Regular readers will know I don’t go out of my way to write up a bad review of a restaurant. I figure those places will take care of their reputation themselves.
But when we were invited to a birthday gathering last weekend at Picolino’s in Ballard, I immediately heard several people say “I’ve heard good things about them”.
They were right.
This is a restaurant that was born in January, where the owner greets you and makes you feel like you’re the most important person that ever stepped into his establishment. Points on the board already.
Now, good Italian food is going to cost you, so I never go into that genre of restaurant expecting “a deal”. You’re going to dish out a little more than you would at Red Robin, but if they know what they’re doing, it will be well worth it.
The food at Picolino’s not only LOOKED amazing, it had taste to match.

We ordered this pizza and matching house salads

Our waiter looked the part

And everyone was delighted and impressed by their entrees. I gotta tell ya, we started out as a group of 10….that became 12…then 15….etc and with every upgrade, the owner and the staff couldn’t have been more gracious. Separate checks? No problem. Not one of those “Are you kidding?” looks….they were genuinely cool with the concept.
Bottom line, if it’s been a while since you’ve done Italian–true Italian–for atmosphere, friendliness and, of course, da food, I give Picolino’s as many stars as it takes to make you give them a try.
Here’s their website. Enjoy.  We did.

Tim Hunter