Cafe da Pino

I havent been to a terrible place in a long time. We had high hopes because of the house made meats. The meats were good but the pasta was from a box, along with the taste of the sauce. I spent almost $ 20 for a very below par meal I could have made much better at home. Don’t stop in, you’ll thank me later.

We first tried Café da Pino a couple of weeks ago, for dessert after eating at Heidelberg Haus across the street. Last night we returned for a simple meal of roasted vegetables, lasagna and lemon mousse cake. At home, I’ve been cooking Italian dishes a couple of times a week and consider my skills «decent». The owner puts my feeble efforts to shame — he is a Chef! The vegetables were perfect, the lasagna superb and the lemon mousse cake exquisite!
As other reviewers have pointed out, yes it’s small, yes you need reservations, yes there is a limited menu, but it’s a real dining experience!

Great food. I’d say a bit pricey, but ultimately the fresh, homemade, and well-​executed menu justifes the cost. Tried a few dishes and sandwhiches now, and everything is spot-​on. When you can taste the love and can see commitment of the owner running every aspect of the shop, you know there’s something special. This place is special.

We read the glowing Stranger review, too. You know that feeling you get when you’ve been conned? After taking our first bite we are both overwhelmingly field with that feeling. Maybe our problem was how we chose to order off the specials board. My penne with house– made sausage and marinara it was no more memorable than something from a can of Chef Boyardee with some extra fennel seeds thrown in. My partners beet ravioli-​$ 18 for seven pieces!-was drowning in a pink sea of unseasoned flavorless beet goo. You can leave your Kraft shake cheese at home-Pino’s already uses plenty of it. I have never seriously considered walking out on a restaurant bill until this meal.

Delicious food! The pesto ravioli & sausage sandwich were both mouth watering.
Only downfall is its extremely small & not a lot of tables. Owner runs the whole place, great guy, great atmosphere.

He’s a one-​man band and a MacGyver of furnishing patios; Pino is the owner/​chef/​host/​server of Café da Pino and the dining experience here is intimate, authentic, and charming. This little osteria is a well-​priced gem in Ravenna for delicious, unpretentious Italian. The menu is succinct, just barely over a dozen dishes including insalatas, soups, entrees, and desserts, with the only pasta choice being penne.
We started with the caprese salad: sweet, juicy red and orange tomato slices separated by rounds of tangy mozzarella dressed lightly with balsamic and olive oil and a scattering of dried basil and oregano. This was refreshing and delicious but I was disappointed not to see fresh basil leaves. The penne bolognese was a winner; the meat seasoned impeccably and the pasta al dente and toothsome. If there is a meat dish, order it! Meat is Pino’s specialty and you would be doing yourself a disservice if you left without trying the spectacularly flavorful meatballs.

I love this restaurant. Great food, great service, pleasant surroundings. One of my go-​to places in Seattle.

My friend and I stopped by da Pino and had high hopes because of its cute and cozy appearance. We are by no means foodies, or experts in Italian food (we even enjoy Olive Garden occasionally), but our experience here was extremely poor. I got the tortellini with marinara sauce, and she got the ravioli with cream sauce, peas and prosciutto. The marinara sauce tasted like it was from a jar and the pasta could have been from a Buitoni package. The «prosciutto» was flavorless and thick– we think it may have been ham or Canadian bacon. The parmesan was not fresh; it was, no joke, from a Kraft canister. The bread was dry and the service bland. To top it off, the portions are small and the prices high. Where is the authentic Italian food others have mentioned? Extremely disappointed.

Went there for the first time on Thursday night, was a slow night for the place but great food and lattes. I highly anticipate going back, especially on a warm day/​night to enjoy their outside seating.

It was delicious and authentic southern Italian cuisine… it felt like we were in Italy in my Zia’s kitchen… we will definitely become regulars.

The real deal Italian go to place. Eating at Pino’s place is like being back in Italy, which is no surprise given the is from Italy. While he specializes in meats, everything is fantastic. Pasta, cheeses, wine selection, dessert, espresso… are all stellar. A must for anyone who appreciates true Italian food.

I went in for a sandwich and it was really good but a little on the expensive side. The owner was very pleasant. Parking is pretty tough and the I don’t understand the hours, it seems to be closed more than it is open. I’d probably go back if parking and the hours were more suitable for me as I pass by it frequently.

It’s not fine dining, but the quality of the food is very high. Pino is a master of Italian style cured meats. Nothing is this good in town short of Salumi. I usually order one of the specials. Last night I had the tortellini with peas and prosciutto. Delicious filling in the tortellini and his prosciutto is the best. Got a couple of salamis to take home as well.
Maybe this place isn’t for everyone, portions are not huge, but it’s my kind of no fuss neighborhood place. The atmosphere is a bit cramped and tacky, and Pino might appear to be a cranky old guy, but he warms up pretty quickly.

I dropped by for dinner — wanted to try a small, local place. I paid over $ 20 for a very underwhelming tortellini with peas, prosciutto, and tomato cream sauce (it was a special). I could have made this dish at home for half the cost, and I was still hungry when I was done eating. It came with bread that was tasteless and not very fresh.
If you’re able to enjoy the atmosphere and a glass of wine, this place might be more enjoyable. I opted for takeout.

Wanted to give a small neighborhood joint a chance, so my wife and I stopped in for lunch. Ordered a couple of sandwiches. The amount of meat seemed pretty stingy, and nothing even remotely exciting or different. I don’t expect or want fawning service at a meat market, but the owner did not smile once. Really didn’t seem worth the money, considering the other choices in the area.

I had:
Penne Con Salsiccia [sausage] $ 13.95
This is simply sad:
A «weak», almost watery marinara sauce,
the sausage was not distinctive [Home-​made? Really?],
an unimpressive portion;
I see no reason to recommend this dish;
20 years of cooking should guarantee the ability to produce this dish flawlessly;
The quality was no better than a Maggiano’s-type restaurant, at half the portion size.
Perhaps the sandwiches [for take-​out] are a better choice, less pricey & thus less risky.
Also —
I counted 8 seats
He closes at 2:00pm on Saturday afternoon
[so plan accordingly]

This place is tiny, but has delicious food. My sausage sandwich was awesome, and the chocolate gelato was pretty much chocolate heaven. Yummmmm. The main dish pasta portions are small and kind of pathetic for the price though.

Indeed this place serves excellent Italian out of a shoebox for a kitchen. I think the stove is a standard homestyle electric that, in their capable hands, makes wonderful food.
Ravioli in a purée of beets and walnuts was a deep red tempered by the walnuts. Get anything that features the meats. And get it today.

Pino Rogano is old-​school Italian. He hand-​makes a delicious selection of meats, cheeses, and sauce. He is hospitable and friendly as long as you don’t ask stupid questions.
I am not much of a sausage/​salami fan, but his sausage is delicious. I also love his selection of cured meats. What I love about his food is that it’s light and simple, rather than heavy and creamy that is typical of so many «Italian» places. The man makes food on a small scale, and mostly supplies to top-​notch restaurants, but you will be taken care of if you walk in for lunch or dinner. It’s a very romantic dinner spot for any Italian food-​loving couple.

Pino Rogano is the Calabria native proprietor of this salumeria (Italian cured meat shop /​delicatessen) in Ravenna. After several years in Garlic Gulch (Rainier Valley) next to Mondo’s Meats he moved back north not too far from his former restaurant that he sold back in 1989 on Roosevelt Way — Verdi’s Caffe del’Opera (now Salvatore Ristorante Italiano) to return to Italy to hone his artisan craft of curing meat. He won the best salami at the 1^st Annual Salumi Curing Contest locally. He was the chef at the former Settebello. Now he mostly supplies restaurants (Lampreia, Assaggio, Matt’s in The Market, to name a few) with his cured meats (Prosciutto, Coppa, Sopressata, Cotecchino, and his specialty wild boar sausage which he sources the meat from Oregon).
I ducked-​in (rolled up on my Ducati ’05 Monster 1000S) for his daily pasta lunch special for only $ 8 because I was referred here by a native Italian that dines here regularly and I had the rigatoni with sausage (rigatoni con salsiccia). I also had a Peroni beer (wine available too), Lavazza espresso, and his Limoncello mousse for dessert. He makes the Limoncello in house also and I tried a sampling (Squisito!). I’m told this is the place to go for hot sandwiches too (I’ll be back!). It is a tiny quaint place with only 4 tables inside (outside seating available, weather permitting) open for lunch and dinner and closes at 7:30pm (closed Sunday). Ravenna/U.District/U.Village you don’t need to go wait in line at lunch for an italian sandwich like those in Pioneer Square/​Downtown do at that other salumeria because there’s no line here yet. Pass Subway/​Quiznos and run here. Great basic authentic Italian food at a great price!