Staple & Fancy has fantastic ambiance, and having had a great experience last year in their private cellar for a friend's birthday party, I came in with high expectations. This time around, we opted for the a la carte menu with a large group so we could try a wide variety of dishes across the table. Unfortunately, the food overall fell pretty mid, mostly due to major inconsistencies in seasoning. ​The Highlights: * ​Octopus: Being an octopus fan, I really enjoyed this dish--it was tender and well-prepared. * ​Mezze Rigatoni ($33): Served with wild boar ragu, grana padano, and oregano. Easily the star dish of the table and wonderfully flavorful. ​The Misses: ​* Smoked Fish Bruschetta: Way too salty and surprisingly flat on flavor otherwise. ​* Pappardelle ($42): Prepared with crab, brown butter, white wine, citrus, sea beans, pangrattato, and bottarga. Given the price point and premium ingredients, this was very disappointing. In stark contrast to the rest of the meal which ran overly salty, this pasta was completely under-seasoned and flavorless--I could barely taste any crab or bottarga. ​A few others in our group ordered the steak and other entrees as well, but between the hit-or-miss plates and wild swings in seasoning, it's hard to justify coming back when there are so many other solid spots in Ballard. read more

Staple & Fancy - Italian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Let's start with the dessert since that's my favorite part of any meal (and is literally the last taste in your mouth at the end of the meal). At the end of this $245 meal, we were given two scoops of sorbet. This alone is the reason I will pause before deciding to return. My wife is dairy-free, so when we share a tasting menu, I guess part of the social contract is that we'll end the night with sorbet. I chose not to partake (not worth the calories for me), but if sorbet is your thing, I can report that it was "very good" and "tastes like summer". But we didn't choose Staple & Fancy because it's a dessert place. And every other thing that crossed our lips was DELICIOUS. We chose to go with the tasting menu (I'm not sure why you'd come here and order à la carte, but you do have that option). We were told it begins with 6 starters to share. We counted 7, and we will not complain. This may have been our favorite part of the meal. So many different flavors and tastes and everything was fresh and perfectly portioned. The next course was the pasta, and as you can see from my photos, we jumped in without even thinking to snap a photo. Again, DELICIOUS. The main course was a pork chop with fingerling potatoes and asparagus. It was solid. We were getting full from the first two courses (and I began to strategically pace myself in anticipation of dessert). Dessert, well, I covered that up top. Overall, we truly enjoyed the tasting menu experience - the chef did all the work in picking our food for us (of course, the downside is that the fate of our dessert choice was also in the chef's hands). The service was friendly, the food came out fast (almost too fast at some points - we had a lot of starters going on at once). Four courses over two hours. My wife also did the wine pairings with the menu, and seemed to enjoy the wine as well. Just wish they had stuck the landing with the dessert. read more

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Recently enjoyed a big group dining experience in the Cellar room at Staple and Fancy. Nice to have private space and dedicated server/bartender. Good communication with restaurant manager before the small event. Good wine selection and fixed menu options. Aesthetically, the big screen tv in the private dining room doesn't add much (reminded us of the step brothers movie when Will Farrell and John C Reilly presented their Prestige Worldwide business plan). Food was good, pasta and tiramisu stood out most, first course a little underwhelming. Meat course was very good and alternatives were available. Portions were large, we took home for another meal. Good place to book though for a private sit down dinner for 10-16 that's probably priced fairly. read more

We came in for dinner and started with the bruschetta. It came topped with chicken liver mousse and pickled cherry, which sounded interesting, but it didn't work for us. The bread was soft (not grilled or toasted), so it lacked the crunch I usually expect from bruschetta. There was also too much liver mousse for the amount of bread, and it needed salt - surprisingly bland given the strong flavors I expected. For mains, we had the radiator bolognese and the paccheri with shrimp. Both were solid, though on the oily side. The paccheri had a great texture and carried the tomato sauce well. The bolognese was rich, meaty (pork and beef ragu), and comforting, but ultimately too heavy to finish. One thing to note: the check included a 22% service charge, with tax added on top of that. Our appetizer and two pastas came out to $107, which felt a bit steep for the overall experience. read more

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Came for a friends birthday and got the chefs tasting menu! PLENTY of food amongst the 4 of us all of the apps were solid (6!), 2 pastas and the pork belly dish for mains and finished with dessert. Appreciated the glass of champagne and birthday cake they provided for the celebration! We stayed till close and just chatting and appreciated the service! read more

The ambiance is great, especially when the weather is nice and the windows are open. It's clean and comfortable, and the wait staff has always been friendly and attentive. However, on more than one occasion the wait staff have given me really terrible wine recommendations. They really need to give the staff better training and wine tastings. It's not that the wine itself is awful, but the description of the wine is totally inaccurate (e.g. saying it's not sweet when it is sweet, saying it's mineral-forward when it's fruit-forward, etc.). Food is a 3/5 due to inconsistent quality. Some of the dishes were 5/5, but others were 2/5 or 3/5. Frankly, this place has gone downhill over the past 4-5 years because every dish used to be a solid 4/5 or 5/5. Overall not the quality that Ethan Stowell restaurants are known for. read more

Loved the ambience and leisure of the chef's tasting menu option with wine pairing. Took away all the decision-making, and everything was delicious! Great date night idea. read more

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Three girlfriends and I came here for a cute dinner and shared several dishes family style. The gnocchi and duck were incredible. I'm still thinking about them. Everything we tried was flavorful and well done. The ambiance was warm and inviting, perfect for a relaxed night out. Parking was a bit tricky, but that's pretty standard for Ballard. The service was fine overall, though I would have loved a bit more engagement from our server. A little personality goes a long way. Overall, a great spot and one I'd happily return to. read more

For this current month (August), $60 tasting menus on Mondays (normally $85!) I made a reservation here for 2 people to, of course, dine on Monday to take good advantage of the deal. The tasting menu is 4 courses, but the first course is a selection of 6 small bites as appetizers so you get quite a good amount of variety. As we dined at 5pm, it was happy hour so we opted to get the Cocchi Americano spritz and 3 glasses of wine (white, rose, red), $10 each which is good value. The food quality versus the value is high up there, and service exceeded my expectations for the price point, so it was a 5 star experience for me First course: - Proscuitto with melon ball: fairly light, charcuterie type of format - Cucumber gazpacho: refreshing, a little herbal and floral - Tuna crudo: sharp peppery notes and the tuna itself is fairly fresh - Green salad with blueberry dressing and breadcrumbs: I am a big fan of this dish and will get this in the future if I come back. The dressing has very small hints of fruit but just works well with the slightly garlicky breadcrumbs - Smoked salmon bruschetta: fairly solid, bread slightly toasted, but overall a little bit of a heavy dish - Fried oysters with fennel salad: decent overall, nothing outstanding Second course: lumache (pasta with pork belly and pecorino): cooked to al dente perfectly, quite creamy and a little heavy, but pairs really well with the red wine Third course: ribeye, cooked to medium rare and quite tender. Served with smashed potatoes with rosemary which I delightfully enjoyed Fourth course: dessert course, tiramisu. A nice finish to the meal. The almond crackers on the side is very almondy and flavorful. Service is excellent. Despite a mandatory 22% service charge, they well deserved it. They let us sample even the happy hour wines first to see if we like it before we commit to a full glass, even though a glass is just $10 and acceptable to yolo it. They clear out our plates each course. They wiped down the table in between most courses. They brought out the dishes at the right cadence and the associated glasses of wine for the most optimal pairing experience, even though we opted to not do the wine pairing for $50/person. Overall, for a tasting menu format type of restaurant, the price is well justified and this is one of the better value ones out there. You won't be missing any elements of fine dining here just because it is cheaper than other fine dining restaurants. While in general Ethan Stowell restaurants are fairly consistently average / above average and of mediocre value outside of happy hour prices, targeting different clientele across the restaurant group, Staple and Fancy definitely sets itself at least one tier above the typical ESR restaurant. read more

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I haven't been to this restaurant for years and, wow, I was impressed! The service was friendly and attentive and the food was outstanding! My husband and I had a burrata appetizer, wild boar ragu, and the halibut entree. Each dish was fresh, delicious, and perfectly prepared. Highly recommended! read more

Seth was our server and boy was he GREAT. The only thing better than Seth was the food. I highly recommend the chef's tasting menu, it's $85 a person but soooo soooo worth it. I can't wait to go back because apparently the menu changes all the time. 10 out of 10 for service and food read more

Went a couple nights ago for dinner and had the chefs tasting menu. For a party of 4 we paid $550 for cold pea soup, a romaine salad with tomato and radish, oysters that tasted like a dirty fryer, and bread. We said we did not enjoy the pea soup and the solution was ...another cold soup... Wine pairing also did not compliment the dishes, which was disappointing at the steep price of $50. The pasta dishes however were phenomenal and service was great. read more

Just had a truly wonderful meal at Staple and Fancy. Every dish was a hit, Really appreciated that my wife and I were able to do the prix fixe menu while my kids could utilize the Sunday all day happy hour menu. I just love when every dish is really well made. Even the salad was elevated. My kids loved their pasta. Good service where people were friendly. Only minor issue was the wine pairing timing. Usually the wines are delivered before the course which works much better. Sometimes the wines were late. The wines themselves were excellent. I also didn't know what to drink with my first two wines which came out with 6 small dishes. I still give the service high marks despite that oversight because we had such a lovely dinner. And that's all that really matters. Gave my compliments to the chef, Brandon Caro, who really brought it today. read more

You MUST have the chef's menu. It's absolutely delicious. We came from Newcastle in rush hour traffic and it was worth driving 45 minutes to enjoy this meal. Its an unassuming location that delivers an excellent experience! read more

We went during the spring 2023 ESW Restaurant Week and had the $65/person tasting menu. Pros: great atmosphere, professional staff, hospitality, elegant dining experience, innovative menu, fresh infringements Cons: while some dishes were superb (Lumache, potato leek soup, baby greens, and bruschetta for me), some where not to my liking (pork chuck loin, chocolate torte, and the snickerdoodle cookies in the salted caramel gelato). Pork chuck loin was too salty, chocolate torte was too sweet, salted caramel gelato was also too salty, and the snickerdoodle cookies was too hard. (These are just my personal opinion). read more

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We ate outside ... a little chilly for that, but that was our choice. Drinks: The sangiovese was good, as was the Cardamaro Against Humanity cocktail. The food was delicious: Bucatini Amatriciana, halibut cheeks, winter greens, topped off with cheesecake. The service was adequate, but not up to the usual standard of Ethan Stowell restaurants -- we'll chock that up to a one-off with that particular waiter. As at all Ethan Stowell restaurants, it was not a cheap dinner -- and while that kind of price seems fair at Red Cow (a steak-frites type Ethan Stowell property), it was more than I'd like to spend on Italian food that was good, but not overly special. I'd go back to Staple & Fancy, but I'll go to Red Cow again multiple times before I do. read more

Staple and Fancy is one of the best restaurants in Seattle and our favorite! The service is friendly and the servers know the menu and suggest fabulous wine and cocktail pairings. Every dish is brought to the table, so beautifully prepared with fresh local ingredients. The entire experience is always memorable and we can't wait until our next visit. read more

Amazing service!!!! Food was absolutely incredible!!! I will definitely be back! Management was also great! They checked in to make sure everyone was fantastic! Very classy and comfortable place! read more

Another Ethan Stowell review - surprise, surprise. I really like staple and fancy because of the ambiance and service! It has such a cute romantic vibes inside with the exposed brick and they have delicious lighter fares on the menu. I really enjoyed the beef carpaccio and the steelhead crudo apps - with the pasta dishes, I find that I like tavolata's pastas little bit better... I can't quite figure out why but I just do. I'd like to come back soon to try some of their larger mains and desserts! Overall a great spot for a date night or a girls night out that hits on vibes. read more

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I've had their tasting menu twice. I would say from both experiences, there were 1-2 dishes that were big misses and the rest all enjoyed the table. Depending on the group size, we got a few apps to share, then a main protein, a pasta dish, a dessert. I think from these two experiences , vegetarian and meat dishes as a whole were great. Honestly, their vegetarian options are probably top notch in my book. Their carrot soup is deeelicious and their pasta mains are super tasty. But really anything that had seafood was just not great, sadly. Once we had a crudo and the fish didn't seem fresh and it smelled super fishy. Something just tasted off. We also had their seared tuna 2x in both meals. Didn't finish it in either. It was overcooked and dry in both. Desserts in both instances were great! read more

Staple & Fancy - Italian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Something has changed here. A new manager maybe? They no longer have half-priced bottles of wine on Wednesdays. We were surprised by that on June 2. And the bread course, which we normally enjoy with salad before pasta, was paltry and uninteresting. Also, there were only a few customers. So we paid more and got less. What gives? This was our favorite Seattle fine-dining spot. read more

I've been wanting to go here for about 2 years now! My friend and I were in downtown Seattle and were looking for a place that's open late. We were able to make a reservation for 930pm. When we got there, there were only 2 tables occupied so we were seated pretty quickly. My friend and I both got the This Ones Verjus drink, which is non-alcoholic. We both wanted something sweet and this drink was yummy! The baguette was sufficiently warmed. It came with anchovies in olive oil. That was my first time having bits of fish in olive oil. I loved it! I could eat that every day! I pressured my friend to get the rigatoni so she can give lamb another chance. She didn't taste any gaminess or the weird taste she normally get from the other lamb dishes she's had. We also got the cacio e Pepe. It was delicious. Ethan Stowell serves the best pasta dishes! Super Al dente, the cheese just adds to the dishes, the sauces don't overpower the pasta, and the portions are pretty generous. The vibe here is also super chill. Your typical Seattle modern industrial vibe. I will def be back here! I love this place as well as Ethan Stowell's other restaurants! read more

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Agree with other reviews on the lack of quality/taste of the foods here. Our main dish (porchetta) was so tough and salty to the point we both did not eat it. Let our waitress know but no actions were taken to correct it. Selection of beers is bad. Cocktails were tiny here. We won't come back. read more

Really great food and beverages and service - the set menu was so incredible and a must do!

I took my husband here because I heard their Chef's Choice Tasting menu was delicious! We ordered it and a bottle of wine. One by one we were treated to 6 amazing dishes! By the time the pappardelle and seared tuna came out our taste buds were already in harmony to a symphony of flavors! We couldn't believe how mouthwatering the pasta with short rib sugo sauce tasted. The albacore tuna was seared perfectly with an outer crust and a soft, tender center. To finish our meal we were treated to a chocolate cake with nuts and a light orange caramel sauce. Wow, truly an evening to remember! Our compliments to the Chef and the entire kitchen and restaurant staff. They made the entire night unforgettable! I can't wait to take family members and friends here! read more

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This was our second time dining at Staple & Fancy, and we had a member of our party celebrating a birthday. They were kind enough to provide us with Cava to toast to his birthday. We all ordered the Chef's Choice Tasting Menu, and it was a bit difficult to hear and remember what was being served. We also had the tasting menu when we first dined at Staple & Fancy last year in August, and all the menu items were different this time around. Our server said that the chefs like to change up the menu and they accommodate most dietary restrictions and preferences. Their cocktails were very enjoyable, and you can request off the menu classic cocktails if that is your preference. Food came out in a timely manner and we enjoyed the food served, which was also nicely portioned. By the end of the meal we were quite stuffed so we took some items home in a to go box. The ambiance of their restaurant is comfortable and cozy, and I would recommend dining here for special occasions. We will be returning to dine again. read more

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We were in the Cellar for a special family Christmas Eve and had an absolutely fabulous experience. Grace was our server and was wonderful throughout from making outstanding cocktails to really bringing the meal to life describing each course. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a place to host a celebration or special occasion. read more

Horrible menu and huge prices. Automatically add 22% for top that wasn't well deserved

Came here for the New Year's Day 4 course special ($95 per person). Place was a bit hard to find in the dark (and in the snow) but has a beautiful, dark interior perfect for a special occasion/date. Appetizers started off really well. I particularly loved the endives which were charred deliciously. The foie gras was also amazing but then again... who can really mess up foie gras? The oysters were also outstanding! The taste was fresh and clean. The only appetizer I didn't love was the beetroot panna cotta, which had a deep earthy flavor that my palate was not accustomed to. The pasta we got was the strozzapreti. Despite its unsuspecting appearance, the pasta was amazing! The shaved truffles simply added to how delicious the pasta was. I was very impressed by everything in the special thus far until we reached the main course. I chose the New York Wagyu. A little bit salty for my taste but it was very flavorful. However, the steak was so tough! It took so much for me to chew through it, considering it was wagyu. For a meal worth $95, I would sure hope that the main course was at least easy to chew through. The dessert, not pictured, was a choice between ricotta cheesecake and a spiced chocolate mousse. I chose the former and enjoyed the subtle flavors it had. Overall, the meal was good, though the main course could do better. Service from our waiter, Morgan, was phenomenal! He was very attentive. If not for him, the experience wouldn't have been as great. read more

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First time in Seattle, this was not on the 'to hit' list but definitely a very happy accident. We ordered the Stracciatella to start and Pappardelle main, and finished off with the chocolate cake. Taste 1/1* Both the Stracciatella and Pappardelle were astonishing, definitely one of the best pasta we've had! Stracciatella had a nice complex mix of flavours and texture, a must try!! Unfortunately did not finish off on a great note as we did not enjoy the dessert as much, still an amazing experience overall! Value 1/1* For the quality of appy and pasta, we'll worth it! Service 1/1* Even though we sat at the patio, service was fast and friendly Cleanliness 1/1* No complaints Overall/Revisit 1/1* Hell yeah! We be back for the pasta!! Paying for ambience? MAYBE Above and beyond? 0/+1* NO read more

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my fiancée and i ate here for valentine's day, which they had a preset menu for. the restaurant is very chic with low lighting but not stuffy or pretentious. the servers were very polite and attentive but we felt the food and cocktails were a bit overpriced. we got the foie gras for an extra $25 but it was bitter tasting due to being burnt unfortunately. regardless it was a nice romantic night! read more

Staple & Fancy - Italian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We dined at Staple & Fancy during COVID and sat at an outdoor table covered with a tent that had a space heater. Fortunately the temperature was in the 40s and the tent and heater kept us comfortable. I didn't even need the blanket I had stashed in my car. During our visit they had brought back their tasting menu and I was really excited to try it. First surprise? They provide all 7 appetizers to share! That was a lot of fun and unexpected. It was really nice to try the various appetizers and not have to choose. For the pasta course and the main dish we had to agree on the choices. Fortunately we were both craving the bucatini all'amatriciana pasta (oh my yum) and the steak (which we both prefer cooked rare). Those dishes were so very good. Lastly we were able to each select a dessert and didn't have to agree on the selection (but we did). The olive oil cake with poached pear was delicious. Those dishes were made even better with wine and cocktails. I'm really looking forward to eating here again soon! read more

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I visited Staple and Fancy last night with some friends during Seattle Restaurant Week. This was probably the most COVID-conscious restaurant I have dined at to date. They take your temperature before seating you, ask that you wear a mask not only when you are moving around the restaurant but also when your server is tableside, and they offer a contactless payment option (QR code on your bill so you can pay with your phone). I also noticed employees heavily sanitizing and wiping down the tables and seats, more so than other establishments. One other note is that they ask you to limit your time in the restaurant to two hours. The food itself was fantastic. This year, the Seattle Restaurant Week pricing was $35 for a 3-course meal. For the first course, I had the Caesar salad. Great ratio of dressing to lettuce, topped with a ton of cheese! The croutons were also very tasty. For my second course, I had the 6-oz wagyu hanger steak with fries. The steak itself was cooked medium rare, as recommended by the chef. It had good flavor and a chewy texture. I was not the biggest fan of the fries, but my friend liked them. The horseradish cream sauce that came with it was not consistent between my friend's portion and mine; hers had no hint of horseradish, while mine was very strong. For dessert I had two scoops of gelato with a shortbread cookie. It's hard to go wrong with gelato. The flavors were rich, and the lightness of the cookie went well with the scoops of gelato. Service was good, and it was enjoyable meal! This restaurant is located next to Walrus and Carpenter and Barnacle Bar, and there was ample street parking available, as it's located near the end of Ballard Ave NW. read more

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Actually pretty bad food. Focaccia was descent. Drinks were average. Other than that, I would rather go hungry. Service was whatever. Looks cool from the outside walking by & that's where I would like to stay. read more

Staple & Fancy - Tastes like cat food. Poor kitties. - Italian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We had a wonderful meal here tonight. We started with the grilled bread that came with yummy butter and honey. I had the pork chop, which was fantastic! My husband had the boar ragu that was also delicious. We ended the meal with the best tiramisu I have ever had (and I eat a lot of tiramisu!). It came with a coffee ice cream that was amazing. The ambiance with the old brick walls makes this a cozy, yet sophisticated place for dinner. Highly recommend! read more

The service was rough and I'm not sure why. It wasn't very busy on a Wednesday. My friend really hyped this place up to me but it fell a little flat. The Cacio e Pepe was good but not out of this world and very pricey. I want to give them another shot because it has great ambiance and could be a great date night experience. read more

We recently visited for the first time post-pandemic and did the set menu for a party of 6 with one gluten free guest. Let's start with the service: 9/10. Our server was so lovely, kind, and attentive. Only gave her a 9/10 because of a few mixups with food preferences that weren't communicated to kitchen staff, but were fixed. Drinks: 7/10 It's Verjus was one of the best mocktails the table had ever tried. The alcohol free old fashioned was a bust. Everything else was fine--nothing notable but good standard cocktails. Dinner: 7/10 Overall, most of the food lacked balance and seasoning and of course there isn't salt or pepper on the table to adjust. Portion sizes were also an issue. We were assured upon selecting the set menu that none of the 5 regular guests would suffer for the gluten free guest. That turned out to be incorrect--with one other guest having to eat the modified dishes several times due to a lack of adequate portions for him and suffice to say, he wasn't pleased. Managing expectations around this could be done much better--either truly bring out enough food for the number of adults at the table or make sure they know someone else will have to share the modified food. Dessert: also a bit of a bust. Two pieces of cheesecake were brought out to be shared between 4 of the guests, a pretty small portion size even for one. The other two guests received gelato to share, and when the bill comes down to $300 a couple, the restaurant has been forewarned that one person is gluten free, and the 5th guest was told he wouldn't be forced to eat the gluten free subs--it was a bit of a slap in the face. A zero effort dessert that also isn't justified at the price point. When we left, we all grabbed tacos as no one was full. All things considered: we would go back for a cocktail and maybe to dine a la cart, but do not recommend the set menu if you have anyone with a food allergy and/or if you're feeling particularly hungry. read more

Staple & Fancy - Italian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

OKAY the pasta noodles here were SO GOOD! The pasta dish itself was fine... they didn't offer me a spoon to wind my pasta up with, so that should tell you how Italian this place is ;) But the noodles were perfectly al dente. They had great flavor. We stopped here for restaurant week - unfortunately, the only option was outside: a picnic table under an awning on the street with a space heater that didn't direct the heat toward us. I would not sit outside in winter here unless they have a better heat solution. The restaurant was very mindful of my nut allergy - ensuring that everything was made nut-free and that I felt confident. The restaurant week menu was... SO MUCH FOOD. I was so full I didn't finish two of the items and took them to go. Here is what we had: 1. Tall Grass Bakery Baguette with bone marrow butter (we added this on, very good) 2. First course - little bites enough for two: geoduck crudo, porchetta di testa, beet salad, sardines, bruschetta with smoked salmon, chickpea soup 3. Tonnarelli with bianco ragu, sage, grana padano 4. Pork Belly 5. Ricotta Cheesecake and Chocolate Amaretto Cake read more

Absolutely amazing dinner! This will be a short review because we did the chefs tasting menu which I highly recommend. It's a wonderful experience! Our service was amazing as well. In honor of our wedding anniversary no phones were out, sorry for no pics read more

A small group of us did the prix fixe menu here and it was really good! Particularly the pâtés were really nice. I also really enjoyed the pork belly. I do have to say that the pastas were my least favorite part of the evening and I didn't expect pasta to be upstaged by everything else, but here we are. The food was good but the waiter and waitresses were really cool. One of the waiters engaged in really fun conversation about art - that's a trigger for me to want to sit around and talk all night. I'll be back with my wife if time and fate permit. read more