Osteria la Spiga

I lived in Emiligia Romagnia (Forli) and I worked at this restaurant briefly years ago (ciao pietro!) so I'd like to say a few words about this wonderful piece of italy here in seattle. The place is small, the food is unique and takes time to make this can create long waits at times so patience is always required there. Piadinia and Tagliatelle are an art form to those that have ever been to this region of Italy. I was never a waiter at la Spiga (worked in the kitchen) but it was always my impression that the wait staff was excellent, unfortunately, they are way over worked because the place is really understaffed. It is just as frustrating and busy for the wait staff and cooks as it can be for the customers so cut them a little slack!

The solution: In Italy, Piadina is not really formal dining cuisine. You find piadina stands on the side of the road, they are cheap and considered delicious mid day snacks analagous to a taco truck or gyro stand. I love la spiga and it is truly great that we have such specifically authentic food here in our city but my advice to you is to take your Piadina to go. This is truly Italian way of eating it (unless of course you came for the tagliatelle) then Ill guess youll have to wait for a table.

Pros: perfect piadina, even placed the way it should be in the basket.

Cons: a little pricey for those that have grown up with the real thing.

Posted 06/28/06

Very specific, regional food... high quality ingredients... kind servers.... and an even kinder owner, Pietro. I know Italian food well, and this is my preferred Italian restaurant in Seattle because it's the real thing. It's a place where I can take my time and relax, without being rushed out. The food is simple and small, the wine list is fabulous. If you're in a rush or are accustomed to American restaurants disguised as Italian, you won't like this place. But if you want something real and memorable, come to La Spiga, open your mind, and plan to be tranported to Emilia-Romagna for a couple hours. Buon appetito!

Pros: food, authenticity, atmosphere

Posted 05/05/06

.... and try the lasagna, as noted by another poster. While I wouldn't call the service attentive, our waiter was knowledgable about the wine list, and after the first bottle was polished off and we asked him to suggest something similar for our next bottle he brought one that was $1 less than the first bottle we'd selected ourselves - and delicious! Loved the food. Loved the bread. Loved the nutella desert. Best post-dinner cappucino I've had anywhere. Oh, and we did have a reservation - it was a Saturday night.

Pros: Great food, reasonably priced, wine

Posted 04/17/06

I like La Spiga but I have a really hard time supporting it because of the terrible service.
The waiters don't know much about the food and know absolutely nothing about the wine list. If you order a bottle, it probably won't be in stock and if it is, it will come to your table already opened. Usually when I go in, there are only two people working on the floor trying to serve a full, busy restaurant. People will continue to go here because of the food-it is good and it is not too expensive. I think of La Spiga as a cheap neighborhood restaurant that I would never go to for any special occasion because the service is so bad. This restaurant could be so much more if it took the time to be great in all aspects, not just the food.

Pros: food

Cons: service

Posted 02/21/06

I'd heard good things about this restaurant and was pleasantly surprised when I realized it's location,so close to everything, but tucked away in the little QFC corner. So much promise, and the wait was long, we almost didn't get a table since we didn't have reservations,so I assumed it had to be great place.
Poor service&inattention were the first thing I noticed as we sat at our table. The bread didn't come until they heard us complaining. I brushed this off because I was sure the food would make up for it.
The bread was tasteless. But that was ok, bread may not be their forte. After an hour, our dishes arrived. Definitly not the greatest Italian food. It was decent, but nothing to write home about. It tasted average, just pasta&meat. Definitly not worth terrible service, a long wait,or the money.I don't recommend this place until the service&food improve.

Pros: location, parking

Cons: service, food, service

Posted 02/20/06

I'm so glad that we tried this place out. The food was excellent, not like any other Italian food in Seattle- really simple but flavorful. My date and I agreed that it was the best lasagna we've ever had!! The waiter also recommended a wine that went well with our dishes and wasn't priced over what we wanted to spend. Nice for a change to not get oversold on wine! We did have to wait about 10 minutes for our table when we first got there and it was a little crowded, but they offered us a seat by the bar and a wine menu while we waited. Overall great- the lasagna alone is worth the trip!

Pros: Service, Wine selection

Posted 01/29/06

The service was horrible and when confronted, management claimed "hey, relax man, its only food." Yeah, 200 dollars worth of food.

First we waiting 25 minutes standing in the restaurant for our table - we had reservations but that simply wasn't carried out properly.

1. All appetizers for our party came at completely different times, and the waitress forgot to put in the order for 2 people's appetizers
2. When our wine wasn't in stock, they chose one for us, but without asking and brought it to the table opened.
3. The bread was flatbread and tasted much like cardboard and didn't get to us until 45 minutes into our stay.
4. It took well over 1.5 hours to receive our meal, upon which the waitress didn't know what she was serving and gave the wrong orders to the wrong people.
5. Very loud.

Pros: easy parking

Cons: service, management, loud

Posted 01/10/06

Having vacationed for weeks-on-end in the Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Trentino regions of N. Italy, I'm always suspicious of restaurants touting "authentic" Italian cuisine, so it was with a careful suspicion that I went to Spiga for the first time two years ago. Needless-to-say, I've been back multiple times. It is true to the source of Romagna cuisine. Just like in Italy, they are not open on Sundays and the atmosphere is intimate and close-quartered. Reservations are a must. The wine selection is superb (mostly wines from N. Italy) and the owner makes excellent recommendations for wine-food accompaniment. If you want huge portions of overdone pasta dripping in gooey cheeses for a "super-size me" appetite, this is not the place for you. Osteria la Spiga is not just food....it's an experience for your taste buds!

Pros: atmosphere, wine, service

Cons: can get loud

Posted 06/25/05

La Spiga is the best Italian restaurant in town. Beautiful restaurant, though the tables are a bit close. The food is without a doubt the best Italian I have ever eaten. One of the problems with Italian restaurants is that they often rely on cream and butter to make the food delicious. La Spiga has a much lighter hand, lots of options for those who aren't looking to go home feeling guilty. The handmade pasta is awesome, and the piadini (the grilled bread they serve) is light and delicious. VERY reasonably priced (most entrees $10-14). Wonderful. My favorite restaurant.

Pros: awesome food, nice atmosphere, good prices

Posted 02/12/05

This is definately my favorite Italian restaurant in Seattle! The couple who owns this fine restaurant are originally from Italy. Everything is homemade, there is a little area in front of the kitchen you can watch them making the pasta, bread, etc. I can honestly say, I have never once had a bad or even so-so meal here. The atmosphere is cozy and very romantic. It is a small restaurant, so reservations are definately recommended, they are always full. We planned my birthday here when they first opened and the couple was so sweet, they surprised our group with a special cake she made that was native to their area in Italy for us, free of charge! The food is excellent, and very reasonably priced, $10 - 15 a plate, but you could spend some money on their imported Italian Wines. A great dining experience.

Pros: Spectacular Food!, Great Service

Posted 05/20/04

La Spiga is the most like a real Italian osteria I've seen in Seattle. Freshest, most authentic food, great wine choices. It's my treat myself place.

Pros: Truly excellent food, Pietro-owner

Cons: no dedicated parking, The Italian waiter

Posted 07/23/02