Entertaining Visitors? Two Classic Restaurants Bound to Satisfy

Choosing where to take out-of-town guests to dine in Seattle is always a multi-layered task.  Factors to consider: Where are they staying? Do they have a car? Do they have any eating restrictions? Has their Chili’s loyalty gift card expired? No? Let’s get our app game on!

My uncle who travels to Seattle fairly regularly is an ideal dining companion. On his latest trip from Juneau, he stayed two nights at the Marriot just below First Hill–a location perfect for walking to either Capitol Hill, the Pike Place market area or Pioneer Square. Although we didn’t eat any (this time), Seattle was our oyster, and we aimed to make our two dinners count.

First Night: Machiavelli’s

Up Madison and down Boren to Pine we marched to a dining destination as classic as its namesake–Machiavelli’s. One of my earliest memories dining with my uncle in Seattle was also at the Capitol Hill mainstay many years ago, and I’m not sure if the service staff has changed since then. Why keep coming back?

First, because for the quality of food and the portions offered, the price is very affordable. Additionally, the lower bar and upper dining floor tango together nicely, offering patrons two different dining experiences to match their mood. If they want action, they can enjoy high visibility on the packed serving floor upstairs; if they’re after privacy, they can slip into a low light, almost devilish setting in the bar and drink chianti cheek to cheek while watching the eclectic foot traffic on the sidewalk outside. My uncle and I opted to quasi-yell across the table at each other in the boisterous dining room while enjoying fettuccine carbonara (my go-to, $12.50) and the night’s special–rigatoni with marinara, peas and Italian sausage. Both hammered in the flavor department and after our starter caesers ($5.50 each), we were well satisfied. 

Second Night: Alibi Room

We met at Pike Place Market. Even after working on the tourist-mobbed market strip for several years, I still find a certain romance among the stalls and lights–not to mention a fabulous roster of eateries. I opted for the Alibi Room. Alibi is one of my favorite places to take friends partly due to the market aspect, partly due to the restaurant’s atmosphere and mostly due to the food. Constructed with bricks shipped upcoast after the great San Francisco fire, the dim restaurant couldn’t be much brighter than the candlelight used to illuminate the captain’s quarters during the voyage.

As for the food, the simple menu has a few salads (a monster caprese for $8), some solid apps (a legit cambozola plate for $11) and an inventive pizza menu featuring both standbys and with a few more creative flavor combinations. When my uncle gave me carte blanche to order for us, I went with the grapes and blue cheese drizzled with a balsamic reduction ($15). Each oval-shaped pizza is cut into 8 pieces, offfering both squared off and rounded off slices, whatever your fancy. Once again, our starter salads preempted our main dish, and we left sufficiently stuffed. Being gluttons, however, we doted around the market looking for some dessert afterward, but the shake maker was broken at Rachel’s Ginger Beer, so we’ll save that treat for our next dining venture.

Still, it was another fine Seattle dining experience for my uncle and me with two class meals that kept his stomach and per diem happy.

Machiavelli: 206.621.7491; machiavellis.com / Alibi Room: 206.623.3180; seattlealibi.com