Mezzanotte — Wein & Dine

Mezzanotte | 1210 S. Bailey St., Seattle, WA | mezzanotteseattle.com

With striped beach umbrellas and brightly colored chairs, Mezzanotte exudes sunny Euro picnic vibes. The yellows, oranges and blues pop amidst their industrial surroundings of exposed brick walls and paneled wood fences. Edison lights and long wooden tables add to the warmth, making this cozy courtyard an inviting space to sip, snack and socialize.

Upon arrival, we were greeted with cheerfulness that matched the ambience – and this continued throughout the night. From congenial conversation to solid recommendations and attentive service, our waiter elevated the experience.

While I normally stick to wine, the summer breeze (and our waiter) swayed me in the direction of cocktails. I started with a freddo (frozen) gin drink with local bing cherry purée, lemon, mint and rosewater. It was tart and floral and refreshing, and just the right amount of boozy.

Mezzanotte’s food menu is small, which I always appreciate. We started with the burrata, slow roasted carrots, and of course, the focaccia.

The burrata was cloaked in a relish of hardboiled eggs, herbs and the freshest olive oil. Sliced radish garnished the plate adding a pop of deep pink and a slight crunch on the palate. While aesthetically pleasing, I could have skipped the garnishes and indulged in burrata bathed simply in EVOO. Also missing was a crostini or some sort of carb vessel – so naturally we ordered more focaccia.

The focaccia was fluffy, yet dense – a slight crisp on the outside and pillowy on the inside – and we used it to soak up all of the goodness throughout the meal. My favorite bite in fact, was sopping up the leftover mess of ricotta and reduced juices from the roasted carrots. The slow roasting brought out a hint of sweetness in the carrots that paired beautifully with the soft, savory cheese. And the rye crackers on the dish were simply amazing. I would buy these in bulk if I could.

For the main, we ordered three of the five pastas. We would have gone for five of five, but we were saving room for dessert, and there were also only three of us.

The simplest was the star for me, the tajarin al cotello. Tajarin is an egg yolk-rich pasta from Piedmont that’s cut into thin ribbons. We were instructed to eat this first, as tajarin is best right out of the water. The warm noodles were coated in a sage butter and parmigiano-reggiano. They were rich, yet light, with an herbaceous hint from the sage, and they melted in your mouth. *chefs kiss*

The tagliatelle starred braised duck with an anchovy sugo (sauce) – which intrigued me, but I’m sad to say I didn’t taste much anchovy, if any. The braised duck, however, was delicious. The pasta was quite al dente – which I know is the true Italian way – but I prefer my noodles more tender. Controversial, I know.

The bucatini was dressed in a spicy tomato sauce – and it was SPICY. The pasta was the optimal al dente, and the flavor of the sauce was complex; however, I found the spice overpowered the dish.

We closed out the night with the torta di cioccolata because I firmly believe all meals should end with chocolate. Unfortunately, the star of this dish was the crème accompaniment. The torte itself was peppered with pistachios and was very dry. We should have opted for the local raspberries that our waiter recommended, but I guess we’ll save that for next time!