Salute of Bellevue - Average Italian
Written: Jul 07 '00 (Updated Sep 20 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Pasta is pretty good
Cons: Seems to have gone downhill over the last few years
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| xtal's Full Review: Seattle |
Review Topic: Restaurants
Salute of Bellevue
10134 Main Street
Bellevue, WA 98004
Inspired by (outdated) newspaper reviews and recommendations that praised Salute’s cozy, southern Italian atmosphere and excellent Italian food (and even one review that claimed Salute has the best pizza in the area), I decided to take my parents there for dinner on their last visit. I was only marginally impressed.
The good
Most dishes were heavy on the garlic.
The crab bisque was very good and very rich.
Service was friendly and efficient.
Decent wine list.
Very good spumoni ice cream.
The average
The atmosphere wasn’t quite as cozy as it looked in the pictures on the Web. (They didn’t even have the cloth tablecloths.) But maybe it’s cozier in the winter when it’s dark outside and there’s a fire in the fireplace.
Our waiter bordered on too friendly. (Boisterous and cocky, you know the type.)
The complimentary bread was average. A good Italian restaurant should do better these days, with all the wonderful bakeries we have.
The vegetarian options were limited. We ordered one seafood dish and two of the three vegetarian dishes.
Noodle dishes were well cooked and the gnocchi was light and flavorful (but not the best I’ve ever had).
The not-so-good
As soon as we sat down, we were informed that they were out of all pizza and all fish. The waiter seemed to think this was funny.
(If you’re not a garlic fan), most dishes were heavy on the garlic.
The crab bisque was very, very rich. If you order bisque, make sure your entrée isn’t rich as well, or you’ll have a hard time finishing your meal.
The olive oil bottle on our table was dusty and the oil was clumping around the spout.
The menu
If you’re a meat and seafood eater, you should do fine. Just read the descriptions carefully; flavors are strong. (For example, don’t order the ravioli if you’re not a big fan of saffron.) The menu consists of your typical Italian/seafood fare: nice salads and antipasti; minestrone and seafood soups; risotto, capellini, gnocchi, ravioli, tortellini, linguini, penne, rigatoni, and spaghetti (almost all made with either seafood or red meat); fish dish of the day; several chicken and veal dishes; and many pizzas. According to their Web site, the lunch menu consists of almost all of the same dishes.
Prices
$ 8–17 per entrée.
Final verdict
We weren’t much impressed by dinner. I would suggest going for lunch when you are more likely to get what you pay for.
Web site
http://seattle.citysearch.com/E/V/SEAWA/0000/73/72/1.html
Hours and info
Mon -Fri 11:30am- 2:00pm
Mon -Thu 5:00pm-10:30pm
Fri -Sat 5:00pm-11:00pm
Sun 5:00pm-10:30pm
Tel: (425) 688-7613
Fax: (425) 628-0455
Email: vchaussee@msn.com
American Express, Cash, Check, Diners Club, Discover, Gift Certificates, MasterCard, Visa
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
xtal
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Location: Redmond, WA
Reviews written: 22
Trusted by: 7 members
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