My Seattle Bites: How to Cook A Wolf

I love a restaurant with a quirky name and thus far, I have yet to see any more eye catching than Ethan Stowell’s Queen Anne gem, How to Cook a Wolf.  The restaurant pays homage to the 1942 novel with the same name by M.F.K. Fisher.  I will admit that I have never even come close to reading the novel but that didn’t prevent me from enjoying my dinner at the small neighborhood spot.

A stiff cocktail of earl grey infused gin with honey, lemon and lavender to kick off dinner.

The menu was simple and divided up between shareable small plates and pastas.  LZ and I split the soft cooked eggs appetizer.  This was How to Cook a Wolf’s version of a deviled egg.  Topped with sweet flutter of dungeness crab and chili aioli and a little pimento chip for crunch, it was very easy to pop one or two or more in one sitting.

As much as I enjoyed the soft cooked eggs, the garlic fennel sausage stole the show.  Served on a bed of grilled treviso and spring onions, the plump sausage had that snap that you look for when cutting in.  The meaty sausage was flavorful and juicy and I loved the little bite of bitterness that the treviso brought.

We moved onto the pastas after polishing off the garlic fennel sausage.  The first bowl, tagliatelle with beef cheek bolognese, oregano and mint, was an incredibly easy decision.  The bowl arrived piping hot with a thick layer of shaved parmigiano.  The mint might seem like an odd choice, quite noticeably initially, but don’t be worried, it brightened the otherwise rich bolognese and slowly faded to the background as the rest of the sausage kicked in.

In celebration of spring, we chose to split a second bowl of pasta, a lovely gnocchi served with English peas, pea shoots, and tesa, Italian bacon, in a creamy cheese sauce.  The initial bite tasted as if there was peanut butter in the sauce.  A little unusual but it only made the sauce that much homier.  It tasted like a sophisticated Italian version of Chinese sesame noodles dressed up for spring.

It seemed like I was the only one with any appetite left for dessert.  No worries, the lemon pudding cake was just light enough.  Absolutely tender, the pudding cake had the intense flavor of a lemon bar but texture of a summer pudding.  The sweet yet tart rhubarb sauce was a lovely contrast to the lemon.

The menu at How to Cook a Wolf might be short but it is constantly changing, as if it’s trying to surprise you every single time.  I loved the snug fit of the restaurant that despite its modern interior still felt homey and comfortable.  That, combined with delicious dishes and great service, is what makes a great sophisticated neighborhood spot.

How to Cook a Wolf | 2208 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 | http://www.ethanstowellrestaurants.com/locations/how-to-cook-a-wolf/