FAIL: Salvatore Ristorante Italiano

We really want to like Salvatore. Really, we do.

It's just up the street from our house, and it's quiet and intimate, and one of our favorite cuisine genres: Italian. But after two attempts to fall in love with it, we have added it to our "won't come back here" list of restaurants.

Complaints:

• A painfully long list of specials, listed for us in excruciating detail by the server.
  
• Vague smell of stale cigarettes
• Really? You're going to put the cloth napkin in my lap for me? Really? Is that what we're doing?
  
• My caprese was swimming (swimming) in a sea of olive oil.
• My carbonara had traces of identifiable undercooked egg white. No thank you. I want a smooth, cohesive sauce.
  
• Michael was super excited about his Argentinian beef dish, but he tasted nothing but gorgonzola goo that was drenching the entire plate.
  

Ultimately, the bar is set pretty high for Italian food in Seattle by both Monkey Valley and Bizarro's. We have not found an improvement on their chill atmosphere, amazing food, reasonable prices, and incredible service.

Sorry, Salvatore. It wasn't meant to be.

Love,
Jean