Go Eat! Assaggio
If you've never been to Assaggio before, don't worry. Owner and executive chef Mauro Golmarvi will make you feel like an instant member of his family.
"When you come to Assaggio you get full treatment from Mauro! You sit down, I cook for you, I treat you like the Kings and the Queens," says Mauro, one of the most gracious restaurateurs you'll ever meet.
He opened Assaggio, which means "to taste," 13 years ago after manning the kitchens of Salute, Calabria and Ragazzi.
He instantly fell in love with the space (once home to a palm reader) because of its high ceilings.
"My dream always was (to) open a restaurant in an old church. So, when I find the high ceiling, I did lots of paintings from Sistine Chapel everywhere in the restaurant. On Sunday I can come here to pray if I wanted to - it would feel like the Vatican."
The paintings aren't the only heavenly thing in Mauro's restaurant - his food is also out of this world.
"I don't do so much sauce for my stuff, because I believe if you have a good quality of the raw material, like fish and meat, you don't need to hide flavor."
In fact, Mauro says his dream is to take the salt and pepper shakers off the tables so his customers will trust what's coming out of his kitchen.
"I want them to understand what really goes on behind the curtain. We're just making sure the mouth gets married with the flavor. This is our job and I take it very, very seriously."
Mauro gives plenty of face time to local producers who supply him with the freshest ingredients.
"I walk in the Pike Place Market everyday. That's where I buy my fish, that's where I buy my produce, that's where I connect with these people. It's really become a culture for me, because it just feels like I never left Italy."
The menu reflects the season. Fall just happens to be Mauro's favorite.
"Right now, quail will start coming in, halibut will start coming in, which is great... lots of morel mushrooms and lots of oyster mushrooms. It's mushroom season right now."
You can find Mauro in the kitchen a couple times a week, but mainly he stays focused on hospitality - it's why 80 percent of his clientele are repeat customers.
"People (are) happy in my place. It's not stuffy and you come here to get quality, honesty and also personality."
Bio: Originally from Ancona, Italy. Wanted to be a doctor, even attended med-school for 3 years until he quit at the age of 21 to get married. Moved to the U.S. in 1984. First job was at a restaurant in Long Beach, CA. Moved to Seattle after the San Fran quake hit in 1989. The first thing he saw was Pike Place Market - it was love at first sight.
Tidbit: The only reason Mauro started working in restaurants was because his dad disapproved of his marriage and cut him out of the will.
Try:: Gnocchi Gorgonzola, Vitello Milanese, Pasta Bolognese, Tartufo for dessert
Sip: Moscato
Notice: The "Pig on Parade" sitting above the entry.
On the web: http://assaggioseattle.com/
Places Mauro likes to Go Eat!: Shiros, Mashiko, Jak's Grill, Buddha Ruksa, Wild Ginger, Ray's Boathouse, La Playa (Vashon Island), Etta's, Shanghai Garden, Chutney's.
"When you come to Assaggio you get full treatment from Mauro! You sit down, I cook for you, I treat you like the Kings and the Queens," says Mauro, one of the most gracious restaurateurs you'll ever meet.
He opened Assaggio, which means "to taste," 13 years ago after manning the kitchens of Salute, Calabria and Ragazzi.
He instantly fell in love with the space (once home to a palm reader) because of its high ceilings.
"My dream always was (to) open a restaurant in an old church. So, when I find the high ceiling, I did lots of paintings from Sistine Chapel everywhere in the restaurant. On Sunday I can come here to pray if I wanted to - it would feel like the Vatican."
The paintings aren't the only heavenly thing in Mauro's restaurant - his food is also out of this world.
"I don't do so much sauce for my stuff, because I believe if you have a good quality of the raw material, like fish and meat, you don't need to hide flavor."
In fact, Mauro says his dream is to take the salt and pepper shakers off the tables so his customers will trust what's coming out of his kitchen.
"I want them to understand what really goes on behind the curtain. We're just making sure the mouth gets married with the flavor. This is our job and I take it very, very seriously."
Mauro gives plenty of face time to local producers who supply him with the freshest ingredients.
"I walk in the Pike Place Market everyday. That's where I buy my fish, that's where I buy my produce, that's where I connect with these people. It's really become a culture for me, because it just feels like I never left Italy."
The menu reflects the season. Fall just happens to be Mauro's favorite.
"Right now, quail will start coming in, halibut will start coming in, which is great... lots of morel mushrooms and lots of oyster mushrooms. It's mushroom season right now."
You can find Mauro in the kitchen a couple times a week, but mainly he stays focused on hospitality - it's why 80 percent of his clientele are repeat customers.
"People (are) happy in my place. It's not stuffy and you come here to get quality, honesty and also personality."
Bio: Originally from Ancona, Italy. Wanted to be a doctor, even attended med-school for 3 years until he quit at the age of 21 to get married. Moved to the U.S. in 1984. First job was at a restaurant in Long Beach, CA. Moved to Seattle after the San Fran quake hit in 1989. The first thing he saw was Pike Place Market - it was love at first sight.
Tidbit: The only reason Mauro started working in restaurants was because his dad disapproved of his marriage and cut him out of the will.
Try:: Gnocchi Gorgonzola, Vitello Milanese, Pasta Bolognese, Tartufo for dessert
Sip: Moscato
Notice: The "Pig on Parade" sitting above the entry.
On the web: http://assaggioseattle.com/
Places Mauro likes to Go Eat!: Shiros, Mashiko, Jak's Grill, Buddha Ruksa, Wild Ginger, Ray's Boathouse, La Playa (Vashon Island), Etta's, Shanghai Garden, Chutney's.