Cafe Pettirosso’s a Pleasant Hideaway on Capitol Hill

By Seattle Mag September 30, 2013

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This article originally appeared in the October 2013 issue of Seattle magazine.

In a dim hideaway tucked just far enough away from the commotion on nearby Pike Street sits this oft-overlooked oasis of good food and easygoing attitudes. New owners Miki and Yuki Sodos, who also run Belltown’s Bang Bang Café, took over Cafe Pettirosso last year and have spiffed her up with trendy light fixtures and a coat of lemonade paint. Walking commuters stop in for breakfast bagels (try the one decked out with artichoke cream cheese, capers, spinach and tomatoes; $4.50) and coffees taken to go, but it’s even better to sit and relax for an hour over a plate of Red Flannel hash ($10.25), a tangle-up of roasted veggies dyed red from cubed beets, all with a horseradish kick. (Opt for a poached duck egg nestled on top, $3 extra, which sends it right over the top.) At lunchtime, look no further than the Croque Savoy ($12.25), a warm sandwich of melted Gruyère, mushrooms, béchamel and a fried egg, with a springy salad alongside. The place is quite veg-friendly, and the biscuits with (vegan!) mushroom gravy ($9.75, served on weekends only) and the vegan mac-and-cheese ($10.25) are two pretty strong arguments for the cause. In the evenings, candles are lit and friends meet for a cocktail or glass of wine in the friendly front bar. There’s a pleasant everyday appeal to the place, and unlike so much nearby, it’s never mobbed by partiers and club-goers. I think you’re going to like it here. Breakfast, lunch and dinner Tue.–Sun. Capitol Hill, 1101 E Pike St. (entrance on 11th Avenue); 206.324.2233; pettirossoseattle.com

 

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