Al Boccalino

Last Christmas I bought a groupon for both my fiancé and myself for the 5-​course cooking class. Before I explain the enormous ordeal of trying to book a date and how sub-​par everything was, I’d like to say I have a culinary background and have been to several cooking classes with friends. This was the worst example I could imagine.
I just checked the original groupon, and the first thing it mentions is that it is limited to 10 — our class had a very crowded 15. When trying to book the date, I had to call FOUR times because the heavily accented man who answered (Luigi I suspect) was too busy to check availability or dates and hung up on me. It took me about two weeks to book, and still I was only offered a Tuesday night class. I should have known something was up when I was also told I needed to bring an apron — really? What if I wasn’t local?
Upon arrival, we were greeted by Bill, their server, who took our groupon voucher numbers and gave us a soiled and crumpled menu for the evening. The attendees were a mix of mostly couples and all generally cheerful and friendly. Once everyone was settled in, we were ready to go. Our instructor was not Luigi, which I suppose is good from the other reviews here. In stead, we had a chef instructor who never introduced himself. I asked around and nobody knew his name. Later, I asked how long he’s been teaching, which he replied, ‘8 months, and I’m always a bundle of nerves.’ Honestly, he was a fine instructor, and divided up attendees as best he could given our large number. Everyone who wanted to participate certainly had the chance.
So here’s where I’m pissed — the place was dirty, cluttered and uninviting. The portion of food was minuscule, as though they had enough for half of us. I made sure to save my appetite because I was about to have a 5-​course dinner. I certainly paid for a 5-​course dinner… twice.
My fiancé and I shared 2 full carafes of wine with another couple, totaling $ 80 between us. The wine wasn’t great, but I accept the mark up. *side note: Manu other cooking classes provide wine as you go, often with pairing info or any other interesting facts. Other classes I’ve taken also provide a follow-​up email with recipes or any other relevant stuff about that class you just took. They did not, because I suppose they know they won’t be recommended to anyone and just want your money.
Once we wrapped up, Bill, the server appeared, and let us know immediately that we were on the hook for a service charge and taxes on the total cost — I made an audible groan as I knew what they were doing. We had to pay ‘tax’ on the value of the dinner, before the groupon discounted cost. Our bill ended up being $ 73, which is actually MORE than I paid for the groupons! A $ 22 service charge?! For what?! Then tax on top of that? Don’t let these swindlers fool you. They know they have a bad product, are misleading and don’t deliver on what was promised.

I am a firm believer in posting reviews that are positive in nature. However, I also feel that it is important to warn the public against scams. We were on vacation with friends last week and wanted Italian food. We walked into this small Italian restaurant. The waiter was very friendly and we were seated right away. There was a group of people seated next to us that were already eating pasta dishes. We decided to go with the house red wine which he said was very good. He bought a carafe of wine to our table and not a bottle of wine. It was kinda bubbling. My husband and I tried the wine and sent it back. It was horrible. He returned with another carafe of wine and again not the bottle. It was just ok. Looking back we should have insisted on him corking a bottle in front of us like all other Restaurants do. I then went to the ladies room. I could see a cooking lesson going on. On the way to the Restroom there was so much clutter and filth! The bathroom was old and dirty. It looked like there was some water damage on the walls. I felt like maybe we should be leaving. On my way back to the table I tried to look into the kitchen. There were to many people in the cooking class in the way. So this was just the beginning of their scam and a bad experience! The waiter gave us the option of ordering off the menu of about 5 items or setting a price per person and the chef would cook us up a wonderful surprise dinner experience. He just asked us to inform him of what we did not like. I said spicy and my girlfriend said lamb. He gave us the choice of starting from $ 25 and going up to $ 40 per person. We all choose $ 30 per person. So it began with a very small salad that we all took a heaping spoon of. Then 4 meatballs, one per person of some kind of cheese and rice. Then 4 pieces of cheese and some thin salami. Now the salami was pretty good. Final was some pasta with these dark brown salty mushrooms with a oil sauce. There was no creativity here at ALL and very small portions! There was no garlic bread or any bread brought to our table. Was this really a Italian Restaurant? Then the waiter started to remove our plates. We asked were our main entrée was? He said «oh, are you still hungry». We all said at the same time «yes we are!» So then he brought us back the worst wheat pasta rounds with just a tomato based sauce. My GF spit it out in front of him and we all said take it back. We all felt this was a «FU» to our dissatisfaction. He then brought us the most soggy Tiramisu that none of us would eat. We paid and left hungry. We ended up eating at our Hotel.

BTW… The food on this website didn’t look anything like what we were served.
We came from California for vacation their were 4 of us. We first ordered some wine it was not brought to the table in a carafe full of wine. It had bubbles on the sides & tasted bad. We sent it back & he came back with another carafe of wine and we never saw the bottle. At most expensive restaurants or fine dining the waiter brings a bottle of wine corks it at the table. We were given the choice of ordering off the menu which only had a few items or setting our price per person between $ 25-​$ 40. We set ours at $ 35 per person. The waiter told us they would cook us a surprise. We were brought a few items, small amount of salad, small amount of other items and all of a sudden Bill took our plates away. We were still hungry we figured there would be a main dish? We said is this all? He said are you still hungry & we said YES! We asked for some spaghetti & garlic bread. He brought us pasta dish that looked like snails. Had to spit it in the napkin in front of Bill. It was terrible not to mention cheap to make ! We sent it back! He then brought us Taramassu. It was soggy & warm. None of us could eat it? This was the worst meal the four of us have encountered! We all felt scammed. When a couple of us went to the bathroom we were horrified at how filthy dirty everything was in its path and in the bathroom and appeared to have mold on the walls. After we return back to the hotel room we looked at Unilocal reviews and we found that another other reviews that had the same experience or worse. Surprised they are still in business. There were two other table on our small room that were unhappy too. AVOID THIS PLACE!

My husband and I went to the cooking class it was ok we had fun. Make Sure you eat before you go there’s not very much food. We wouldn’t do it again or recommend. The problem was the end of the night when the bill came. 80 $ for wine I was very surprised. When I asked what kind of wine we got «the chef» didn’t know and couldn’t find the bottle. When I protested «the chef» threatened to call the police. Then a woman comes from the back and asks what we think we should pay. (This craziness happened within 3 min) Totally crazy rather then let this destroy the night my amazing husband paid the bill but said NO TIP. Only to find out «the chef» gave himself a 45 $ tip on top of the bill. After reading past reviews I see other people have had to negotiate their bills down with this restaurant. I have never heard of anybody or had my own experience having to negotiate your bill down. Beware make sure you ask prices on everything. Wish me luck with the bank to challenging the fraud charges. Thanks
It makes me sad to write a bad review I’ve only ever given five stars. I realize people have dreams and nothing can ever always be perfect however when you try to steal from my fam you crossed a line. «Shef/​instructor» I’m talking to you. Must feel like a real winner.

There are a lot of reviews on here that say a lot of things I want to say. Instead, I will explain the evening we had last night.
Advertised price for cooking class:
$ 35/​person and a group of 14
We bought wine, although it was expensive and not very good, that’s on us.
The food is OK and Luigi is a character but borderline offensive and is terrible with customers. He is very particular to under-​serve portions so don’t expect to get full.
The place is dirty and cluttered, not to be confused with «charming».
I dropped a cup and broke it and Luigi’s response was «F**king people» and he made sure I heard it.
I still would have rated the place a 3 until the bill arrived. I had to negotiate in the back room to knock the bill down to a reasonable amount.
Automatically included (not discussed with you beforehand) on top of the $ 35/​person charge for the class is a 20% gratuity plus tax.
The bill was almost $ 1,000 for 14 people and I couldn’t believe it. I negotiated it down but you should never be forced to negotiate a price of a meal or service like that.
I would have left merely disappointed had I not felt like the owner was trying to swindle us. I would have ignored the offensive remarks, the dirty clutter, the small portions of bland food and the poor customer service and would forget about this place forever. But at the end of all of that, receiving a check for $ 400 more than we were quoted, I have to tell anyone that will listen to never go there.
They are moving to a new building in two months and I fear all of their negative reviews will be lost once they move, it’s a shame.
I hope this review prevents someone from going to this place, I wish I had checked out reviews before going.
Lesson learned.

Dont waste your money. The teacher is rude and mean. You dont learn how to cook! Everyone does one thing like chop onions or cut strawberries. At the end the portions are small. He had the nerve to charge 20% tip too!

Ate here last night with my husband with a Groupon we’d been gifted for Christmas. We had the one whole side of the dining room to ourselves and one of the owners (I believe) was our waiter. We got the chef’s table with the groupon and it was AMAZING! We got a carafe of wine, salad, toast with smoked salmon, potato croquettes, a bowl of pasta with marinara sauce, mushroom risotto, grilled chicken, cauliflower purée, handmade sausage, and then finally a huge serving of tiramisu! The sausage and pasta were outstanding and we could have eaten that for the entire meal easily. Hands down the best sausage I’ve ever had. Like another reviewer said, we left full but not stuffed.
On top of the delicious food, our waiter was funny, checked back with us not too much but not too little either, and we loved that he explained each course to us. It’s clear he and the rest of the staff care a lot about the quality of their food and the experience of the customer. I had read some of the reviews here before we left and had low expectations, but am so happy we have found a new favorite spot now! Highly recommended!

Absolutely worst cooking course and I believe restaurant in Seattle. The food was well below par. The instruction was average and the cost of drinks were incredibly inflated plus you pay for drinks plus tax plus tip on top of your groupon. Avoid at all chance, and if you have already bought a groupon, light it up and warm your hands because you will get more enjoyment from that than from this class. Run!!!

I’m genuinely confused about the low ratings. We came here looking for food after the place we planned on going to was too packed and we didn’t want to wait an hour to be seated. We were so happy we did. We were seated right away in a cozy little corner, and the waiter explained the menu and recommended the chefs table. We went with that. It was an 9 course meal, you set the price per person between $ 25-​$ 50, and let the chef know if you have any allergies or preferences and let them prepare the dinner for you with your preferences in mind.
We were served fresh mozzarella hand made. It was delicious! Bread with a yellow tomato and olive chutney (really good), salad, croquettes, pesto pasta, polenta with a meat sauce, grilled ahi with kalamata olives on a bed of greens, and tiramisu. We also got beer. We chose $ 35/​pp. it was amazing. Only thing that was just ok was the ahi, I’m not a huge fan of too much kalamata though so that was just me. Everything else was yummy. It’s great for a nice date. It’s small and cozy so I don’t recommend it for large groups unless you make a reservation.

I didn’t take the cooking class but ate at the restaurant.
My son and I dropped in since it was near our hotel, the waitress was welcoming and as we reviewed the menu, she said «if you don’t see anything you like we can make whatever you want». We ordered our personal favorites a filet minion for the boy and fried raviolis for myself. Those meals weren’t on the menu and within 20 min they brought out our food, we were taken back at how great it was. The filet came with a grilled asparagus that tasted fantastic. The alfredo on the raviolis was so creamy and seasoned wonderfully. We did order one thing off the menu, the toast and it was Amazing! If I could give them more stars I would. This place is defiantly a hidden gem. I can’t wait to bring the rest of my family back to Seattle and back to this wonderful restaurant.

My husband and I went here for their cooking class that we bought via Groupon. I called 3 months ago and booked the soonest reservation. This is NOT a cooking class. I didn’t learn anything. It was more of a group dinner and there was nothing italian about it. Bill was our instructor and he was a friendly man who joked a bit to keep crowd awake. This is NOT a «cooking class» and the saddest part was there wasn’t even enough food to go around. We actually went out to dinner after this experience because we were starving.
There were 12 people in our «class» that started at 7pm. There was NO starter food, snack or bread NOTHING until we sat down (some of us) after 9pm to eat. So if you are diabetic or need to eat at a certain time there is no food for hours during this event. It was over crowded for the room and our group has to squeeze in to see what was being prepared. My big job was to cut 3 potatoes in quarters and my husband got to juice a lemon and an orange. That’s all we did the entire night.
My overview:
–The room was cluttered and dirty. I’m actually shocked the health department or food inspectors haven’t shut this place down.
–No one was asked to wash hand prior to cooking or touching food. People were touching their face, coughing, etc.
–Wine was bad tasting and overpriced. They offered one choice of red or white wine and it was icky tasting wine.
–Price of wine served in a cheesy carafe was over $ 50 with tax and automatic 20% gratuity.
— Bathrooms were nasty=smelly and dirty.
–The sheet of paper they gave of what we would be cooking was printed with have of font off the page, crooked and had typos/​misprints.
–No recipes offered — thanks cause I didn’t want any.
–Food was under average in taste and quantity was not enough for this group.
–Four people had to stand as there were not enough chairs.
–Some people brought aprons — not necessary when there is so little to do.
–The bills came and they TAX you for the full amount of the Groupon AND they charge an automatic gratuity of 20% for entire bill? Is this even legal?
–Entire group was surprised and the people next to me were pissed.
–Do not recommend.

I wish I could give no stars !!
I went and got 2 cans of soda and 1 drink they charges me 45.00 they added gratuity of 15 $ without asking. I barley had enough room to cook !! The food we did cook the noodles were not done and everyone said they tasted funny, this is not that good of a cooking class you can get the same set of cooking skills Frm going to your grandma’s !! It’s cheaper funner and cooking would taste better please please don’t come here please go anywhere else to the point I’d rather take someone to McDonald’s over this place manager was rude ugh don’t go so so bad

Okay first off, I’m confused with the negative reviews.
Tonight we came here spontaneously with a group of 8. We called in minutes before we were coming and when we walked in there was a table set up and waiting for us. We sat down and the woman explained how the menu worked. It’s family style which was perfect for 8 of us!
Let me tell you, the food was INCREDIBLE. I literally felt like I was in the middle of Italy eating delicious Italian food. This is seriously authentic. I’m so happy I ended up here tonight. Seriously impressed.

Took a cooking class here tonight. The owner Luigi was grumpy to deal with when booking the class.
Beware…they charge $ 40 for a carafe of mediocre house wine. I admit, I should’ve asked first but $ 40 seems excessive for the quality of wine. Note: the price was not on the drink menu. Our class had 6 people and a large party of 7 did not show up. Thank goodness… they cannot accommodate that number of people for the class. The cooking area is very small and crowded. It’s obvious the owner is more concerned about the maximum amount of profit.

We came here as part of a cooking class. We started cooking and after 2 hours we were surprised to see a full length 5 course meal
I think more than the meal, I loved the experience. You get to interact with people around and enjoy cooking. Definitely coming back here again.

There are so many reasons I am giving this a 1 star.
We came here to do a cooking class. On our way the walking GPS on our phone got us turned around, a very friendly local seattlite stopped us to help us get in the right direction. When we told her where we were going she immediately said let me tell you of a different place I would never recommend a friend to go there…(ok this is not good) we tell her we are taking a cooking class and so she points us just down the street.
We came in and the place smells old and dirty. (Sooo dirty) We are not greeted by anyone but see a couple sitting and they tell us they are also there for the cooking class. So we take a spot at the table and the instructor comes in. I don’t remember his name, he was not the owner. While he was nice he reeked of cigarettes which is a huge turn off for me when I want to be smelling the food we are cooking not the stench of cigarettes.
I have been to several interactive classes and while yes you may be doing some chopping or stirring you are not doing enough to learn the steps. (This class was worthless) The instructor mostly just talked at you and gave his opinion on cooking styles and techniques that he didn’t like. I learned nothing from this class. Absolute waist of money. You are better off watching the cooking channel.
Also if you are wanting fresh food this is not the place for you. He dumped a ton of Lard, yes you heard me LARD into the dish we were cooking. That has never been nor ever will be a staple of cooking in my house.
Lastly if you want a drink while cooking be prepared to fork over $ 12 a glass for cheap wine in a dirty glass. How the health department has not shut this filthy place down is beyond me.

Just got back from the cooking class bought through Groupon. I don’t know what some of these other people (those who are giving 1 star ratings) were looking for, but my girlfriend and I had a fantastic time. We were in a class of 10 people, and everybody was just as involved as they wanted to be in the cooking process. Dan the chef was very nice and funny, and kept everything interesting while we made our courses. In the end, the food was delicious and we felt awesome about making it all together. I think we all learned a few good cooking tricks along the way too.
People should keep in mind that this is a traditional family restaurant. It’s small and a bit cluttered in the cooking area, but absolutely more filled with character and charm than any other restaurant I’ve been to in Seattle. It’s real Italian food, and the owner is as authentic as it gets. If you’re going in for the cooking class, try and make it during a weeknight or other less busy time, or it might be a bit crowded. I get the feeling some of these folks giving bad ratings were looking for Olive Garden.

I did the interactive cooking class. If there was a comparable experience — some distant uncle or neighbor is teaching you how to cook a dish in their cluttered house. And your uncle has a lot of really strong opinions on cooking that he shares along the way — but the dish you end up making is less appetizing than airplane food (I know a lot of people loved it — maybe we were an outlier).
I want to say up front that while I would never recommend anyone do this, the guy who ran the class (not Luigi) was a really endearing guy and really was the most interesting part of the class. He gave a lot of historical background and did a good job keeping the class funny and lively. He was cool. Without him the place gets 1 star.
So here’s the deal — it’s 12 people in a pretty small room. There is random stuff EVERYWHERE. Luigi’s phone was charging on a shelf next to a cordless phone that was facing the wrong way and had no cover on its battery pack. There was a massive bookshelf — and while there were books — there was also a ton of other clutter just piled in there. The bathroom is downstairs and you pass a Costco graveyard to get there — boxes and random stuff (like a stack of hand towels still in their package) everywhere. This room has potential — but I get the sense these guys have been there for a long time and don’t realize how messy it looks.
The room is also right next to the kitchen. And they keep the door open so the staff can take food from the kitchen to the dining room. There are a couple issues with this. This cramped room is the thoroughfare for the wait staff. Second, there is another door in the kitchen leading outside — and the staff smoke out there. The doors are very close together so the cramped room occasionally smells like cigarettes.
The food was meh. They were REALLY into salt. I don’t cook a lot, but my girlfriend and some of the other more experienced diners were clearly aghast. The final dishes were not that appetizing. I was really hungry when I got there — but I took a really small serving, left quickly, and ordered a pagliacci pizza when I got home.
If the owners read this — I hope you use this feedback to improve the setting of the class. I think your place has a lot of potential — but you really need to clean up that room. Spend a little money on a designer. It will be worth it. I would also cut back on the salt. Maybe that’s your taste, but tastes change over time. I would also include some wine with each admission. People have a lot more fun when they are drinking and it will probably lead to more alcohol sales. We ordered a bottle of wine but were the only people drinking. Good luck!

Seems like you shouldn’t get the groupon… But I can’t speak to that experience.
I like this place. I like it for what it is. I’m local and I like that it’s kind of dated mediocre Italian food (please don’t take this the wrong way) This can be a good thing. I don’t want them to reinvent wheel, I don’t want anything groundbreaking. I want to be taken care of and fed. They do this well. I love the décor and the Sinatra playing. I feel transported. There are so many trendy restaurants that I dine at and feel ripped off. I don’t here. The Chef came out out make sure I liked the meal. These types or places are special and few.

Dear God!!! One of the best Italian Restaurants I have ever been to. I had to write a review. Italian food to me typically is always the same and no matter where someone says «…it’s the best!», I have always not really seen much of a difference until now.
Luigi was a great host and though everyone there had a thick accent, It only made me appreciate what I was eating and where I was. The staff was engaging with me and I felt at home. A Mexican making friends from Italy, I loved it.
When I go to a place that seems like the real deal I tend to eat everything whether I would normally eat it or not, so I had their eggplant/​farva beans/​olive thing, and I loved it… I HATE OLIVES, and this plate made me forget how crappy olives are.
The portions were spot on too. Most Americans want to Gordo out and eat 2 pounds of food. With what I was served I left full and not stuffed. Lie is about enjoying food, not stuffing your pig face!
My only beef was there didn’t appear to be a host, i didn’t know if they were open. As I am I walked in and looked for a waiter and was immediately sat down and taken care of.