Trip report--Spinasse, Bar del Corso, Hitchcock plus more!

[SaraPA]

Here is a quick review of a recent trip to Seattle. These are the reviews I posted on Tripadvisor. Most of the places we went we read about on Chowhound. Thanks for a great trip!

Spinasse:
The was one of the best and unique dining experiences I have had in some time. Spinasse comes highly rated in most discussions of restaurants in Seattle. 
Definitely make a reservation—it is a smallish place and seems to fill up fast. BUT, when you get there ask if you can be seated at the counter. It is first come first served. I wish we would have asked! The rustic kitchens are at the back of the restaurant. If you sit at the counter, you have a birds-eye view of the kitchen preparing everything. Almost like a private chef’s table without the extra expense!
I am not very familiar with Italian wine and our server was quick to make a suggestion and to give us a few tastes. Service was efficient and jovial.
The menu is limited and I think changes frequently, depending what’s in season. Definitely get the pasta. We shared a full sage pasta and ½ order of ravioli and they were delicious and so unlike anything I’ve had anywhere else. You can watch the chef roll out the pasta and hand cut it. We also had the maple roasted carrot (which were like candy) and a broccoli special. We had an appetizer of chicory salad and rabbit that was quite flavorful. This was more than enough food for 2 people and I thought the overall cost was a bargain.
Lastly, the restaurant is in a great area of Seattle. We had a beer at Elysian before dinner then walked over the Tavern Law for an after dinner nightcap.
Will definitely return if in Seattle again.

Hitchcock:
We were visiting Seattle and wanted a good reason to take a ferry somewhere. Dinner on Bainbridge Island seemed like a perfect excuse. It is a 10 minute walk from the Ferry. Lots of window shopping along the way, so no reason to rush…It is a smallish restaurant, so definitely make reservations. There was a table outside, so we asked to be moved. It was much cooler and there was great people watching as the sun set.
The wine list is short, but with a few local wineries and with multiple price points. There are large and small plates, so a little something for whatever you are in the mood for. We ordered multiple small plates. I still think about the pardon peppers, some sweet, some spicy with the delicious crunchy salt. The cauliflower special with an odd savory sauce was not very successful, but the only clunker of the night. We had two charcuterie—a country pate with delicious stone ground mustard and pork belly terrine with blue cheese and stone fruit jam. Now I’m thinking about the terrine—different, unique and delicious. We finished with two different cheeses, one local once from France. Both had unique accompaniments (pine nut brittle, wildflower honey). Both were outstanding and we wished we had more. Sadly, I can remember what we had for dessert, but remember we enjoyed it. Probably too much Lillet 
I am surprised by all the comments on service. We found our service to be efficient and knowledgeable. The owner/chef even brought out our cheeses to explain them. He even offered to condense our charcuterie onto one plate when he saw that our table was overflowing with plates. This is not a FAST restaurant, plan on spending some time and enjoying the food.

Bar del Corso:
What a great neighborhood restaurant! We stopped by on our way back into Seattle from hiking at Mt. Rainier. Parking was plentiful on the street. I was a little nervous about not being able to make a reservation on a Sat night. It WAS very busy, but we were able to be seated right away at the bar. We thought this was great! We sat right in front of the main chef and watched him make all the plates for the night (except for the pizza). He chatted with us, answered a few questions and handed us all our meals, almost immediately after assembling them. It was like our own personal chef’s table!
It is a busy, crowded and loud restaurant. Initially we waited for the bartender to help us, but once she acknowledged us service was efficient and pleasant. It has 4-5 pizzas and then a number of seasonal small plates. We shared the risotto and the meatballs. They were delicious! Not heavy at all with lots of flavor. The pizza may not please everyone—very thin crust so it got a little soggy in the middle. We thought it was great—very flavorful. We kept seeing a dessert come in and out of the oven all night and determined we wanted to have whatever it was. It was a polenta cake, which I was initially a little concerned about. (corn? For dessert). It was by far the.best.dessert I have ever had. Warm and gooey with a sweet flavor and fresh berries. I thought the cost for all this was a downright steal. Definitely check this place out

Misc:
We also hit a few other restaurants.
Etta’s Seafood for brunch was great. We sat outside and enjoyed the people watching as people came on went from the Market. The crab eggs benedict was great, but the real hit was the apple monkey bread muffin.
Brave Horse Tavern was a little overrated, IMHO. The burgers were just okay. A little dry AND greasy all at the same time. However, I would definitely frequent this place to sit at the bar, have a few beers and a snack (pretzel). The atmosphere was great. We actually enjoyed our burger from Dick’s Drive Inn much more!
Portage Bay Café for breakfast was a good recommendation. French toast was yummy and there is a fruit bar with lots of fresh fruit, toppings (nuts, coconut) and whipped cream.
Chinook’s at Fisherman’s wharf was just okay. The cod was fresh, but greasy. Clam chowder was a hit. But couldn’t beat the view.

[gingershelley]

Great report SaraPA - always appreciate people who take the time to come back here and let us know how our recommendations helped, and how the experience was.

You got around in your time here - Mt. Rainier, Comumbia City, Ballard, Capitol Hill, the Market, Bainbridge, and which ever Portage Bay outlet you went to. Nice choices!