Il Corvo

I had the pleasure of eating lunch at Il Corvo, which is located just below Pike Place Market. I'll get to what I love most about this place (the food, duh) in a minute, but I always find it exciting when a bar or restaurant is mostly a secret. In Il Corvo's case, the secret is that it's housed inside Procopio Gelateria.

There are always three dishes for lunch, the only time Il Corvo is open, and when one of the pasta choices runs out, the chef can either nix it from the menu or choose a different type of pasta to serve with the sauce. On the menu the day that I went was the following:

Spaghettoni with Ragu Bianco

Fregola Di Sarda, alla Pescatore

Ravioli with garlic-leek-artichoke filling

The picture is what I chose: Spaghettoni with Ragu Bianco, which is a tasty twist on bolognese sauce without the tomato. Like all of their dishes, mine was cooked to order and the pasta was perfectly al dente. The sauce had so much depth that the meaty/cheesy combination lingered in my tummy after each bite. I've found that many Italian restaurants either over or under serve when it comes to pasta, but Il Corvo's bowlful was the perfect portion for lunch.

The long line that stretched out of the door moved rather quickly, and I learned three things while waiting with the other salivating diners: you cannot take orders to go, you're asked if you'd like a glass of red or white wine for $4 upon checkout, and there are only about 10 tables inside. The good news is that the food is delivered quickly, so tables open up every few minutes.) I had a glass of the red wine, which was perfectly fine for the price. There is also a jug of cold water that patrons can help themselves to for free.

All of the pastas are between $7-$10, so it's easy to walk out of Il Corvo for less than $15 with a full and happy belly.