New on Resy: Bisato, Il Nido, Burgundian Bistro

Lovers of good food rejoiced when Bisato returned to the city’s dining scene, and for good reason: after a six-year hiatus, James Beard Award-winning chef Scott Carsberg hasn’t lost his edge. His modern Italian menu is a lesson in elegance and simplicity, pairing show-stopping flavors with playful plating. Case in point: a meat ragu that comes out looking like a frothy cappuccino, and a seemingly plain pasta sheet, doused in a parade of flavors (read: truffle, Parmigiano Reggiano, and fonduta).

A century-old log cabin serves as the stage for this season’s most highly anticipated dinner. We’re talking about Il Nido at the Alki Homestead, the nocturnal counterpart to Il Corvo, and an ode to Italy’s never-ending love affair with food. Mike Easton’s market-driven menu focuses on handmade pasta and seasonal vegetables—picture the most colorful tomato salad, pillows of agnolotti swimming in broth, and paper thin fennel-smoked Wagyu carpaccio. Pro-tip: to score a table, set a Notify, and act fast!

In 14th-century Europe, the Burgundians were famed for their fixation on gastronomical delights. And that’s what the Burgundian Bistro aims to recreate, with an enticing globe-trotting menu that’s bound to satiate any palate. Think bangers and mash, Thai shrimp curry, tender cut bistro steak, and smoked chicken nachos, alongside a very well-manned bar stocked with a curated selection of mezcal, whiskey, tequila, and bourbon.

With a menu as alluring as its cabin-in-the-woods airs (read: taxidermy, vintage paintings, and wood furnishings), Smith is a cherished neighborhood haunt. The Capitol Hill tavern prides itself on home-style brasserie plates—steak tartare, poutine, pork schnitzel, brick chicken—prepared with seasonality in mind. As for the cocktails, you’d be remiss to overlook them: the Masala Mule (with chai-infused vodka) is a summer drink if we ever saw one.

Authentic cantina fare doesn’t get any better than Casco Antiguo. Legendary for its beef tongue tacos, plantain empanadas and on-tap margaritas, this acclaimed Mexican cocina boasts two city locales—in Pioneer Square and South Lake Union—to satisfy your cravings. Pro-tip: the tortillas are handmade, so get your fill of tacos (we like the beer-battered mahi mahi) and enchiladas (the pork carnitas with orange is a sure bet).

Bring a group and gather around: delicious small plates abound at Gather Kitchen and Bar. Here, chef Ryan Donaldson invokes the pantries of the world for a menu rife with international strokes. You’re in for jerk bbq carrots, creamy duck mousse slathered onto baguette, grilled Spanish octopus, and plump semolina gnocchi, amidst a cozy and luminous locale.

Nestled inside The Edgewater Hotel—which, true to its name, boasts stunning waterfront views—Six Seven Restaurant is a deep dive into the bounty of the Pacific Northwest, from the local seafood (think classic preparations executed flawlessly) to the regional wine list (full of Washington, Oregon, and NorCal treasures). Best of all, the stylish lounge is bathed in natural light, with panoramic views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.

A venture from powerhouse couple Kevin and Teresa Davis, Orfeo is a wood-fired kitchen nestled in Belltown’s historic Army Building. Here, the menu veers Italian, utilizing local produce for wood-fired pies, house-made pasta (think classic preparations, from Bolognese to carbonara), and heartier plates straight off the charcoal grill—roasted Jidori chicken, anyone?

Queen City is one of those neighborhood haunts that everyone wishes they had, but only Belltown does. The handsome locale has all of the fixings of a revamped bistro—leather booths, wooden bar, vintage knick-knacks on the walls—with the menu to boot: tuck into Manila clams in white wine and juicy steak frites, paired with a glass of natural wine or draft cocktail (the black Manhattan and negroni are excellent).

Knowing where your food comes from is one thing; knowing that it came from a strict 360-mile radius is quite another. Local 360 Vegan, the plant-based offshoot of Belltown favorite Local 360, doles out a colorful tasting menu, where kale chips, gazpacho, and wild mushroom mousse offer one delight after another. It’s a love letter to the region’s farmers and their beautiful produce—and a delicious one at that.

If there’s one thing that Blueacre Seafood promises, it’s a commitment to fresh and sustainable catches, accented by genial service and delectable aquatic plates. The move here is to begin with the raw bar, where oysters on the half shell reign supreme (the oyster shooter with chilled vodka is a sure-fire hit), before moving on to the potato chip-crusted fish & chips, kasu-marinated Alaskan black cod, orsautéed Oregon Petrale sole with shrimp.

Walking into this rustic little haunt, one of the first things you’ll notice is the massive landscape painting adorning one wall. Or maybe it’ll be the bustling open kitchen—a chaotic ballet of pots, plating, and pans. Or it could be the general look of satisfaction on everyone’s face, as they tuck into Brunswick & Hunt’s signature farm-to-table fare. One thing’s for sure: from the textbook-perfect fried chicken to the bavette steak, this gem satisfies, and there’s no way to go wrong.

From the husband-and-wife duo behind Steelhead Diner and Blueacre comes Zane + Wylie’s– a steakhouse lovingly named for the duo’s sons.  The Downtown spot specializes in carnivorous cuts from the region, firing up Superior Farms lamb chops and prime ribeye steak, alongside a bevy of excellent seafaring offerings (read: the broiled oysters shouldn’t be missed).

There’s only one place where hops connoisseurs and sports fans converge, and that’s at Elysian Fields. With a prime location outside of CenturyLink Field, the sprawling locale is meant for pint clinking in groups, pouring no less than 18 house brews. For a more classic beer hall ambiance, head to the original Elysian in Capitol Hill, where 20 rotating taps complement the made-from-scratch bites, from wild boar bratwurst to fresh pretzels.

Step into Minamoto’s elegant dining room and you’re bound to find sushi lovers of all stripes: families and friends enjoying colorful bowls of chirashi and enticing rolls, and smaller parties perched at the chef’s counter, where a dazzling omakase unravels course after course. And though the fish will set your taste buds ablaze, the rest of the cooked menu shouldn’t be overlooked: chicken karaage, lobster tempura, and Wagyu fried rice fresh off the wok shine.

There’s a certain playfulness about Carnivore. The self-described “primal kitchen and bar” devotes itself entirely to paleo cuisine, serving hand-butchered meats (elk meatballs, lamb and wild blackberry sausage, bison tartare) and sustainably-sourced produce (sweet potato duck fat fries, Tuscan kale salad).

Though there’s no shortage of trendy seafood restaurants in the Emerald City, this Pike Place Market institution continues to draw locals and visitors alike. It could be that Steelhead Diner’s Dungeness crab cake is nothing short of legendary, but it’s safe to say that Kevin Davis’ first venture is bound to satisfy your aquatic Pacific Northwest cravings.

There are few things more universally satisfying than a romantic French bistro with sweeping views of Lake Washington and the Olympic Mountains. Yet Le Grand Bistro Americain goes above and beyond, with an al fresco deck meant for oyster slurping and mussel picking, and excellently prepared French fare, from bouillabaisse made with the freshest local seafood to canard à l’orange.

Warm-weather days practically beg for fresh seafood– and The Crab Pot remains an enduring favorite to satisfy such cravings. Retreat to this neighborhood locale, decked in warm wooden accents, checkered tablecloths, and waterfront views, for the eatery’s famed Seafeast, where giant buckets of steamed seafood are dumped directly onto the table. Pro-tip: if it’s your first time, opt for the crowd favorite Alaskan crab.