Serafina.......Worth waiting for!

We have been trying to get to Serafina for the last several years, but for one reason or another the stars never aligned. We finally got a reservation for Saturday evening and hoped that after all this time we would not be disappointed. After reading thru my review you can be the judge.

We started off with several of Serafina's specialty cocktails.

This is the Applehattan.
Made with apple infused Bourbon!

Frescure
Premium vodka, muddled with cointreau, fresh cucumber, & lemon juice
This was a hit all the way around the table.


Our server, Colleen, was a rock star! She started us with some fresh rustic bread and a stellar mixture of olive oil and pepper spices for dipping. I could have made a meal with just this! But that would have made this the end of the review. Of course that wasn't the case.
We had to have their renowned Bruschetta. This selection has grilled Tuscan bread rubbed with garlic and olive oil. Alongside the bread were several toppings that had us all voting for our favorite. My favorite was the Spanish Bonito tuna flavored with capers, lemon and fresh herbs. I really like quality tuna, but this was like nothing I have ever had before. This has to be tried to appreciate the great flavors that explode in your mouth! The green olive tapenade was bomb. The over all winner was the Laura Chenel goat cheese with Hungarian Goat Horn pickled peppers. The creamy texture of the cheese and the slow burn of the peppers were outstanding. This app was more than enough for the four of us with bread left over.

Upon ordering our main courses, we called on Rock Star Colleen to recommend a wine. Their cellar contains over 300 different wines, mostly Italian. She quickly summoned Serafina's Executive Chef John Neumark. His recommendation was a 2005 Aglian Macari.

This Italian red wine is much like a Barolo and was a perfect pairing to our entree's.

Polpettine di Vitello

Housemade veal meatballs simmered in a green olive-tomato sauce; tossed with penne rigate, topped with ricotta salata

The pasta was perfectly al dente'. The veal meatballs were surprisingly light and extremely flavorful as was the sauce.

Ravioli di Carciofi e Spinaci
Handmade ravioli filled with fresh artichokes, ricotta, and spinach; served with braised baby artichokes, black olives, cherry tomatoes, pancetta, fresh herbs, and extra virgin olive oil
I absolutely loved this very simple dish.

Their house specialty: Melanzane alla Serafina
Signature dish; thinly sliced eggplant rolled with ricotta cheese, fresh basil, and parmesan; baked in a tomato sauce, served over cappellini aglio e oli tho

We finished with some gelato (my favorite desert next to frozen custard), and grappa. This was served to us by Executive Chef John Neumark who wanted to make sure we enjoyed our meals and his wine selection. I thought this was a nice touch.
If there is any criticism I have , it is with the noise level. Conversation is difficult. Fortunately the food is so damn good, you are too busy eating to want to talk.
They are known to have an excellent Sunday Brunch. I am sure we will be trying it soon!

Serafina Osteria & Enoteca
2043 Eastlake Ave E . Seattle 98102 . 206.323.0807