Spinasse

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Corner of Piedmont on 14th Avenue

Spinasse opened in 2008 as a small, rustic trattoria with communal tables and a clear sense of purpose: handmade pasta and the traditional cuisine of the Piedmont region of Northern Italy. Over the years it earned a loyal following and critical recognition as one of Seattle's top Italian restaurants — recognition that includes a listing by Gambero Rosso, Italy's most authoritative food guide.

The Kitchen Behind the Plates

Since 2015, Executive Chef Stuart Lane has led the kitchen. His path to the role was deliberate: after a culinary arts degree in Bellingham, he traveled to Costigliole d'Asti to train at the Italian Culinary Institute in Piemonte, then staged at the Hotel Monte del Re outside Bologna. He returned to Seattle, worked his way up at Cafe Juanita, and joined Spinasse as co-sous chef in 2010 before taking the helm. His cooking stays grounded in authentic Piedmontese technique while drawing on produce from Pacific Northwest artisans and small farmers — a combination that keeps the menu honest to its roots without being frozen in time.

Wine Director Noa Emas, a WSET Level 3 Advanced certified sommelier, curates a list focused on Northern Italian producers, with an eye toward introducing lesser-known labels alongside the region's classics.

What's on the Table

The pasta is made in-house daily. Tajarin — fine hand-cut egg yolk pasta, a hallmark of Piedmontese cooking — appears in two forms: with cultured butter and sage, or with a pork and beef ragù. Cavatelli arrives with morel ragù and rosemary; risotto shifts with the season. Among the secondi, milk-braised pork with pan-roasted semolina gnocco and guanciale-and-butter poached halibut reflect the same restraint: good technique, considered ingredients, no excess.

For those who want the full picture, the Menu Degustazione brings every antipasto, primo and secondo to the table family style, with an optional wine pairing.

Chef Lane's forthcoming cookbook — Spinasse: An American Love Letter to Piemonte Cuisine — distills over 75 recipes from the restaurant into a volume organized around the same structure as the menu itself, from cocktails through dolci.

The Room and the Bar

The dining room retains a warmth that traces back to the original trattoria character. Next door, sister venue Artusi offers Italian-inspired cocktails and light bites for a more informal visit. The cocktail list at Spinasse itself runs from classic Italian aperitivi — Negroni, Aperol Spritz, Boulevardier — to house originals built around amari and house-made vermouth.