Cafe Vignole

Well, now it’s my turn to pass along the news: Saturday, March 29^th, was Vignole’s closing night. Sandro told me himself at my table. I still went by a few days ago, just to check, given previous exaggerated accounts. But, it’s true, and there is now nothing but bare walls and floor where the paintings and tables used to be.

Avanti y Buona Fortuna!
Café Vignole is officially closed. Everything removed to the sheetrock.
No notes or further information. 4÷4÷14. they were open as
recently as last weekend, but alas, no more…

STILL OPEN!!! And delicious! Read the reviews today stating that this wonderful restaurant had closed. Read all the favs that fans thought they were leaving behind. .. Because not all sources had proclaimed this restaurant closed, I called and they are very much open!!! We tried all the dishes of our dreams as if it was our last meal at this lovely restaurant but we couldn’t make it to dessert. The wine and food was too satisfying. We will have to make a separate trip just for dessert!

We where seated the other night given menus then nobody spoke to us for 20 minutes no water no bread no check in. It was frustrating because other tables around us where seated given water bread and there orders taken. I have never sat in the middle of a restaurant and felt like I was being ignored to this extent. If not for the many reviews and the food coming out looking so good I would have walked out. Finally we ordered and the food was as advertised, it was excellent the service or lack there of is the only reason this place did not get five stars. All I am looking for is someone to check in every five minutes.

Great food. Great desserts. Great wines by the bottle. Congenial, attentive service. Cozy, dark, casual neighborhood eatery – very reminiscent of small bistros in Europe (Paris, Florence). Great food (so good, I said it twice on purpose).
We were a large group (10 adults) and called ahead – he took our special requests for appetizers and pasta dishes that weren’t on the menu (because some in our party had been before, so had special requests from previous visits).
Best Italian food in Seattle. OK, there are some other really good Italian restaurants, but they are $$$ or $$$$. Vignole is a place you can come on a weeknight, yet it’s so good you also want to come for a special occasion.
Did I forget to say how great the food is? And how congenial the service? And how cozy? Yeah, it’s all that.

Ciao. Arrivederci. Goodbye Café Vignole, you will be dearly missed.
I’m really sentimental. I thrive off of nostalgia — so Café Vignole will always hold a special place in my heart. The first time I came here I dined with a large group of extraordinary Unilocalers. The food was amazing, and my immediate company was a lovely, charming young man who later swept me off my feet. We’ve pretty much been inseparable since.
So when we heard Vignole would be closing it’s doors come the end of September it was only obvious that we had to come back for one final meal.
I came with close friends and family, and didn’t even have to LOOK at the menu. I wanted that gorgonzola gnocchi. I sampled other tasty treats — bruschetta so garlicky and full of basil that my tomato hating sister ate it all up with not complaints, a pork cutlet with proscuitto that was salty and divine with thin green beans, and a spicy prawn penne that was delectable. Everything was delicious, but my gnocchi was still the best.
Orders for dessert were put in (some of the best, coffee intense tiramisu ever here folks!) and I got even more reasons to be all schmoopy and nostalgic about this place. That charming young man? Well he proposed and I said yes before the desserts even got close to hitting the table.
I’ll miss you Café Vignole. With your gregarious proprietor, your delicious food, and wonderful memories i’ve made here. I’ll look back fondly, ci mancherai!

I just love Sandro and his gorgeous wife.
Okay, so I worked with Sandro at Il Terrazzo Carmine during my college days and have known him for years… yet I knew when he opened Café Vignole (during one of the worst economies our nation has seen) that it would be an eventual success.
I prayed Café Vignole would make it.
The food here is amazing. I will drive an hour just to spend an incredible evening dining on Italian cuisine that typically you would only find in Italy itself.
An amazing sensation for your tastebuds. When you leave to go home, you waddle to your car and immediately begin plotting when you can come back.
You wake the next morning happily still full from the previous evening Café Vignole gorge session (the amazing food, service, ambiance and wine) again plotting when you can go back. You will eat closer to home local Italian food and immediately tell yourself «this sure isn’t Café Vignole» and immediately begin plotting when you can go back.
Face it. Your tastebuds deserve to come here on a regular basis
My absolute favorites:
1. Gorgonzola Gnocci. Sweet jesus I could eat this everyday and know all is good in the world.
2. Trippa alla Romana — yes. Tripe. Have I ever THOUGHT I would try cow intestines? um, no way. However, Sandro stated it was his favorite childhood dish. So of course how can I resist that endorsement.
O.M.G. This was hands down the most delicious, delicate, full flavored dish I have ever eaten. Ever. My mouth is watering just typing about it.
I would encourage anyone to try Sandro’s Trippa made just like his grandmother used to make. You will be a changed person.
3. BlackEyed Pea Cake. hello flavor town.
4. Homemade Mushroom Ravioli — IF it is available. They literally melted in my mouth.
I could keep going on… but will stop because those are my top favorites. There is really not a bad dish that is offered.

The best place ever to eat. The owner is the best.
Called in late wondering if they were still open and he said that thy were closed but could cook for us himself. It ended up being the best way to end my mother’s birthday.

Cue Lil’ Jon’s «Yeeaaahhh»! I watched Dave Chappelle’s skit when he turned into Lil’ Jon the other night, so yes, you get that acoustic bling in your ear now don’t cha?
Anyways, my tummy makes that sound when I get here and whines a bit when I leave because it’s sad to go. Sandro, the owner and his daughter usually run the show here. The setting is dim and cozy, perfect for lingering over a great glass of wine. I’ve never had anything wine here that made me wonder if they paid $ 5 for that bottle. On the contrary, most wines are Italian and I’m tempted to ask him where he bought them from.
For starters, try the bruschetta. A fellow Unilocaler felt there was too much olive oil on it… there may as well be but it’s freaking delicious! If you’re counting your calories, then maybe try the calamari. It’s not fried but cooked in a hearty tomato sauce. Whooo buddy, if I had that over some rice…
For main course, we’ve tried most of their entrees including crab ravioli, beef ribs, funghi chicken (porcini mushrooms), and fish (my fiancée always gets this if available but can’t remember the name for the life of me). There is a specials menu that’s either written on the chalkboard or they will let you know when you are seated.
Desserts are awesome too. Spumoni is my man’s fav. I love the tiramisu and imagine sitting on a crickety chair in a cobblestone alley in Italy eating it. Black eyed pea cake is good as well… you would have never known that was the main ingredient.
All in all, it’s a great place to come for dinner. Service is casual but be friendly, Sandro will take care of you and maybe show you his sketches! He painted that chicken on the wall… you’ll know what I’m talking about when you get there…
I make excuses to not cook so we can wander down in here and eat. You should too.
Whoady gives it 5 Quick Left Turns on MLK/5…worth gold, I tell ya!

Holy smokes… I read all the great reviews and I was still shocked. I live like two blocks from this place and I finally went last week. It was WONDERFUL! We shared the calamari app (very unique, not breaded, lil spicy, and with beans) and the grilled pear + gorgonzola salad — delicious! Husband had the ribs. They truly were «fall off the bone» tender. They came with potatoes and green beans. Very tasty. I had the gnocchi, which I’ve never had before and it knocked my socks off. I can’t stop thinking about it so we are ordering this very meal for takeout tonight! We went on a Friday night about 7:30. Called ahead to make sure there was room for us, and there was. But, it was pretty busy.
Also, unlike other reviewers, I was definitely not wowed with the desserts. We had the tiramisu and the black eyed pea cake. The cake was a little «earthy» tasting for me, and the tiramisu was really watery (actually more like «liquory). Nonetheless, this place still gets five stars for the incredible starters and mains.

First off, the owner was extremely rude.
I showed up a few minutes before the other five people in my party, and waited by the front door. The owner was all up in my face, and when I said I didn’t know if we had a reservation or whose name it was in, he straight up told me to leave! I have never been so rudely treated within the first 60 seconds of walking into a restaurant — actually being told to leave! If I wasn’t meeting a group (who HAD in fact made a reservation), I would have walked away and never returned.
The spaghetti dish I ordered was bland at best. It was the basic, spaghetti and red sauce, which I ordered because I didn’t want a bunch of meat, nor a rich cream sauce, which were the only other options. My $ 15 spaghetti was worse than what I can make at home for myself for $ 2.
The only reason I’m giving two stars is because the stuff my friends ordered was good: gnocchi, meatballs, chicken fettucine, etc, which I sampled bites of. But it doesn’t matter. The fact that the owner was a total jerk and my meal was as bland as paste means my original impression was correct: I will be walking away and never returning.

A hole in the wall!!! if it wasn’t for Unilocal,I would not have ever found this place!
+++ Excellent calamari and grilled portabella mushroom, hefty pour of wine.
Pasta with meat sauce was cheesy and delicious!

I have only been to this restaurant one time which was with a large group of people and was thoroughly impressed by the quality of food and service that we received. From the outside you wouldn’t think much of the place, but as we all know, these often turn out to be those hidden gems that you wish were on every street corner instead of all those fast food joints.
Our group ordered family style so were able to try a really good variety of dishes and the quality of the food here was very good. From the fall off the bone ribs to the amazing gnocchi that everyone was raving about this was an outstanding meal. One of the groups’ other favorite items was the pear salad with blue cheese and a vinaigrette dressing.
The atmosphere was very intimate although it was to the point of being a little cramped, but that might have also been because we were such a large group. The staff here handled our group pretty well as they scrambled to get all of our dishes out as quickly as they could. Not sure if I would want to have a big group here again, but I would say this is an ideal spot for a nice quiet dinner date or just hanging out with a couple close friends.

As if it was plucked from Italy and dropped in Rainier Beach. The restaurant ambiance and décor will transport you to a different country without a passport. I don’t think many southenders know about this Italian restaurant because many went to Vince’s. Since Vince’s closed I think people are either going to Southcenter or Columbia City for Italian food.
Café Vignole’s menu is authentic. I had the Ravioli al Pomodoro e Basilico (Ravioli with tomato sauce and Basil) & Insalata di Pera (Pear Salad). The salad was large and I shared it with another person. The ravioli was satisfying. Friends at our table ordered off of the special menu and one of the items was the crab ravioli dish. Another friend from our table ordered the snapper fish dish. Everyone enjoyed their food. Service was great. Our water was always filled and the owner was very friendly.
Any restaurant or employee who makes me feel like family is good in my book.

Décor!
Food!
Rainier Beach!
Small Business Owned!
Customer Service…
what more is needed…
Excellent pear blue cheese pistachio sald and to die for gnochhi in a creamy sauce… yumMEEEEE!
This is a one of kind spots… I love that its a small owned business, cute «hole in the wall», great food, and friendly authentic service.
You will not be disappointed by your experience here!

The first time I dined here was with a large group. We ordered family styled, so I got to taste multiple appetizers, on-​trays, and desserts. I had two bites of every dish, what stood out the most was the pear salad and the gnocchi. I had a stellar experience here so I have been wanting to come back for the gnocchi every since.
The second time, 2 years later, I dined here, there were just the two of us. The place was more spacious than I remembered but the service was not as good. My memory of how good the gnocchi also seemed inflated from wanting to go back for so long. The Gnocchi Al Gorgonzola was still cooked al dente, but I thought that was a bit too much and too rich as an on-​tray. It tasted much better with twenty people sharing it so you have just a few bites. The veal pancetta is flavorful and tender, that is yet another good dish! I didn’t like the broccoli on the side being soggy though.
Anyhow, I am just whining that this place didn’t meet up to my rosy memory. I’d dine here if I am in the neighborhood, just not drive all the way down from Everett for it. I still recommend ordering the gnocchi but eat it like a side-​dish!

Another great experience with Unilocalers, The UYE Italian dinner! Thanks Clover for setting it up! And, I was happy to see Jennifer L there :-)
$ 35 (with tips) family style Italian food: One glass of red wine, 5 different appetizers, 2 kinds of breads, Pear Salad with Gorgonzola cheese, Gnocchi, Ravoli, Ribs, Fish, and Trio desserts.
I feel that the owner might have been overwhelmed with about 20 – 25 of Unilocalers and 2 or 3 other tables of customers. However, he insisted to take of us. And, he really tried to keep up with the group.
My favorite dishes of the night were: Gnocchi and Pear Salad with Gorgonzola cheese. The Gnocchi was cooked just right (not tough and not soggy). The cheese sauce was very smooth and tasty. Pear Salad came with vinaigrette dressing and gorgonzola cheese was really good. And, I am out of words to describe that!

Now this is where you imagine dining when you think of authentic Italian fare.
Hidden right off of Rainier Ave, it’s in an unsuspecting location – but perfect in every way. The owner is from Lucca and has a great big inviting personality. He personally serves many of the patrons, and you can hear him singing from the kitchen. Our pasta was al dente, perfect with each bite. The dessert – oh the dessert. Choices of black eyed pea cake, red velvet cake, tiramisu… many of the desserts are baked by the owner’s mother. Super moist, not overly sweet, and just all-​around fantastic!
Now that I read that there is a Brasilian singer performing on certain days, there is even more incentive to dine here!

This is some of the best Italian food I’ve ever had.
That it’s within stumbling distance from my home is another huge bonus, but even if it was all the way across town, this place would get a big 5 stars.
The food is fresh, amazingly handcrafted and tastes delicious.
The selections vary but the standards are as good as the specials, and the love and care put into each dish is evident with every bite.
The restaurant is cozy, and I do admit the Jazz on the weekends is fun but not conversation inducing as the noise level gets high. There is also some delays occasionally between arriving, getting your food and paying the bill, but there are such generous pours when it comes to the fantastic wine list, you may not mind the lingering.
And remember, the desserts are as amazing as the food so plan to hang out and save a bit of room, it’s best to view this as a marathon, not a sprint.

A small neighborhood restaurant with a no-​frills ambiance. It’s not upscale by any stretch of the imagination.
I can recommend two dishes with enthusiasm: the red snapper with capers and lemon sauce, and for dessert, the black-​eyed pea cake. Actually, the red snapper was a special and might not always be available.
The black-​eyed pea cake is very similar to carrot cake. It’s delicious, incredibly moist and has a perfect, not overlysweet frosting. After enjoying, Penny told the owner/​waiter/​manager how wonderful the cake was, and asked if he had made the cake. He stated that, no, actually, his mother-​in-​law had made the cake. When Penny said he should tell her how great the cake was, he smiled, sort of strutted and said, «I think she already knows.»
The hot-​from-​the-​oven complimentary rustic bread was superb. On this night, though the menu states soup can be had, the owner warned patrons as they entered that soup was not available.
The antipasto Toscano appetizer had some nice components, like finely shaved eggplant and zucchini. On this plate too were green olives, beets, salami, and cheese. However, everything was literally swimming in a ridiculous amount of oil and also covered with an amazingly heavy layer of chopped parsley and basil. Because of all the oil, we couldn’t finish the dish.
The owner was funny because he tried to spoon the uneaten items onto our plates when he came to take away the appetizer plate, and we had to somewhat forcibly say «No» to stop him.
I ordered the rib-​eye steak. If you love pureed beef liver smeared on your steak, then topped with thin little squares of a semi-​melted white cheese, well here you go! It wasn’t my thing however. I didn’t like the thyme-​choked (and oily) potatoes and broccoli.
I was a little offput that it took a very long time for our entrees to appear, and that a couple who arrived a half hour after us, but were obviously regulars, received their entrees well before we did. On the other hand, prices were reasonable.
Unilocal indicates that Vignole takes reservations. They are completely unnecessary on a weeknight.