Conscious Choice: Toast-est with the Most-est

November 2007 | Local Food

Toast-est with the Most-est

...at Capitol Hill’s Dinette

By Amy Pennington

The first time that I visited Dinette I ended up in tears over my cassoulet. I was having a huge argument with a friend and I couldn’t eat a bite. I felt like a fool when I asked the server to wrap up the whole plate. Standing in front of my fridge the next morning, paper to-go carton in hand and fork poised, that cold cassoulet ended up being one of the best meals I have ever had. I ate it in big mouthfuls, while the light from the fridge spilled out onto my kitchen floor. I can still taste the softened beans, the herby sausage and the salty duck. It was utterly delicious, but Dinette, on lower Capitol Hill, was still “the-place-where-I-cried-into-my-cassoulet.” The food was fabulous but I associated the restaurant with bad memories. On a recent visit, I finally let go of the past episode and enjoyed Dinette for what it really is—a prime spot in Seattle for spectacular food!

Large turquoise vintage lanterns hang in the front windows of this cozy restaurant illuminating the small corner tables that sit in the front room. Stepping up into the Dinette’s dining room feels like walking into someone’s home. This may be because that is precisely how Chef and Owner Melissa Nyffler started cooking on her own —in her home. Nyffler was at the forefront of the trendy underground dining scene and served multi-coursed meals and cocktails out of her apartment. When demand grew, she found the space—formerly a funky café—that Dinette is in now. Today, the place smacks of a woman’s touch with mismatched antique silverware and heirloom salt and peppershakers adorning the tables and no detail missed in the décor. Ditto for the service, which was pleasant and accommodating throughout the evening (even with a precocious three-year-old in tow).

Dinette’s menu is short and offers a rarely seen course of Toasts ($5 each). They come out of the kitchen well grilled and covered with flavorful toppings; chicken liver mousse and pickled peppers, Gorgonzola Dolce with walnuts and Balsamic syrup, thinly sliced herb frittata with white truffle oil and frisee. I am not being gratuitous when I say ALL of these are beyond delicious. The frittata—basically an omelet on toast—was the one toast I would never have chosen and it ended up being my favorite. The truffle oil was, well truffle-y, but delicate and piled on a crispy piece of toast, it was like breakfast redux. I wanted more.

Dinette serves a salad to share. I love when restaurants do this, as it’s thoughtful. Butter lettuce ($9/$15) with fennel and parmesan is sweet and cool. Red Onion Soup ($10) with a rich duck broth is an elevated take on the traditional French Onion Soup. The duck used for the broth, no doubt makes an appearance in other dishes, such as the cassoulet. This little café is all about using what they can, not wasting, and supporting local agriculture. Everything is purchased in small quantities from local growers, most coming right from Franks Produce in Pike Place Market.

We order handmade ricotta gnocchi with braised short ribs, which is oh-my-gawd good, with the gnocchi being perfectly puffy and light. I took one bite of the Seared Tuna ($22) over soupy lentils with bacon and onion marmalade and knew that I wouldn’t share. Each bite ended up being better than the last. It’s one of the only times I can think of where I ate a dish and it sort of danced in my mouth across my palate—a well choreographed parade of flavors. Sound poetic? It was.

Everything about Dinette is poetic. The way the room is set. The courtesy of the Service. The way the courses are perfectly timed. The flavors. The sweet, smelling soap in the bathroom. It’s hard not to gush, and the sentiment wasn’t lost on my second visit. Or my third. I can’t help but echo what my dining companion had to say mid-meal one recent fall evening as she ate her pasta. “This is completely yummy,” said Ruby, the three-year-old with a healthy appetite. “I’ve never had this kind of dinner before!” she exclaimed. I couldn’t agree with her more.

Amy Pennington is always on the hunt for a new, tasty and earth friendly food adventure. Ever since Dinette, she has developed a strange fascination with toast.

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