Tuesday birthdays are not conducive to large parties, but I definitely don't want my special day ignored. After work and an entertaining drink at the UW Club (formerly the Faculty Club, now open to lowly staff as well), Brian and I went to Bizarro for dinner.
I picked Bizarro from Seattle's many restaurants because it's unpretentious, interesting, and has never failed to offer fantastic Italian. The decor is immediately striking , an overwhelming jumble of chandeliers, paintings, mismatched chairs and tables, and all sorts of large odds-and-ends dangling from the ceiling. It's a smallish space (maybe 12 tables?), and my first visit was spent preoccupied about whether I'd be impaled by a falling bicycle or candelabra if we had an earthquake. A sign near the entrance reads, "No one is "fine" with water." So the decor sets a tone. But once you look beyond it (seemingly impossible at first glance, but trust me), the food stands out. The menu is varied but not overwhelming - a small array of pastas, including seasonal and special dishes.
Our picks last night are pictured above: clockwise from top right, crostini with wine-poached figs and gorgonzola, Brian's seasonal elk sugo, my saucy lasagna, and the empty remains of our bananas foster. All the dishes were excellent, with the possible exception of dessert: Brian liked it, but the taste reminded me overwhelmingly of instant oatmeal. The house cabernet sauvingnon was somewhere between OK and decent -- sweet and fruity, but not at all bold or interesting.
Compared to thai, pho, and other Asian options, Seattle has a pretty limited selection of Italian restaurants -- and nothing I can think of in a very budget price range. Bizarro entrees are $14-18, placing it conveniently between the cheap eats of most midweek dinners and the more fancy fare you'd normally reserve for night-out dinners.
In addition to the atmosphere and food, Bizarro offers one more thing you won't find anywhere else in the city (fortunately discovered on observing our neighbors, not through participation): on birthdays, the servers will present your cake while meowing happy birthday.
Our picks last night are pictured above: clockwise from top right, crostini with wine-poached figs and gorgonzola, Brian's seasonal elk sugo, my saucy lasagna, and the empty remains of our bananas foster. All the dishes were excellent, with the possible exception of dessert: Brian liked it, but the taste reminded me overwhelmingly of instant oatmeal. The house cabernet sauvingnon was somewhere between OK and decent -- sweet and fruity, but not at all bold or interesting.
Compared to thai, pho, and other Asian options, Seattle has a pretty limited selection of Italian restaurants -- and nothing I can think of in a very budget price range. Bizarro entrees are $14-18, placing it conveniently between the cheap eats of most midweek dinners and the more fancy fare you'd normally reserve for night-out dinners.
In addition to the atmosphere and food, Bizarro offers one more thing you won't find anywhere else in the city (fortunately discovered on observing our neighbors, not through participation): on birthdays, the servers will present your cake while meowing happy birthday.
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