what's the big deal? (la rustica, west seattle)

In an attempt to avoid the Seattle Restaurant Week crowds, we headed to La Rustica in West Seattle for dinner tonight. This little neighborhood Italian restaurant gets great reviews online, and West Seattle residents seem to adore this spot. Often called a "hidden gem," it's located at the corner of Beach Drive and SW Carroll, a good distance past the bustle of Alki Beach.

La Rustica: 4100 Beach Drive SW

La Rustica, as its name suggests, appears to have a rustic, romantic atmosphere. But while others may take in the decor and be charmed, a more detailed look around the room sheds new light on this so-called "rustic" eatery. The walls with their cracked paint are too intentional, the plants around the dining room are fake and dusty, and the glass-topped tables seem out of place. However, the dining room as a whole, with its dim lighting and small space, has a relatively nice ambiance and family-run restaurant feeling. Given its location, I'm sure there is a view of the Sound from the window tables, but it was dark when we arrived and I wasn't paying much attention. There is also an outdoor patio, but it's now too cold to enjoy it!

View of the dining room. Back area is raised slightly
higher than the main dining room.

The restaurant only takes reservations for large parties (I can't remember the minimum number, and it's not listed on their sparse website), but there was no wait on this particular evening -- possibly because it was Sunday, and possibly because the rest of Seattle was eating a $28 three-course meal. However, I've heard there is a usually a wait on most weekend nights.

We were seated towards the back corner of the dining room and were promptly served a basket of focaccia-like bread. I love bread, and I had especially high hopes for this golden brown bread placed in front of me. With that lead in, you probably guessed that I was let down. The bread was soft and fluffy (yay), but it really didn't offer much flavor even though it was seasoned with herbs throughout the middle (boo). It wasn't bad, but just not exciting at all. Maybe some olive oil and balsamic vinegar would have helped. Or more salt. That fixes everything.

Bread.

We started with two glasses of wine and an antipasti. Both the sangiovese and barbera by the glass were tasty, but the caprese di bufala burrata was the stand out dish of our entire meal. It's described simply as a creamy, fresh buffalo with basil pesto and tomato, but the plate that came out contained much more than that. A beautiful spread of creamy burrata and fresh basil sat atop mixed greens and sliced red tomatoes. This was garnished with freshly ground black pepper, black olives, olive oil, chopped basil, and basil pesto with a small side of marinated artichoke hearts with capers and crushed red pepper. This combination was mouth-watering good, especially since I am a huge fan of creamy, smooth burrata.

Antipasti: Caprese di bufala burrata.

After the amazing caprese, we expected to move right along to our main dishes. But, surprise! Our orders included a salad. The salad arrived and was a disappointing sight to see. I'd say, "at least it was free," but it's probably factored into the cost of our main dishes. Anyway, this salad consisted of some mixed greens, garbanzo beans, black olives, red onion, and carrots mixed with some Italian-type of dressing. At least there was a variety of ingredients, but the salad came across as a throw-away dish served simply as filler. Please note the appearance of the carrots -- were they chopped in a food processor??

"Free" salad.

I took a few bites of my salad and then decided to save room for the soon-to-be-arriving main course. We ordered one pasta dish, the gnocchi con zazzicchia, and one meat dish, the lamb shank (referred to as their "signature dish"). The house made gnocchi was different in that it was made of ricotta rather than potato, and each gnocchi was about double the size than typically served. It was served with slices of spicy, oregano flavored sausage, and then mixed with melted mozzarella and a "spicy" tomato sauce. I'm pretty sure the sausage was the only spicy thing about the dish, but maybe they meant "spiced" sauce? The dish was about as exciting as the photo. (Psst: Don't let the colorful sprinkle of parsley fool you.)

Gnocchi con zazzicchia.

Now for the lamb shank, their "signature dish." First, how can this be their signature dish if it isn't listed on their menu and is described as a special? Shouldn't a signature dish be on the menu and available everyday? And if it is available everyday but always described as a special, isn't that not a special? I don't get that. Regardless, the lamb shank is prepared with balsamic vinegar, garlic, and rosemary and served with a side of marinara pasta and roasted vegetables. The lamb shank was fall-off-the-bone tender and well-cooked, but the sides were just ridiculous. The spaghetti noodles were soft and overcooked, and the marinara tasted of fresh tomatoes but lacked any depth of flavor. Its placement, crammed onto the plate next to the lamb shank, resulted in a meddling of flavors that didn't really go together. The roasted vegetables included one slice of zucchini, one broccoli floret, and some red bell peppers. They were fine (although I could make roasted veggies at home), but again, smashed onto the plate and covered with balsamic. It was a plating disaster.

Signature lamb shank in balsamic vinegar, garlic, and rosemary.

We passed on dessert (tiramisù, spumoni ice cream, or chocolate chip cannoli) for two reasons: 1) we were pretty full, and 2) the performance thus far was not impressive, and I wasn't convinced dessert would be any better.

The lowdown: What are all these people raving about? I simply didn't see it. I'd consider returning for a glass of wine and burrata, but that's about all.

Shoes: Simple Pump in grey flannel by Christian Louboutin.

Tonight's shoe: Christian Louboutin Simple Pump in grey flannel. Featuring a rounded toe, mid-height heel, and signature red soles.