A couple weekends ago, my family and I celebrated my dad's birthday. He was craving Italian food, so we went to this unique/quirky little place up in Wallingford, Seattle called
Bizarro Italian Cafe!
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| Outside shot. |
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| Quick glimpse of some of the food! |
** Warning, picture heavy!! ** =P
When you first walk in, you notice how small the place is and how jam packed everything is with interesting eye-catching pieces!
The ceilings and walls are filled with random items. Along different walls, some of the menu is written on a chalk board. I loved this little saying of "Nobody is 'fine' with water" that can be seen as you walk towards the main dining area (see below).
The bathroom was just as quirky (maybe a little on the creepy side too!) but I loved it nonetheless.
In the bathroom hall, there was this picture of baby Chinese kids acting like Communist officials/leaders. I found this picture quite intriguing! (We can also go in depth and analyze the meaning behind it, but I won't do that here! haha)
To distinguish the women's bathroom, there was a headshot of Alice in Wonderland on the door.
This old radio was playing inside the bathroom and it was naming off a list of numbers and then people/places. It reminded me a lot of the dystopian underwater world of Rapture in the game Bioshock!
Menu
Everyone is offered bread (foccacia I believe) and a dish of olive oil and balsamic vinegar as a starter.
We ordered the meat flatbread as a starting appetizer which had marinara sauce, mozzarella, proscuitto and arugla. It was just like pizza but lighter, and was enjoyed with parmasean and hot pepper flakes on it.
My mom ordered a cauliflower soup that was actually really tasty and I usually don't like cauliflower! There were some greens, and this caper, berry-looking vegetable that was on the salty side.There was cream also added to the soup to give it that smooth texture.
My dad had the cesear salad and as you can see, it was definitely a more rustic and old-school looking dish. The dish consists of a half head of lettuce, not chopped up, and there were actual fillets of anchovies on it! Olive oil, cracked pepper, and lemon wedges were used as a dressing to garnish the top. I loved the aesthetics of this and this tasted really refreshing and light.
I had their plain house salad that was dressed with a vinaigrette dressing.
NOW FOR THE MAIN COURSES!
My mom had the clam linguine. There was a lot more clams than I had expected, but the dish itself was overall a little too salty so I didn't try too much of it. If you're a lover of clams, this may be up your ally. It may not be as salty at the time you order it.
My brother's girlfriend had the puttanesca (kind of a bad name since I think this dish was reserved for the 'whores/prostitues') but it was delicious. I loved the red sauce over it and the texture of the noodles. I believe they were handmade. There was quite a lot of olives in it as well and the grated cheese and parsley leaves over the dish added a nice layer of flavor to this pasta dish.
My brother had the gnocchi (potato dumpling). I forgot what kind of meat was in it, but whatever it was and whatever sauce it had in it was absolutely delicious! It was nice and savory and a had bold, slightly smoky flavor. The texture of the gnocchi was just right too--not too mushy and not to chewy.
Now for my main dish (and my dad's too), Elk Bolognese!! The noodles are what made the dish.They were cooked just right, not overly al dente, and not too soft.
The elk meat was also an interesting part of the dish as well. You could tell how lean the elk meat was compared to regular beef since it was chewier in texture.
The sauce wasn't what I expected and I was hoping for more flavor from the spices added. Hearing an 'elk' dish, I was expecting something more...exotic or something along those lines.
It was still good and I think the noodles help save the dish for me since it made the whole meal much better. The flavoring wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I was expecting and not quite intense enough. It seemed the red sauce paired with the meat was lacking in a layer of flavor.
Now on to dessert!
Dessert Menu
We kept it light and simple and ordered the artisan cheese plate with apples, spiced pecans, honey, and a thick balsamic reduction. The simplicity of this was very pleasing and the flavor combinations and pairings were great. It was perfect for an after dinner plate since it wasn't too heavy or too sweet.
I hope you guys enjoyed this food post! I just love sharing my experiences at new places and my love for food in general.
I will probably come check out this place again and would recommend it if you want to experience a cozy and quirky Italian place! I do recommend going earlier in the evening or later, since the place is pretty small and they do not take reservations. This would be a cute place to take a date too! Then you can check out the rest of the neighborhood and grab some Molly Moon's ice cream to share =P
Readers, do you like Italian food? What is your favorite Italian dish? Let me know in the comments!
