Cinque Terre

Italian Riviera cuisine from the Varchetta brothers

Salvio, Roberto, and Leo have created another beautiful spot where you can find authentic Italian dishes. This time, they've turned their attention to the seafood from the Italian Riviera, offering local and imported product, an oyster bar, and house-made pastas and artisan pizzas. They opened June 9.

Leo, Roberto, and Salvio at new restauarant, courtesy of Cinque Terre

"There is really no representation here of the Riviera region," explains Leo. "We went there and looked and felt it was worth being represented. Great, simple food, wonderful culture." Salvio adds, "The similarity of seafood here and there makes this easier to do. We're both on the water. We use local seafood, but also import some things." One of the main things served in the Riviera is octopus. "There are murals and photos of octopus on walls," laughs Leo. "We use Mediterranean octopus. We also serve mussels and clams, and we have those locally, along with oysters. We have special equipment so that from storing to presenting, oysters are ice cold-a steady 36°. Anchovies are a big deal on the Riviera and we don't have those here; some foods we have to get elsewhere." Local produce is used, and pasta is made with organic, natural Washington eggs and non-GMO American flours. "We use the best possible products to make our pasta," explains Salvio. "We want to use natural and organic whenever we can: we eat like this at home. And about 90% of the time, we're eating here!"

Oyster, photo by Ronald Holden

John Neumark is Cinque Terre's executive chef. "We chose him based on his experience and wisdom," says Salvio. His passion for bringing people together around a table to share food and wine is strong, and his time at Campagne, Café Juanita, and Serafina have added to his experience and knowledge. The brothers and John needed all their strength: they opened with lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. "Once you have the crew in place, it's best just to do it," says Leo. "Repetition builds the mechanics. We did a week without guests, three mock dinners, and some private events. We were as ready as you can be. The menu has already rotated several dishes, which is our intention. We take feedback and it's our job to do better today than we did yesterday."

Although they have opened a number of restaurants, each one is a different experience. "This was a challenging space," says Salvio. "The question always asked at the beginning is 'what do you want to see when this is done' so we had a lot of input. As many restaurants as we've done, there is always something that is forgotten. We thought we were done after we moved Mamma Melina's to the new space. Then we opened Barolo and got it to the point where everything was working perfectly. When we thought about a new restaurant, we were 'yes, no, yes.' We went ahead with this one and now we have no energy left! But four years down the road, we may want another challenge or want to bring a new experience to people."

This is the first time they've done brunch service. "Ten years ago in this area, you wouldn't have done it," says Salvio. "Now things have shifted toward this part of town. There are more pedestrians, more tourists, and more small retail shops moving in." During construction, they talked about how they wanted the best French toast and started naming ingredients they wanted. "We got excited and started working with the chef and now it is beautiful!" says Leo. (Just so you know: brioche French toast, Nutella, house-made caramel, banana foster vanilla ice cream).

Gnocchi, morels, and asparagus, photo by Ronald Holden

Cinque Terre is very near Barolo (dining room at right) and the proximity was one of the reasons they chose it. Even with four restaurants, they are definitely family owned and operated, with the brothers making all the big decisions. "We don't want to have a big corporate structure. We're hands-on every day," says Leo. While growth is tempting, they don't want to compromise the quality of their operation. "We can walk back and forth between Barolo and here and keep the same standard," says Salvio. "While our food is simple, it is also complicated. Even the pesto has to be done a certain way and if you change one thing, it doesn't taste as good. Our menus are quite large compared to most places and everything must be just right." Apparently it's working as a recent customer who had just returned from Cinque Terre in Italy said their pesto was exactly the same.

When they opened their first restaurant, it was more about putting good Italian food on a plate. As they've evolved, they like to focus on regions. With Barolo, they created a wonderful wine list with over 100 labels. Salvio moved here in 1987 and worked as a server, then maître d' for Carmine at Il Terrazzo. He and his wife opened Buongusto on Queen Anne in 1990, then sold it in 2001 when they divorced. Roberto came from Boston to work the line at Il Terrazzo, after studying in Italy and learning pastry in Cape Cod. He also worked with Salvio at Buongusto. The family opened Mamma Melina, named for their mother, in the University District in 1991, moving to their current location across from University Village in 2011. In 1994, Leo opened Leo Melina, selling it in 2000. Barolo opened in 2006, then The List in Belltown in 2009. And now Cinque Terre. Their parents returned to Italy; their mother died 2-1/2 years ago. "Our dad is 88 and still driving, singing, and painting," says Salvio.

Grilled octopus, photo by Ronald Holden

"Our philosophy is to provide good food and a great experience. Simplicity is the most important thing; less is better," says Salvio. A lesson learned from their mother, who, when leaving for Italy, told the boys "you have too much time on your hands." No more.

Mamma Melina
1501 25^th Ave

Connie Adams/July 2016