Machiavelli on Capitol Hill has been described as an “institution”, “family style” and even “New York style” Italian restaurant. I have heard compliments range from “fantastic” to “they’re alright”. With all the talk and different descriptions I’d heard I decided it was time to make the trip to Pine Street and see for myself.

As has been the case in the past few reviews I arrived early, before the dinner crowd had packed in. I think this may be a good tip to keep in mind for all future dinner outing as I got a wonderful table up front in one of the many large windows that look out onto the Capitol Hill sidewalk traffic. Drinks were ordered and the menu scanned, here is where I typically botch the call. Admittedly I can be a bit indecisive when I’m hungry and there are so many tempting dishes on the menu. Tonight would not be the night that would contradict this fact. I was started off with a basket of bread, a mixed collection of an overly dense, moist loaf and wonderfully airy, chewy slices of olive bread. Dotted with large, salty pieces of green olive this bread was wonderful. The only unfortunate part, there were only two pieces in the basket.

By now I had made my decision and was ready to order. First off was the Tapenade ($5.95) appetizer. I have a thing for briny foods especially those with; I hesitate to say fatty but for lack of a better word, fatty richness. The spread was a wonderful mixture of minced black olives, fruity, fresh olive oil, capers, lemon juice and a mere hint of anchovy. It may seem as though a tapenade is a relatively simple affair but don’t be fooled. This is a dish that can easily be served up bland if they proper ingredients aren’t used. Machiavelli didn’t disappoint though. The spread had the flavor I sought and was paired nicely with strips of spicy pickled peppers and ultra-creamy mozzarella cheese slices.

My next move was probably not my best choice. Machiavelli. Italian restaurant. One would think that someone wanting to taste the best being offered by a particular restaurant would order an entree that matched said business’s theme. I on the other hand decided to go another route. The dish I chose was the Filet Mignon (Market Price). I love a meaty, juicy steak. I love trying different preparations of a particular cut (or cuts) from around the world. It was with this thought in mind that I proceeded in ordering Machiavelli’s version. The steak came out and it was huge. Pictures don’t do it justice as this must have been a three quarter pound monster. Nicely seared on the outside and lounging in a pool of sauce I grabbed my fork and knife and attacked.

My order had been for medium rare. What I got ranged in doneness from medium in the thicker part to almost well in others. The meat, while easy to cut, was slightly stringy, dry and livery tasting. What held so much promise with its brown sear and crunchy outer crust turned out to be a nice piece of meat, destroyed. The saving grace to this dish was the sauce, which I used liberally on each bite, and the sautéed side of vegetables. The sauce was a reduction of veal stock and balsamic that held great beefiness and a bright tartness that helped move the steak from bottom of the barrel to mediocre. Had it not been a faux pas I would have licked it from my plate. The vegetables, a mix of fingerling potatoes and carrots, sautéed spinach with garlic, were another welcome addition to the meal.

While in many cases a bad entree would give me pause in recommending a restaurant I won’t dissuade people from Machiavelli. While I feel it’s true that if you offer something on your menu you should be able to cook it properly, a steak at the bottom of an Italian menu should have been a clue for me to order something more authentic. I will wait on final judgment for another day when I can go back and try one of Machiavelli’s other dishes.

Typically when most people think of Japanese cuisine the mind immediately drifts to sushi. While yes, sushi is one of the most recognizable foods on the Japanese menu I wanted to try something a little out of the ordinary for myself. It was with this that I went to a tiny restaurant in Wallingford known as Kozue.

I arrived early and had my pick of tables, as I was the only guest at this quaint establishment. It was cozy with only a handful of tables available to patrons. Looking through the front windows it appears as though there is additional seating, in warmer weather, on an outside deck. As it was chilly outside I decided to peruse the menu indoors.

I order a Gyoza appetizer ($4.00) and Sukiyaki ($10.95). While I felt somewhat rushed to give my order the server was equally quick in retrieving food for me from the back. To start I got a wonderfully fresh, salty bowl of miso soup and a green salad that seemed tired and bland. I finished the miso quickly, picking out the small bits of seaweed at the bottom of the bowl. Shortly after the Gyoza arrived. The Gyoza was six slightly browned, slightly chewy pockets of ground beef and vegetables. Mildly flavored the dumplings paired wonderfully with the citrusy ponzu sauce that accompanied it. The Gyoza seemed very fresh unlike most restaurants that serve prepackaged frozen dumplings. One of the only drawbacks to the freshness though was that they did seem slightly watery but that was only a minor defect. Along with the Gyoza was a small pile of cold bean sprouts coated in a spicy sesame oil. These added a welcome kick of flavor to the mildness of the Gyoza.

What arrived next was enough food for three, and perhaps four, people. The Sukiyaki, or beef hot pot, was large and steamy. At first glance a massive pile of sliced beef filled the interior of the mini cauldron. Peaking in a caught glimpses of not only beef but also carrot, tofu, a shitake mushroom and rice noodles. This was going to be work to get through. I started with a ladle of beef, the mushroom, some carrot and a surprise bundle of spinach. The beef was tender but mild in flavor, the rice noodles and carrot adding contrast and flavor. The spinach was cooked just right, still retaining its green color. After a few bites I dove back into the pot to retrieve some of the beef broth and here is where I found the flavor. Beefy, bright and well seasoned, the beef broth added the welcome touch to this dish. Spooning out more beef and noodles I added it to my small bowl of broth. Dipping the main ingredients into the broth proved the thing to do for eating this dish. Halfway through the bowl (I didn’t touch the tofu. I’m not big on eggs and while tofu is not in any way related to the egg, the texture is very similar and, well, I just couldn’t do it) and there was still a large pile of beef and rice noodles when I noticed bok choy and bean sprouts hidden under more broth. “I surrender,” I said to myself. The Sukiyaki had won.

Kozue had an interesting feel to it. Tucked back off the street in Wallingford, with its wooden trim and muted interior colors, hand painted Koi lining the walls, I almost could see myself sitting in a similar place in Japan for dinner. The only issue I had with environment is that about halfway into my meal, for about 10 minutes, the heat was running very high. But in short order it was turned down and within a minute or two the temperature was bearable again. Go try Kozue, and take a friend to help you eat.

The Wallingford location (technically Stone Way) is the second spot for the “Northwest’s only certified Neapolitan Pizzeria” - Tutta Bella. The original location on Rainier Avenue in Columbia City always seemed a little far to go for a pizza, even if it was supposed to be one of the best in Seattle. It was only recently that this newest location opened that I decided to give them a try.

Having arrived early in the afternoon the restaurant was nearly empty. A total of 3 tables were occupied and, due to the large open dining area, there was substantial room between my fellow diners and myself. The helpful wait staff was with me immediately and explained a little bit about portions since this was my first visit. “The salads”, I was told, “were fairly large, even the small portions.” Well that sounded like a challenge.

After a quick scan of the menu I opted for the small Salerno Salad ($6.75 small, $9.95) and a Regina Margherita ($8.95). The salad arrived first and looked tempting but within a few bites I knew there was another story. A bed of chopped romaine lettuce topped with a mix of cucumber, cherry tomato, mozzarella and thinly sliced fennel, dressed in vinaigrette. To begin with the tomatoes tasted bland and cardboard like, obviously out of season. The Dijon-balsamic vinaigrette lacked any sort of character. Bland and watery, it was difficult to tell if there was anything there. The saving grace was the crunch of cool cucumber and the snap of sweet fennel. Combining those two characters together with creamy, smooth fresh mozzarella and you had some tasty, albeit very mild, salad. If Tutta Bella can work out the issues with the tomato and dressing, this might be a salad worth trying. As it stands it lacked any zing.

The Regina Margherita on the other hand was very impressive (they are known as a pizza place after all). When it came to the table steam was still rising from its surface. Six fairly sizable slices are what come out in this medium sized round, the edges of the crust dotted with little black char marks from the pizza oven. Pulling a slice onto my plate I can see that the underside is marked with these same dark spots; a sure sign that this pizza was cooked directly onto the floor of the pizza oven. My first bite and I was hit with a crunchy, chewy crust. A crust that, even with being incredibly thin, packed a great punch of flavor. Once past the crust one is hit with the sweetness of the plum tomatoes in the sauce. And a bite further gives you a mouthful of that same wonderful mozzarella as from the salad only this time bubbly and melted on the surface, melding with the sweetness of the tomato sauce. The only drawback I found with the pizza I ordered was the basil. While tasty on the slices I could find it on, its presence seemed rather sparse for my tastes.

A modern space with warmth; exposed wood beams, clean lines, lots of open space, Tutta Bella is very attractive. And my server was right; the salad served two, even being a small. My advice for those looking to hit up Tutta Bella, take someone with you, order a salad and pizza and you can both share in a good meal. For me, I intend to return but I will take my chances with another salad, at least until summer rolls back around.

Being from Florida, after first moving here, I was told that Seattle weather is much like the weather in England. Winters are dark and grey with very little sunshine and it rains, a lot. Having never been to England I cannot confirm or deny this. But I can say that on some rainy winter days in Seattle I like to pretend that I am in England. What better way to promote this belief than by stopping in at self-proclaimed, “Seattle’s only authentic English Pub”, The George & Dragon Pub?

The interior is fairly large for the small exterior footprint, two seating areas on either side of a central bar area, designed with a Tudor style interior of white plaster walls and exposed wood beams. I choose a seat at the bar where I could watch the soccer game from one of four TVs (Two big screens on either side of the building and two smaller screens behind the bar, up high, to allow an unobstructed view for those patrons on bar stools). The bar area was fairly busy but I was served quickly. I tried to get a feel for how quickly the one bartender/server was able to get to the individual tables, and while they seemed to be taken care of, I could imagine that in busier times there could be some lag in getting served.

Along with a pint I put in an order for Fish and Chips ($8.00) and Shepherd’s Pie ($6.75). I had taken a few sips of my beer when one of the cooks came from the back with my food – that was quick. I began to wonder if the quality would suffer. I tried the fish and chips first. I had tried fish and chips at another establishment in Fremont and was quite disappointed in the results, here I was hoping that an authentic English pub would provide a better product, and they did. The fish was lightly battered with a crunch to the crust but with a tender, flakey interior. My assumption is that the fish was Cod and was fresh as it had no fishy aroma to it and was still moist with a slightly briny flavor. A little squeeze of lemon (provided) and this fish was perfect the way it was. The fries left a little to be desired, though to be honest I am more of a fan of crispy, “twice cooked” fries. So I won’t harp too much on that subject.

The other order was shepherd’s pie. I can remember having had this a couple of times growing up and each time it was alright, nothing too memorable. As for the shepherd’s pie at The George & Dragon, well, I would have to give it the same review. Not a horrible meal, the thick, melted, cheesy crust was very good and the sauce that the ground beef was in was very tasty. But the mashed potatoes were bland and tasted of boxed, “potato flake” potatoes and the few peas (I’m used to both peas and carrots in shepherd’s pie) I did find were dry and shriveled. Along with the pie came baguette toasts and butter, this helped to overcome some of the faults of the dish but overall, I think I will pass on this dish the next time.

So was this the real deal? Does George & Dragon live up to its title of “Seattle’s only authentic English Pub”? Well, I was able to suspend by belief and I almost pictured myself in merry old England. Even with some of my misgivings about the shepherd’s pie, the food was very good. As for where to go when I’m in the mood for fish and chips, well, there’s no doubt where you’ll find me.