Truffle Goodness at La Spiga

On Friday we went to La Spiga in Seattle's Capitol Hill Neighborhood - an Italian osteria which we haven't been to before.

We decided to go for an early dinner so that we could catch their happy hour before it ended at 6:30 p.m. $4.00 glasses of house wine - I went with the house red which was fairly smooth with many fruity flavors and $3.00 pints of Perino which my husband enjoyed.

They have a good selection on their happy hour menu of appetizers, salad, pasta dishes and dessert so you could have your entire meal from the menu. We ordered a selection of 3 cheeses that the chef personally selects herself served with a sweet fig jam and fresh, warm flat bread that has a nice saltiness and light layers that you can pull apart. The cheese that was most memorable was a truffle and herb cheese that had a nice subtle truffle taste though it could sometimes be overwhelmed by the other cheeses (can't remember what the other cheeses are anymore - not as memorable but all decent).

Not on the happy hour menu - but a standard italian appetizer that they do well is their caprese. Small cherry tomatoes split in half mixed with cut basil, fresh mozzarella balls drizzled with olive oil and served with more flat bread. A nice combination of fresh and savory their caprese is a delicious classic.

For dinner my husband ordered "Spaghetti alla Chitarra al Pesto, Pomodorini e Taggiasca - Farro “chitarra” spaghetti, basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, Taggiasca olives." From what I've researched I believe Spaghetti alla Chitarra is a square-cut pasta that is made from farro, a type of wheat. Don't quote me on that but the pasta had a nice thickness that I enjoyed. La Spiga really focuses on simple fresh ingredients and that came through with the basil and tomatoes. The olives really made the dish stand out by adding a burst of flavor to each bite.

I ordered "Tagliatelle al Burro di Tartufo -Tagliatelle noodles with white Alba Truffle butter." This is probably the most simple yet flavorful dish you could ever find. Noodles and truffle butter. The truffle butter just makes the noodles want to melt in your mouth. Truffle is really a flavor that I can't describe - I want to say smokey and salty but it just doesn't do it justice. The flavor is so distinct you have to try it yourself to understand. Either way - the dish was simply wonderful.

La Spiga's space is lofty yet cozy with a lot of booths. Plus I love their indoor patio feel with the large front window that opens up to the sidewalk. The staff was attentive and friendly and really helpful with describing anything on the menu. Portion's were perfect - not too small that you're disappointed and not too large so you don't feel too guilty when you're licking your plate clean.

Since our favorite Italian restaurant Cellar Bistro closed down we haven't been having a lot of pasta lately. We both left La Spiga feeling that we've finally found that Italian restaurant in Seattle we would love to frequent and know we'd always come away feeling happy.