Rimini Restaurant

"Rimini is an Italian restaurant in Kirkland that doubles as one big party. When you walk in, expect a welcome pour of Lambrusco. A whole wall is devoted to framed photos of classic crooners. There's even a Sicilian fellow named Tony who serenades the dining room with Sinatra standards and asks each table, "Va bene?" approximately six times per course. And if the food were mediocre, we'd probably still come here for Negronis and live music—but what's happening in the kitchen makes the goofy "Old Italy" motif feel validated. Order some vodka-sauced chicken parmigiana, creamy cheese tortellini, or cognac-spiked mushroom sauce tossed with short rib ravioli, and then lean into the chorus of "That's Amore." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley, gabe guarente

"Rimini is a Kirkland spot from the same family behind the excellent Montalcino in Issaquah, and it has what most Italian restaurants in the Greater Seattle area don’t. That means an entire wall devoted to framed portraits of late great crooners. But it also means polished classics that redefine what Pacific Northwest paisanos are capable of. If cooking pasta to al dente (and not one minute more) ever became law, Rimini would be an upstanding citizen. Finding a sunday gravy-soaked meatball that contains the holy trinity of pork, beef, and veal is near impossible around these parts, but here it's the norm. And finally—finally—Seattle has a chicken parmigiana to brag about. But the beauty in Rimini is not just in its piles of toothy bucatini. It’s also in the unrelentingly warm service. It’s the pepper mill-wielding warrior who swoops in precisely when each bowl makes contact with black tablecloth. It’s the host serving welcome pours of Lambrusco. It’s the server who hoists up your toddler and looks at the kid with genuine love. There’s even a Sicilian fellow named Tony who occasionally serenades the dining room with Dean Martin standards and asks each table, “Va bene?” around six times per course. If the food were lukewarm trash, perhaps we’d still come to this special occasion spot for the hospitality and some stiff Negronis. But what’s happening inside Rimini’s kitchen makes the otherwise goofy “Old Italy” theme feel validated—down to every last truffled pecorino wedge or chocolate baton-harpooned slice of Nutella cheesecake. Food Rundown photo credit: Makena Yee Homemade Meatball Plate Every so often, you’ll encounter a tough edge, but most of the time Rimini’s meatballs are simple and tasty. Dabs of fresh mozzarella on top and a flawless marinara situation are begging to be used as a dip for the complimentary fettunta. photo credit: Makena Yee Short Rib Al Cognac Apparently, it’s not enough that you get tender pasta sheets pumped with braised beef—this plate of ravioli also features an entire short rib on top, just because. The whole thing is a glorious display of fall-apart red meat and cognac-spiked mushroom sauce. photo credit: Makena Yee Tortellini Fredo “Oh, so it’s just tortellini alfredo.” Wrong. There’s a depth of not-too-sharp garlic and nutty parmigiano reggiano that elevates these creamy stuffed pasta dumplings far beyond what you’d find at your local Olive Garden. For a foolproof date, order this and a tomato-based pasta, and then proceed to swap bowls on a loop the entire night. photo credit: Makena Yee Fresh Fish Del Giorno Somehow, it’s usually halibut, served alongside risotto shimmering with tangy lemon butter. And look, we get that a slab of white fish on arborio rice sounds like a snooze, but don’t underestimate this market-priced stunner—it’s the greatest non-pasta dish here. Pollo Vodka Parmigiana Breaded chicken so tenderized you could cut it with a spoon, blanketed in velvety melted mozzarella and not-too-heavy vodka sauce. Then they go and plop some fresh burrata on there, which sounds like overkill but is exactly what a hot slice of chicken parmesan really needs. No notes, really. photo credit: Makena Yee Spicy Chicken Rigatoni If you’d rather eat chicken that isn’t topped with molten cheese, that’s OK. (But are you alright?) Dive into this rigatoni instead. Spicy red peppers add a bright zing to cream-splashed tomato, and the sauce clings to each riggie ridge like static on a new sweater. Meanwhile, crunchy chicken absorbs some of the good stuff while still keeping its crisp. photo credit: Makena Yee Cannoli Siciliani If it's not cannoli absolutely obliterated with white chocolate curls and raspberry drizzle, it's not a cannoli we want." - Aimee Rizzo

"Rimini has what Italian restaurants in Seattle don’t. Classic meatballs contain pork, veal, and beef, and no trace of orange zest. Homemade cheese tortellini in a garlic-spiked cream is so silken that it’s tough to stop eating until fullness hits like a parmesan-blasted brick. And there’s a Sicilian fellow named Tony who serenades the dining room with Sinatra standards and asks each table, “Va bene?” approximately six times per course. We wouldn’t expect less from the family behind Rimini, who also runs Montalcino in Issaquah. Turns out, crispy cannoli shell tastes very good while Tony's belting "That's Amore." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley, gabe guarente

"Rimini is a self-proclaimed “true old-school Italian experience” located in Kirkland. And they appear to have the trappings of one, including live music from a musician named Tony La Stella, black and white family photos on the wall, and tons of pasta dishes. The menu also includes something called a “pasta cone”—basically, pasta served in a paper cone you can eat on the go while strolling the Kirkland waterfront. We tried Rimini Restaurant and added it to the Hit List. Read our thoughts here." - kayla sager riley, aimee rizzo, gabe guarente