman style restaurant by Ethan Stowell.  I also want to try his places, How to Cook a Wolf, and Anchovies and Olives.  The inside of the restaurant is a mix of a pizza place with an urban tapas bar.  The high brick ceilings and open pizza oven give the place a modern, yet cozy feel.  

We started with two small plates, the fried artichoke (Carciofi alla Giudia) and fried risotto (Suppli al Telefono).  Interested in the direct translation of the descriptions on the menu, I typed them into google translate.  The Carciofi translates into "Jewish Artichoke".  When this first came up I actually laughed out loud, thinking that the translator made a mistake.  The dish actually comes from the Roman ghetto where it is served in Jewish restaurants.  Our Jewish artichokes were delicious.  My mom steams artichokes all the time, but I had never had them fried before.  The breading on the outside had a great light but crunchy texture.  The artichokes themselves were very flavorful and fell apart in my mouth.  The aïoli could have had a little bit more complex flavor (basically just tasted like sour cream), but I think that I was just comparing it to my mom's delicious aïoli-like dipping sauce. She's adds Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and dried tarragon to spice it up.     

Suppli al Telefono are traditional Roman fried rice balls. Usually containing risotto, the can be served with or without tomato sauce.  Our 3 risotto balls came out of the kitchen piping hot.  As we broke into them with our forks, mozzarella oozed out and stretched in longs strands as we tried to transfer plates.  The breading was the same coating on the artichokes.  They kind of tasted like sweet mac n' cheese.  Although the menu says they are served in a beef ragu, I didn't even notice the meat in the dish.  The tomato sauce was rich and mouth watering.  I was not a huge fan of the dish overall, but my dad really liked it.  I'm not one for really heavy appetizers, I just like things to

Suppli al Telefono

Fried Risotto, Beef Ragu,

Mozzarella

whet my palate.  My favorite part of the dish was definitely the buffalo mozzarella.  I noticed on the menu they had a whole section devoted to tasting mozzarella.  I've seen my fair share of cheese tasting boards, but never whole section on a menu specializing in one type..  

For our main dish we went with the simple Margherita pizza.  My dad wanted to try the asparagus one.  It sounded good at first, until I noticed that it had fried eggs on it.  Personally, I only like eggs for breakfast, not on my burgers, pizzas, or other dishes.  The wait was a little long for a pizza that takes 60 seconds to cook in a wood burning oven, but it was worth it.  The crust was fluffy and slightly chewy.  Creamy and rich mozzarella was matched with the sweet tomato sauce.  My favorite part was the chili oil drizzled on top.  Although pizza is usually greasy enough on its own, this addition made it a pizza worth remembering.  The hot chili oil added a burst of flavor to every bite.    

Margherita Pizza
Buffalo Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil

I like how you can see my Dad already grabbing his stomach anxiously waiting to dig in. 

I wouldn't go as far and say that this pizza is up to par with Tutta Bella, my favorite Pizzeria of all time, but it is definitely up there.  I would love to go back to Rioni XIII and try their homemade pastas.  My meal here surpassed Serafina's, which I visited just earlier this week.  While walking back to the car, Dad and I passed a place crowded with people called Smith.  We looked at the menu and the Chicken and Waffles immediately caught my eye.  I'll definitely be making a trip back to Capitol Hill soon!

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.

800 Degrees

After adventures in Seattle, Whistler, Los Angeles, and Hawaii, winter break slowly comes to an end.  I enjoyed my vacation at home and skiing in Whistler with the family, and my hours of training at SC and the University of Hawaii, but back to school it is!  After a long and uncomfortable plane ride I was greeted in my freshly cleaned apartment by my roommate Kate and her mom.  After unpacking, showering and doing some laundry, they generously invited me out to dinner with them.  It has almost become a ritual, as one of our parents comes to visit, they treat my roommates and myself out for a nice meal.  Knowing that I am the "restaurant connoisseur" of the group, they asked me for a recommendation.  They definitely weren't looking for anywhere too fancy, but I still took this opportunity to cross off a place from my wish list.

Kate, Andrea, and I at 800 Degrees!

I take my Urbanspoon account very seriously.  Along with being sure to check into all the restaurants I visit in order to keep my "dine line" up to date, I also keep a wish list.  That way I can remember all of the places I want to try.  Whether reading about them on blogs, hearing reviews, or simply walking past them on any of my adventures, I am always sure to add them to my list.  

I suggested 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria in Westwood.  Although we would be crossing into Bruin Territory, the positive reviews I've read on yelp and other blogs influenced me to take the risk.  Besides my diving meets and other sporting events, I will also venture into UCLA for one other foodie addiction, Diddy Reise.  The ice cream cookie sandwiches are too good to pass up.
  

Although I have visited the area several times before, my adventures have always led me to the Diddy Reise side of town.  After parking and walking to the restaurant, I noticed much more upscale vibe to Westwood.  Passing Palomino and other nice restaurants made me want to come back and try out some of the other places Westwood has to offer.  The Glendon Bar and Kitchen particularly caught my eye.  Add to wish list: Check.

The pizza line after we sat down.

Gorgonzola Salad
Butter lettuce, walnuts, dried cranberries

Tartufo
Truffle cheese, roasted
mushrooms, caramelized
garlic, and arugula.

Luckily when we arrived there wasn't much of a line and the four of us were able to walk straight up to the pizza bar.  We started by ordering two of the speciality pies.  No sense in making our own, since the professionals know their ingredients the best.  I ordered the Tartufo (a pizza without marinara sauce) and the Vege.  Andrea and Kate also ordered the Carne, but substituted broccolini for the pepperoni.
After checking out the "800 degrees" wood burning pizza oven, we were able for find a table large enough and wait for our pizzas.  To start, we shared the Gorgonzola Salad.  Making sure that there were no strawberries in the dressing (Andrea is allergic), we enjoyed the light and crispy salad.  I especially liked the sweetness of the cranberries and their complements to the cheese.The pizzas were out of the oven within minutes.

Vege
Mushrooms, artichokes, broccolini.

Kates leftover crust.
I think its the best part!

The first slice I tried was the Vege.  Pretty plain tasting, but I loved the thin crust and the sauce to cheese ratio.  I believe those are the two most important factors in any pie.  The crust should be thin, light and crunchy.  And the sauce should have a distinct taste and definitely overpower the cheese.  Not a big fan of Dominos marinara with globs of cheese on top.  Cheese should be used like salt, just to add flavor.  The Tartufo was my favorite dish of the meal.  I love the truffle cheese, and the way that the mushrooms soak up the flavor from the garlic and onions.
Overall the pizza selection was great.  The crust had that burnt flavor that I love and the toppings were unique.  In my opinion, I liked the truffle pizza better at Stella Rosa on Main Street, but we had a great time!