"Italian restaurants in the PNW that end in “Ristorante Italiano” tend to be underwhelming duds. (We don’t make the rules.) But we’d choose this excellent Issaquah spot over almost every other pasta spot in Seattle proper. The tiny dining room is a subdued spectacle—there’s a romantic darkness fit for date night, blasting Italian music fit for a birthday dinner, and enough red tablecloths to decorate a Valentine’s Day party. But it’s really the food that makes this place stand out. Jammy short rib-stuffed ravioli swim in a marsala-splashed cream we’d gladly lick off the bottom of an old shoe. Chewy gnocchi with ragu is rich and meaty. And we devote about four minutes of every day thinking about their creamy cheese tortellini with pancetta and peas. This place isn’t a secret, so call ahead to get a reservation, unless you want to wait for a chatty group to finish an entire bottle of Chianti." - Aimee Rizzo
