Review: Il Corvo Pasta

Il Corvo serves handmade pasta between 11am and 3pm, Monday through Friday. I cannot think of a restaurant that consistently produces meals I love more. In terms of value (plates are $9 at the time of writing), there is no competition in Seattle. The pastas are simple and substitutions are not allowed except that a simple tomato sauce can always be substituted with any noodle.

Downsides include the very limited hours, relatively long lines (particularly before 1pm), a very informal lunch-counter atmosphere, and an increasingly large number of sometimes confused tourists who seem to have found about the place in guidebooks and who slow things down. Others seems to like the kale salad but it feels to me like a low-effort affair (I think it would be better if the leaves were hand-crushed). I skip it and order a second bowl of pasta to share.

Upsides include seasonable meals, handmade pasta with love by chef Mike Easton, and excellent bread. Wine is available as well. As a value, I don’t think you can do better for a meal in Seattle.