One of the most frustrating searches in Bellingham has been for a decent Italian restaurant. I'm not looking for a fancy place that serves $20 plates of pasta like Giuiseppes, Bisteca or that highbrow place in Fairhaven. I want a cozy little trattoria that dishes out $10 -$15 plates of pasta, $4 caesars, & unlimited fresh crusty bread. We've tried 2 of the 3 that I know of that fit that description & haven't been too excited by either. We haven't been to Stinello's yet, Kyle doesn't remember it being very good, so we haven't even tried it. Here's the two we have tried.
D'annas
I'm going out on a limb here because I know this is a favorite of many locals. But.... The food was only OK (mediocre is being generous) and the price seemed astronomical for what it was. I don't like paying more than $13 for a plate of pasta unless it is loaded with seafood or something equally great. Ravioli with chicken for $16 doesn't cut it. I did not like the foccacia at all, it literally tasted like barf. And lastly, if I'm going to pay $14 or more for Ravioli, please make the interior reflect that I am at a nice restaurant. The whole atmosphere seemed very shabby and reminded me more of a cheap order at the counter place than a nice Italian restaurant. There, I said it, let me know if you disagree.
Mambo Italiano
This had the most promise of the ones we've been to. It didn't blow my mind, and the dish I had was tasty but struck me as a bit too rich & oily. The second time we went, the pizza was pretty good & I want to give it another try before I pass a final judgment on this one.
Ok, I admit that I used to wait tables at Pasta Bella in Seattle, which I still think is one of the most amazing Italian places I've ever been to. (As long as the cooks weren't high & screwing the dishes up) So my standards are pretty high. But it always amazes me how hard it is to find a good solid menu with a wide variety of pasta options. Let me know your comments, recommendations, or if you feel differently.
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4 comments:
We've been to D'Anna's once and had a really good experience. I can't remember what I ate, but Erik had an amazing pasta dish that had mushrooms in it...can't remember the name! However, even though we had a good experience, I don't think that they are the best. We just went to an awesome Italian place in Olympia on Sat. for our anniversary (Mercatos)- I wish they were up here b/c our dinner was seriously amazing!
Hmm... But was it over $13? That's my main beef. If their dishes were in the $8-$13 range, I'd be a lot more impressed. But the $12-$20 range seems way too high. I just felt ripped off when we left. And we've only tried 2 dishes, so maybe we just ordered the wrong ones. : )
I agree with you on D'Annas. Not blown away--just average.
I loved Mannino's when it was at the downtown location. Excellent lunch menu and very, very reasonable.
Then they moved to Fairhaven and hired a new and very snobby, young chef who ran them into the ground, and then eventually out of business. It's really too bad because they had excellent recipes.
You people must be from somewhere else, cause your not going to find restaurant prices like that in Bellingham, for that level of quality. Try Micky-D's if your into $8.00 fair.
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