How To Cook A Wolf Reviews

Part of the Stowell restaurant empire HTCAW is a top notch neighborhood joint serving generous small plates in an Italian mode. Our most recent trip involved ordering some cold, bracing BC oysters, a luxurious Hamachi crudo, a rich and flavorful pork belly dish and two family size pasta plates each in a rich and savory sauce - paccheri in a sausage and tomato and gnocchi in a duck sugo. All were excellent, although the gnocchi were a bit too dense for our taste. The bar and wine options are excellent. The place is small and bustling so be prepared to rub elbows and accept the ambient noise. Usually quite busy so reservations are a good thing. A definite go to place!

The four of us had an excellent meal here. With the small tastes menu we were able to try many different dishes and each one was distinctive and delicious. Executive Chef David Glass has elevated the bar for dining establishments in the entire Seattle area. The Hamachi Crudo prepared with kumquats was very unusual and while most of the preparations have meat or shellfish, the kitchen looked out for our vegetarian preferences. Do try the polenta fritters (so delicate and lightweight, no heavy greasy mess here), the roasted Delicata squash and the Tuscan kale salad. We also enjoyed our main courses: Potato Gnocchi and Heirloom Pumpkin Agnolotti. We can't wait to go back. The menu changes often, I understand, which means dining here will never grow old. I recommend reservations -- seating is limited. How to Cook a Wolf is open for dinner only.

The vibe is Seattle cool, and the how to cook a wolf meme works with all the small plates. Queen Anne neighborhood is great in general, and you can't go wrong with this stop during your trip.

I loved this place. We sat outside and really enjoyed the fun vibe. Our waitress was really nice and very helpful. The food was great. Don't miss the chicken liver mousse!! We will definitely go back.

We came here before the ballet and had an amazing meal of pasta and salad. My sister in law had called ahead and they had some gluten free pasta ready for her which I tried and couldn't even tell it was GF. The waitstaff was attentive and atmosphere was very nice.

I met a friend here after work for a drink and a quick bite to eat, what a wonderful surprise, everything from the food and wine, to the place and exceptional staff

The halibut, gnocchi, and beef carpaccio were all amazing. We also had the chocolate brownie dessert and it was delicious. Even the martinis were exceptional. Our server was amazing and we had a great time. I would highly recommend this restaurant! It was the highlight of our Seattle trip!

We arrived about three hour before we stopped for dinner..tired, time change, hungry and ready for a good nights sleep....but we needed a good meal, so off to “How to Cook a Wolf”.... well what a surprise when our dinner arrived table side.....Delicious, Hot, Plentiful and service was beyond expectations.... those of you that folllow my reviews know service is my HOT button....don’t hesitate,,,, when in the Seattle area head to How to Cook a Wolf..

Five of us at at How to Cook a Wolf on Sunday night - we couldn't get a table until 8pm. The five person one is their "big" table. The service was friendly and prompt and the food was very fresh and well cooked. We had, grilled octopus, scallops, roasted pumpkin, beet salad, pasta with bolognaise blanc (we had a ten year old with us). Also enjoyed a bottle of Trisaetum Pinot noir. I enjoyed the meal but felt that the spices were a little light for southern Italian cooking

I loved this small restaurant in Queen Anne - fantastic ambience on a warm spring evening with a buzzy crowd and open doors; excellent service, and wonderful food. We shared a selection of small plates, including the beet salad (which was tangy, earthy, and sweet); and the burrata which I found just a little on the cold and firm side - not melty. The stand-out for me was ravioli with burned butter, sage, pine nuts, ricotta, and nettle leaves. It was so light, delicious, and spring-like. I could have had two serves! Warmly recommend this great location. Reservations are a must.

I live in Queen Anne and people always talk about this place. I have eaten here and I thought it was average at best. I had a totally unmemorable meal here, literally it was nothing special. I get that people want to eat here because it's an Ethan Stowell restaurant but after eating here it left me with little desire to eat at any of his other restaurants. I looked at the menus at his other places and they are all so similar that I didn't feel like I was going to miss out after this dining experience.

Great restaurant if you have someone who enjoys the same items that you want to "share". The menu is designed with this in mind. Wait staff was very attentive without being obtrusive. They seemed to know just when we needed plates removed, water replenished, or additional drinks. We would definitely eat here again.

Really inventive, delicious food in a small Queen Anne restaurant. Easy to order a selection of plates and share around. All staff is attentive and helpful. Good wine list

Came here on the suggestion of a friend and had a great time. Reservations should be called in ahead of time but we were able to get a seat at the bar and eat there. The clams, beet salad and the asparagus were fantastic and the wine that went with it on the suggestion of Joey the server/bartender was excellent. This is a Zagat rated restaurant if that helps make your decision.

But that's ok. They serve great Italian food family style instead. The olives were a little bitter to me but the roasted beets were good. The risotto and gnocchi dishes were my favorite. The setting is great for catching up with an old friend and having some great food and wine while your at it.

It's a great experience. We have never had anything like it. We like the fusion food, especially the raw tuna with lime juice. I think the chef tries very hard to invent new dishes and the effort is highly rewarded. The trouble is that you have to make reservations early enough; otherwise, it's hard to get in.

After my third attempt to make a reservation I managed to get one. I now understand why it is such a popular place. Food was delicious and perfect if you like to order a few dishes to share. Great drinks selection too. The service was excellent and staff was very accommodating. I will definitely be back.

Fantastic food. It's a little pricey but well worth it. Great place to celebrate with loved ones. They took good Covid precautions and had excellent service.

So many delicious plates-this is the reason for sharing. This was my husband's and my first visit. Our son has been there often. The menu is anything but ordinary. The burrrata's ingredients included strawberry sofrito, fennel, and sunflower seeds. Delicious. I would go back just for this. I realize that going there in July explains why strawberries were part of many selections. They also had an interesting strawberry-tomato gazpacho. The summer lettuces, polenta fritters, cured Copper RIver Sockeye, grilled pork loin, and the bread were excellent. Sheila, our server, was personable and efficient. She knew the menu and willingly answered our questions. It's a small place and a bit noisy when full. The tab does add up quickly but the food is worth every cent.

Had been looking forward to this meal for weeks, as it was highly recommended by friends. We had an acceptable 10 min wait after our reservation time as the place only seats 32. After 15 min of being seated our waiter showed up and we ordered cocktails. He came back again after another 10 min and asked again what our cocktail order was. Dinner was good but not excellent. Pasta tasted anything but freshly made as advertised. Service was slow and could not be considered fair. Then to top off the evening they put an automatic 20% on the bill whether I wanted to or not. The crowning blow was when the table next to us was asked to leave so others could be seated even though they had just finished dessert and still had wine. After they left no one was seated at the table as we were there another 45 min. We would go back and not recommend. Noise level is very loud also.

Nice dinner here but the execution could be much better. Menu looks great but something was missing in the cooking. Loved the neighborhood. Wouldn’t return.

Delicious! We had a few small plates, the bread and some pasta. The beet salad was delicious, the polenta fritters were like dessert, loved the bread served with roasted garlic and butter. Enjoyed the wonderful service, ambiance and food! Definitely worth a visit for a special occasion or just any old night out but make a reservation!

Havent been in a few months but every time we have done we have been very happy. Cute atmosphere, great food, great service, a perfect neighborhood spot.

What a terrific food experience ! The small well done space lets the food shine. You will not be disappointed. The menu is varied with the plates being not so small as all portions were generous . The grilled peppers were just great to accompany the cocktails. The most memorable dish for me was the roasted carrots - the combinations of textures and flavors is spot on , as it was on everything tried . The simple toasted bread is a must . The pastas are great and save room for dessert . Service was really attentive and friendly -this is a real favorite of mine .

Nothing less than 5 stars ! Three of us for dinner on Saturday night --- you definitely need reservations (singles maybe able to tuck into bar, but that was packed too) Fabulous service, small but diverse menu. At the recommendation of staff we ordered family style - one appetizer, two pastas, one meat dish. (Gem lettuce, two Bucatini and one order of sausages) Perfect amount of food. We ordered bottle of wine and had coffee with cannoli for dessert. Bucatini --- I could have ordered that alone and been content for the night. Perfection in pasta with just the right amount of ingredients --- each one would be overpowering alone but together that blew the dish away !!!! The cannolis were out of this world !!! Made like i remember grandma and aunts making --- not the deeply sweet things you get in most American stores, but the creamy with a hint of sweet of the wrap, pistachio and powdered sugar. Melted in your mouth. The chef (and kitchen) was fantastic and well deserving of 5 stars alone. The staff was so welcoming and so educated on the menu and pairings --- couldn't have asked for a better night out with friends !! Great wine list with local favorites and a quite a few European delights. Full service bar. We will be back --- (but i'm getting an order of Bucatini to myself :-) ) Parking on street was pretty easy --- but it was early (5pm) --- think later a night it might be more challenging. Bill for three with bottle of wine, coffee, dessert and four dishes -- right at 150.00 (about 50 each --- what i expected for this level of restaurant)

My husband and I ate at How To Cook a Wolf on the first night of our vacation in Seattle. It was recommended to us by friends and let me tell you, we were not disappointed. We were greeted by a most friendly staff and served by a knowledgable waitress. We loved the cozy neighborhood vibe. Menu is seasonal, but highly recommend the polenta fritters if available. Would love to go back next time we're in town!

As a birthday present to myself I booked an early table at How to Cook a Wolf after hearing about it in the media for a while. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to park on Queen Anne Hill (always a consideration in Seattle) and how low-key the place is. A lovely warm wood interior and cozy table arrangement set the stage for an evening of tasting the most delicious small plates of food. Add a couple of specialty cocktails and dessert with coffee, and we still didn't break the bank. I will be returning, again and again.

We came for dinner en famille after watching the Nutcracker at Pacific Ballet. What a meal! We had a bit of everything: meats, vegetables, the pasta. Everything was five-star (well, the pork belly was a bit bland and could have been crispier). Highlights: the sunchokes, super simply prepared butter, pepper and pecorino pasta, pork shank. Wines by the glass, both Northwest and Italian, were great matches. The bread is worth the $2! Server amazingly friendly and welcoming, even gave us advice on where they sourced their produce. We'll certainly be back.

We recently traveled to Seattle, and tried several restaurants. The clear winner was How to Cook a Wolf! The food was excellent and the vibe was lively. The waitstaff was excellent and good at describing the food choices. There was something for everyone on the menu. Would definitely return!

Small but great ambiance. Excellent service. Great bartender. The butternut squash pasta was out of this world! Fun spot in the lovely Queen Anne Hill area.

I have been to Italy many times for holidays and love the food there, but I think this was the best pasta I have ever eaten. We had 3 pasta dishes and all were different and all were excellent. Starters and desserts held up too. Small restaurant with interesting and stylish wood and copper decor. Well worth a trip to Queen Anne for food this good.

This totally wonderful place is decorated like the inside of a wine barrel. It's adorable and quaint and our server Katie was AMAZING.... The entire menu is designed for share plates and everything we had was off he hook AWESOME. The pasta dishes including the gnocchi were some of the BEST pasta I have had in my life.... The Himachi was delicious and the carpaccio was very good.... Again the service was TREMENDOUS and the entire evening was SO SO SO SO GOOD....

Not much more to say. Everything is exceptional. If your stomach is upset afterwards, it's you, not the food. Trust me. *Wink wink*

The food is quite excellent here--we had the sweet potato, calamari, pasta etc. All very good. Very good service too. Two problems demote to 4 stars instead of 5: most importantly, the wine is incredibly overpriced! We paid $38 for a HALF bottle of a Piedmont Italian wine that wasn't good--too acidic. And the Italian wines are generally cheaper than the WA state wines (which is absurd). Order just one glass of wine if you go or pay ridiculous prices for not very good wine. The cannoli for dessert was also not very sweet b/c had no fruity bits in it as real cannoli should have. Otherwise good.

We came here for our anniversary. The food was very good. The service was nice as well. I did mention that it was our wedding anniversary twice without any response. I did not expect anything free but a congratulations would of been nice. Overall we enjoyed the food and the wine.

We had heard a lot about How to Cook a Wolf and it kept cropping up in different magazine best picks. Having just moved to the area we were keen to try it. It is a small restaurant and bar but has a great atmosphere. The menu is familiar but challenging at the same time. We picked 3 small plates, a large protein and one pasta. The Cara Cara orange was surprisingly a fantastic combination and came between the incredible beef carpaccio and beets, fig and goats cheese. The Grimaud duck was beautifully cooked and pasta full of flavor and al dente. Another thing to note was the signature cocktail excellent. Cocktails and Italian are not our go to but we can’t wait to go back. So excited it is in our neighborhood!

Chef Ethan is genius. They always provides us great foods. It is located at upper QueenAnn that is very nice area. Sea food and Meat are both good.

Just an incredible experience. I remember a little place on the corner of First and Union years back that the owner had then. I had the poached duck egg in a soup and when I heard that this was the same owner I had to go. Some friends had been and were happy to make the return visit. I want to say rustic yet somehow refined Italian. Just very well done. Well done Chef and staff.

Are you visiting Seattle? Do you want one of the best meals you will find in Seattle? Then make reservations here. Reservations can be very difficult to get since the restaurant is quite small but they are worth the effort. This restaurant has many awesome qualities but it's most important is it's food. The food is Italian style and intended to be shared. We were lucky to squeeze in 7 people (one of whom was a child, otherwise this would have been physically impossible, their largest table barely holds 6 adults) so we got to try 15 different dishes (including deserts). And it was AWESOME! Seriously. Food, with... FLAVOR!!! The theme, as described on their website, is simple food made wonderful. Take a simple dish like fried Polenta but add some Ricotta and some honey and it sings! The Salumi board was a buttery wonder. The Citrus and Fennel Salad had the bite of the fennel more than meeting its match with the citrus of the oranges and Kumquats. The pastas were all perfectly prepared with wonderful flavors. The Spaghetti with Anchovy was a salty bity wonder. And so on. Deserts were also very very yummy. The service was fantastic! The servers dealt well with a big group, made sure we were seen to and didn't get in the way. Service this good is nearly invisible so it's easy to miss but it was beautifully done. The restaurant itself is physically very nice. Wrapped in wood, it's a small, intimate space. So is this food heaven? By Seattle standards, the answer is yes. I've had literally just two meals in Seattle that could top this, the first many years ago at the now closed Mistral and the second at it's successor the Mistral Kitchen at their Jewel Box when they still had that as a separate space. How to cook a wolf is finally a restaurant in Seattle good enough to stand up to the better restaurants in Vancouver. A final word, this is an amazing value! The cost with a few drinks, tax and tip worked out to around $40/person. Which given the quality of the food and experience is an amazing deal.

The food here is really good! The dishes are meant for sharing, which is great because it allows you to try even more of the great menu. The atmosphere is really nice, and the staff is so friendly. Make reservations!

I was a bit concerned about trying this restaurant after reading some of the reviews but we were not at all disappointed. We were seated right away, asked if we preferred inside or outside. We chose inside as it was still quite sunny at 6:30. There were some guests seated near the slide-up garage door wall who were blinded by the sun until it finally set. Some actually left their seats and were eating standing up out of the sunshine. An unusual problem in mostly gray Seattle. We ordered 4 dishes, 3 were plates and one was a pasta. All were delicious with great fresh ingredients and fairly simple preparations. The costliest one was the scallops at $22 for 3. Succulent and superior so the price was okay. Also enjoyed the hamachi crudo and the chicken liver mousse. Yum, yum, yum. The pasta was a very light preparation with some herbs and snap peas and cheese and a bit of butter too. It was fantastic. Had never had that shape of pasta before and it was perfectly cooked. We would go back in a heartbeat.

Located just north of downtown in Queen Anne , HTCW is a great little restaurant. We went midweek Nf the place was packed , very good vibe . Attentive service and good menu selection: we shared various antipasti and personally my pork belly was really delicious!

The menu encourages sharing and prices are reasonable, particularly when you consider the quality of the food. Our beet salad, risotto and gnocchi were delicious. The restaurant is small with a great buzz. Staff are very friendly and welcoming, and extremely professional.

Small, intimate, date-night atmosphere. It is close quarters, so be ready to mingle. The food is divine. You may not know what you ordered, but it won't matter when you start to devour it! We had the squash, and two different pasta dishes and they were all wonderful and fresh. We enjoyed a bottle of "the Chief" wine, too!

This is a place I often go alone. I sit at the counter and have something light with a glass of wine. The food is great and the staff is even better--really friendly and helpful but not the least bothersome. They'll offer to split up certain dishes so a single diner can have more variety without buying full portions & offer 1/2 glasses of wine when you want just a little more. Their pasta is made in-house. The menu changes often, but the pairing of vegetables with their accompanying sauces and condiments are always delicious.

Quirky decor, nice cosy atmosphere. The burrata was a nice surprise, so was the pasta dish with the short rib. Food was a tiny bit too salty but excellent overall. Great service too from a smiley and pleasant waiter.

This is a unique spot in a nice part of town. The food was amazing tapas style and everything was incredibly tasty ! We sat at the bar and enjoyed the watching chefs and the bartenders strut the skills. Friendly bartenders with very original cocktails. The space itself is smaller and well designed more of a hip urban feel with a small patio. We loved all five plates and a very nice bottle of wine. We really enjoyed our night and i would recommend this restaurant for couples looking for a nice night out with incredible food. Reservations recommended.

We loved visiting How To Cook a Wolf with friends for a nice dinner. Creative dishes, very inspiring and definitely great tasting!

Small, cozy, lively with great food. Staff make dining a here a great experience. Billy was a fun and attentive waiter, Noah the bartender is a true mixologist. Every drink is a creation, especially his Old Fashions. Sit at the bar and watch the chef prepare each unique small plate.

Loved this restaurant! On the pricier side but the food was great and the atmosphere was outstanding. It was small with great lighting- the whole place had a comforting glow. The waitstaff were excellent- accommodating and attentive. I went with a few girls for drinks and dinner, though would also be perfect for date night.

My husband took me here for my birthday. He figured we would enjoy it given we loved Staple and Fancy and he was correct! What an awesome little gem in Upper Queen Anne. The restaurant seats max 30 people which allows for the staff to interact with the patrons. The bartender and expediter were so much fun and I think they made the evening that much more special. My husband and I share five plates between us (here is my rating from 1 to 5 - 5 being exceptional): polenta fritters with ricotta and honey (3.5), apple goat cheese bruschetta (5); bread and butter (5+); pork shank with polenta and pickled raisins (5+) - make sure your bite has a piece of each component - there is a purpose for each!; agnolotti (4 - my husband gave a 5 and he lived in Italy for a year); and cannoli (4). Overall an exceptional meal! Many of the choices we made was because I am pregnant. A bonus - all the cheese is pasteurized! The bartender was so sweet - he made me a virgin cocktail because it's Friday! So lovely. If this is your first time, I highly recommend asking the staff for their recommendations. In all honestly we could have gone without one dish but hey it was my birthday and a Friday! I highly recommend this restaurant!

Nice space indoor and outdoor, but service and food below par for a quality restaurant. Inside space very cold-seemed that there is no heating. Ordered aperitifs and an appetizer as well as mains. Unfortunately, mains were served about two minutes after we started appetizers and before we had finished aperitifs. So we had to start moving plates around just to deal with everything being dumped at the same time. And we’re were stuck drinking aperitifs with mains when we should have moved into wine. Food quality was mediocre for price point. Pasta cooked well but sauce lacked depth or brightness-it was just a rather bland execution. Service started well when ordering then bombed from there. Had to keep chasing down the one guy working all tables. It’s unfortunate-we had heard good things about this restaurant some years ago and were rather excited to get in. However, we were seriously disappointed and won’t be returning.

My wife and I enjoyed a meal here during our brief pre-cruise visit to Seattle. We had researched quite a bit, hoping to find a fun, unusual place with great food. My wife suggested How To Cook A Wolf, and I have to give her major kudos for doing so. We are not food snobs, by any stretch, and I don't really even consider myself very adventurous. But we enjoyed several delightful dishes here. Everything we tried was memorable, but the beef carpaccio was outstanding. We also had the roasted chicken, which sounded quite humble on the menu, but was amazingly tasty and tender. The food was lovely, and while a bit pricey, not outrageously so. We had 4 plates and an adult beverage each, and I know we got out, with tip, for under $100. What we really enjoyed was the terrific atmosphere. The place is actually pretty small, and it feels quite cozy. You see most of the food being prepared, but it manages to feel like a new idea. It's a bit like you're hanging out at your well-to-do and tasteful friends place for a tapas party and just chatting while he makes your food in the kitchen just over there. It's tough to describe the interior, and at first, very quick glance, it seems like it might be nice but nothing special. But the atmosphere draws you in and you notice many thoughtful touches throughout. By the end, the place feels like an old friend. Service was excellent. The whole staff was friendly and never made us feel like they new we were NOT food snobs. We had made reservations, and I would think that is pretty much required. We were there on a Thursday evening, and it was full the whole two hours we hung out. We had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated, and the hostess mentioned that it was tough to time reservations because the restaurant really encourages folks to linger. I agree that the warm ambiance there encouraged us to take our time and savor. I'd go back here in a second with no hesitation.

My husband and I were visiting from Texas and we try to avoid "tourist traps". We made reservations here as it was in a "neighborhood" vs downtown Seattle and close to Kerry Park which we visited. Reservations are a must, even during the week. We loved the intimate atmosphere and service was top notch. The polenta fritters are amazing!!!!! We also like their homemade pasta and fried soft shell crabs. Many of their dishes are meant to be shared "tapas style".

Love the menu and their small plates. I tried the geoduck for the first time and the way it was prepared was amazing!

My brother and I treated each other to dinner here to celebrate our birthdays. The wait staff was just lovely. The food was delicious. We had the crudo and a beet salad for starters. We also had the burrata which was delicious!! I had the bucatini which was so good. Enjoy!!

How to Cook a Wolf has one of the more inventive menus I've experienced. My friend and I had 4 dishes, from a perfectly cooked pork belly to a mouth-watering gnocchi. Absolutely everything has incredible flavor. The wine list was heavily Italian, with any number of possibilities for a perfect pairing. It's a smaller restaurant, and it makes for a cozy experience. Would highly recommend!

Before arriving in Seattle (we're fairly foodie and we had two weeks in Seattle) we knew that we were supposed to hit at least one restaurant each of Ethan Stoll, Maria Hines and Tom Douglas. This was the only Ethan Stoll restaurant that we got to. Plus: Excellent food (duck mousse; becatini w/tuna; pork) and wine. Minus: Though a very small room a) the restaurant on a weekday night was painfully noisy, and, b) the food took an outrageously, unacceptably long time to come out of the kitchen. In sum, we would never go back despite excellent food.

Wow! We absolutely loved this place. Loved the open kitchen, and the fact that is small with an amazing menu. Small plates, perfect for sharing and exploring creative dishes. Food was delicious. The ambiance was great, with open doors to the outside. Just lovely!!!!!

Ethan Stowell restaurants in our fair city have a well-deserved excellent rep. Food generally is well prepared, creative, flavorful, and fresh. My first HCW dinner was very good, but not approaching "over the top", as with other fine places in town. Brussel Sprouts were very good as was the Tagliarini. Rissoto was very underwhelming and the beets fairly pedestrian. Cauliflower was excellent, and their take on Cannoli was generous & interesting, not especially to my taste, except the crust was crunchy and tasty.

I love yellow tail sashimi-maybe a quick dunk in light soy sauce, but nothing to hide the flavor. Tried the hamachi crudo with sour cherry-not a good match-it masked rather than complimented the fish. Same for the burrata with strawberry. Gnocchi cylinders-fun shape, but the rye crunch was distracting, like cracker crumbs on your pillow in bed. Lots of positives with other small plates, nice briny oysters to start. Cannoli dessert was enough for four people. When the trend of "have you been here before" (and then the wait person's monologue begins) finally ends it will make both wait staff and diners happy. While FAA regulations require the seatbelt, oxygen, and flotation device speech, there is no requirement to describe how small and large plates operate on the high end dining journey.

Great 'plates' of yumminess Wonderful relaxed atmosphere - no rushing on any level. Take your time and savour each dish. Cracking cocktails and lovely wine list (plenty of Italian / European options). Food Menu is not extensive yet is well balanced and you will find sooo many great choices. Our server Joe was knowledgable and relaxed. Do yourself a favour and book in advance

Awesome food, beautifully presented and meant for family style sharing. We ordered 5 dishes which was more than enough for the 4 of us. This is a small place - around 45 seats. The service was among the best experienced anywhere. Megs was our server. She was friendly, efficient and knowledgeable. She offered great recommendations and explanations of each dish. This little place is a hidden gem frequented mostly by neighborhood clientele and it is packed.

This place is beautiful! Dark and moody, busy to the point the bar is full of diners, open kitchen and fantastic my professional, attentive and friendly staff! I had the carpaccio to start and it was so so delicious! Beautifully smoked Beetroot really lifted this dish! I the had the simple butter and pecorino pasta and it was fine - I found the thick noodles a bit stodgy and the flavour a bit flat...but it wasn't exactly an exciting choice (should have had the anchovy spaghetti which I suspect would have been divine!). The wine was fabulous arriving in mini carafes and tasting divine. Then I went and ordered cannoli for desert. I've never tried it before and it was delicious! The shards of caramel with chocolate and pistachio were heaven and I ate all of that in preference over the actual cannoli! The desert wine match recommended to me was fine - very herbaceous and a lovely digestif but ruined me for any further drinks for the evening - probably a good thing. Certainly not cheap, although I appreciated the service charge being included instead of me needing to calculate a tip. That said, given the food prices are similar to Australia, adding 20% on every time for staff is crazy expensive to me! That's normally incorporated into our food prices and hospitality staff are paid properly! That's not a reflection in this individual place though so excuse the rant!

I paid almost $70 for 3 very simple items: 1) glass of red was ok but I didn’t feel like finishing it as it really didn’t suite my pallet enough to incur the calories 2) Beet dish with goat cheese, hazelnuts and vinaigrette - I ate it all first because I was hungary and two, I kept hoping the next bite to be better then the last. It was disappointingly sour and unwell balanced. 3) The gnocchi dish. When you first look at it, It is not a display that would appease the eye. So I thought perhaps it’s one of those dishes that tastes way better than it looks. I was sadly underwhelmed and disappointed. I realized I could have made a better tasting meal with high quality ingredients for $30 or less. I won’t be back to this restaurant.

Went on the recommendation of a traveler friend. The atmosphere is just about perfect, and the food was delicious. We had the bucatini cacio e pepe, pork belly, carpaccio and burrata. Each was done very well. The carpaccio was the least interesting, but delicious none the less. I'd have had 3 portions of the bucatini if I could have. Surprised by the ranking at #110. But I guess that it's tripadvisor's overreliance on price as a factor. This restaurant is much better (and a different category altogether) than Pike Place Chowder, which is currently ranked #8. The two share only that they both serve food in a broad sense. [i like pike place chowder immensely, by the way.]

Loved the ambiance of this place - particularly loved the old-school soundtrack they were playing. Probably only about 30 seats in the whole place, so be sure to get a reservation in advance. Food was good - we shared a few dishes between the 2 of us. 2 were AMAZING, other 2 were just okay. Definitely would recommend the pumpkin ravioli thats on the menu now. We basically licked the plate clean.

Food is delicious and staff is friendly. Get the polenta fritters! So good! Pasta dishes are also amazing! It was my favorite meal and night in Seattle.

It's a choose your own adventure. You can pick and choose what floats your boat. Went with a friend and we build a dinner to share. We had short ribs and a few meat dishes. The beet salad was excellent. We had a simple pasta dish that was tasty. Nice place to go.

How to Cook a Wolf is not a place if you want a full course sit-down meal. But if you are into tastes, and excellent service I recommend it. The wine list is good, not great, but it covers most of the taste profiles at reasonable prices. The small plates are what they say, but sharing several brings the opportunity to get a large example of the taste profiles. Good value for the price. Give them a try.

This well known restaurant in Queen Anne is owned by one of members of Seattle’s restauranteur cartel, who own and operate an amalgam of successful, popular restaurants in Seattle. The cartel members with names such as Erickson, Douglas, Dillon, and in this case Stowell, open and close restaurants seemingly at will. All have a following, and all seem to make money. Some I like, some are just okay. How to Cook A Wolf, even with its obnoxious name, tries hard to please. The staff is pleasant, catering to the young clientele, playing hip hop and rap loudly on the sound system. The place is tiny, and thus the music was the star on this chilly Sunday night. As always, we sat at the bar and our server, although a bit saccharin and “over the top,” was professional and friendly. The crispy duck leg was fantastic, but the portion very small. My requested classic cace e pepe pasta was overwhelmed by the peppercorns. While the pasta was cooked al dente, the over powering pepper almost made the dish in eatable. My wife began coughing after one taste and waved it off. I ate the pasta because I wanted her to enjoy the duck leg. Surprisingly, I enjoyed How To Cook A Wolf more than my wife, who was appalled at the pasta; she being Italian. Hey, the kitchen hit 500, that’s okay, and makes me want to try it again.

This small neighborhood restaurant is located at the top of Queen Anne Hill, about a 10 minute ride from downtown Seattle. I was first intrigued by the name and the Fisher reference (google MFK Fisher), next by its creative funky menu. My friend and I were delighted to come across a warm friendly small neighborhood bistro. The staff is exceptionally good and very helpful to find a seat for us at the bar on short notice.. The food is a delight, the selection of beers to compliment the food is excellent.

The atmosphere, the menu, the food and the entire staff make this one of the best places to dine in the US. A special place where everything is remarkable!

It says something about a place when it's packed on a Monday night! We didn't have a reservation so we sat at the bar which was a little cramped and the fan was in our face but we needed it on this warm evening. Order a few dishes to share - the portions are generous and you will have an opportunity to try more. The stone fruit bruschetta was full of surprising flavors, and the pastas were very tasty too. Desserts were being prepared behind the bar and looked delicious but we had no room. The service was a little slow but it was a busy evening and we weren't in a hurry. Definitely recommend the 10 minute drive from downtown to visit - just book ahead.

This restaurant had been on my radar for a couple years but often when I'm in Seattle I'm downtown and there's a lot of good food down there too! It was time though to make the trip to Queen Anne to give it a try. There were 4 of us and although the patio table was a bit cozy it was too beautiful of evening to sit inside. We ordered lots of small plates and shared them so we could try lots of things. The craft cocktails were delicious and service was attentive. We had a great time and very much appreciated our time at How to Cook a Wolf.

On a recent trip to seattle we wanted to try "How to Cook a Wolf". After arriving early (5.10pm) we expected to sit at the bar but were advised our children could not, we were quickly accomidated at a table (with conditions to be out by 6.30pm, which was fine) The service was very poor, we were never asked if we would like a cocktail, or drink of any kind. The waitress did seem very out of place. We ordered in their family style, The beet salad was very good, the scallops with lentils was very good as well, but did not seem to be well matched. The carpacchio was good but did not go well with smoked fish? The grilled asparagus special was good. The pasta was very good, aldente though. The risotto was very good. The food overall was good, but for a true "foodie" you may be dissapointed.

Was there October 1 to celebrate my 70th birthday. Excellent, creative, congenial service in the front of the house...splendid cocktails and staff who appeared genuinely happy to be working there. Exceptional food from the back of the house. Duck, salmon and pork bellies all uniformly interesting and tasty. Ditto for various smaller plates we ordered on staff recommendation. It is a great joy to be served by intelligent, engaged staff. Will be back for sure.

This place is all the rage in Seattle now. I was steered here by peer pressure and I’m sure glad I succumbed. Tasty dishes in a very cool neighborhood. Gnocchi like none I have ever seen nor tasted.

The place feels like a warm and cozy cave, though light and bright. The waitstaff was very informed and helpful and the food - small plates, meant to be shared - was great. My favorites, the ravioli and also, a beet salad. Yum! Only not-great item was my cocktail. Should have just had the wine.

Great atmosphere open to the street. Great service. Meat heavy menu with strong flavor profiles. The clientele was so chic and fun to observe.

This is NOT my type of place, a little too "hip" for me. Sparse, cold atmosphere, limited decor, and uncomfortable furniture. I am aware, however, that this is a trend in Seattle restaurants so I thought I'd review my latest visit. I won't return because of . . . See above, but if this your kind of "scene", the food was imaginative, tasty, and satisfying. A little pricy for the service you get, but no reason to run away from this place if this is what you're looking for. No where near the hype I've seen though!

This was the best meal I have ever eaten! We started with toasted sourdough and garlic with fennel butter. After that, we got the broccoli, which if this was all I ate, I would have been satisfied. We also had the cauliflower. It was served cold with cherry tomatoes…wonderful. Next we had three pasta dishes. They could have been meals unto themselves. Our last dish was the halibut. Did I say it was the best I have ever eaten? I got the Bucket of Sunshine and What Summer? Cocktails, which were tequila and gin based, respectively. What Summer edged out the Bucket o’ Sunshine. I’d like to give a shout out to Oz, our waiter, for very attentive service. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough!

We really enjoy food and dining experiences, so when we visited Seattle (family with two teenage daughters) We chose to have dinner here. The approach is as unusual as the name. Lots of small plate options—all meant for sharing—and some excellent larger plate entries. The mood is casual, the food local, the preparation is excellent, and the service friendly and warm. If you like food, and appreciate a unique approach, plan to come here. Get reservations—the venue is small. And Enjoy! (Read the book before you come if you want to really understand the philosophy)

When I read about this place, I was already in, just based on the name. The M.F.K. FIscher reference aside, how could you not check this out? SOOOO glad we did. Everything is served family style, so order a bunch of things and let the fun begin. We had the polenta fritters, tenderloin tartare, the beet salad, oysters, and gnocchi. Wow. The beet salad in particular was amazing. So good. Our server (Megs?) was very helpful and attentive. We had chocolate torte and shortcake for dessert. The poached apricots with the shortcake were amazing. This was my favorite place we ate during this trip to Seattle. I would highly recommend it!

We walked up the steep hill that is Queen Anne Ave from the Maxwell Hotel in Roy St. We never expected to get in here, so were very pleased to find an outside table. Shared 3 plates and 2 cocktails. Friendly and knowledgeable staff, great food and drink, one of those places to order something completely different. And just (well 5 blocks) from Chocolopolis, the centre of the chocolate universe,

We wanted to try this place so we would have hit all the Ethan Stowell restaurants. Overall it was a good experience but there were some "misses." While it is a tiny place, it is cozy and romantic. We started with some small plates. The Bruschetta and Hamachi crudo were excellent. The roasted beet salad had just a bit too much vinegar in it. We, were, however, disappointed with the Ravioli. It was undercooked and very salty. To have bad pasta in an Italian restaurant is a cardinal sin. Tavolata, on the other hand, gets it perfect every time! The portion for the small plates is very generous while the pasta size is on the small side. I must put in a good word for our waiter. He was SUPERB, very attention and professional so certainly we were impressed with the service. We were there during a week night and the place did steady business so that does say something about this place. We will likely give it another shot in the future.

Had heard about this place for a while, so the anticipation was quite high. That said, every aspect of the visit was completely satisfying. Starting with the very pleasant greeting from our serve Sheila, everything was perfection on a plate. We are all sharers so for starters we ordered the Bruschetta, Squid and Pork Belly - each dish was superbly crafted and enjoyable. We ordered 3 different pastas, Bucatini, Pappardelle w/ a lamb ragu and Gnocchi w/ lobster mushrooms each distinct in it's way and totally satisfying. There was no possibility for dessert! A trip to Seattle without a visit to How To Cook a Wolf is a fail...

WOW, everything was greater than expected! Chef David and the whole staff are very attentive to all needs. The small plates were exceptionally created with obvious care and expertise only a well seasoned chef can provide. I would highly recommend enjoying a succulent repast at this unique and friendly restaurant!

I really enjoy Ethan Stowell’s restaurants but this one was something very special. Once you find the place because it is small inside and out (probably seating for 25 to 30 folks) you will definitely not be disappointed. Ethan Stowell is a staple in great food in the Seattle area and if you consider yourself a foodie then you must check this place out, from the modern interior, great food with equally great service you would be hard-pressed to find a better restaurant. We arrived on New Year’s Eve prior to our nightly entertainment at Jazz Alley and left extremely happy, heck actually thinking about it maybe sad because we had not visited this place earlier. Regardless there was a pre-set menu which we had paired with wine and everything was perfect, just take a look at the menu and you will notice it is not your normal steak and potato place. I could not suggest any particular dish because everything was amazing including the wine. We will be back soon and sit down and try a few of the other dishes. To sum it up this place was great. As mentioned early service was great heck even the Chef came out to check on us. Food was crazy good nothing we did not like. There are only a few restaurants in the area that have left such an impression on me and this was one of them.

How to Cook a Wolf's name originated from leaner times when food was scarce and one had to learn to cook with unusual ingredients. We went here while visiting Seattle and just loved it! It's a Foodie place, for sure with great wines!

We walked in to 'How to Cook a Wolf' on Thursday evening without a reservation. We were seated at a small table and had 90-minutes to eat since they had reservations at 8:30 for our table. The service was excellent. Friendly and knowledgeable waitress who was helpful in selecting options and explaining portion sizes. We started with the bread which was fantastic! A second order followed soon after. Their pasta was excellent as was the asparagus. The wine selection was satisfactory too. We did find the décor to be a bit odd, especially for an Ethan Stowell restaurant. Very small space and pretty loud by time we left the full restaurant. We love trying new restaurants around Seattle and found this to be a good pick.

They had a cancellation! So we got a lovely table in this cozy restaurant at 8:30 on a Saturday night! Parking was available right outside, had to wait a bit for our table, but the host brought us a lovely glass of sparkling wine! Every spot was taken including the bar! While we were waiting the chef stopped and said "Hi, I'm going to prepare a little something for you!" How awesome is that? We enjoyed the bruschetta, bucatini, the ravioli special, it was All fabulous! Service was excellent, staff is super happy and the vibe is perfect! Thank you for a lovely evening. They do include a service charge that is split between all staff, but for this level where everyone is paying attention, it is worth it. Thank you! Prices are reasonable and the corkage is $25.

What a great meal. Unique flavors and cozy atmosphere. The neighborhood is fun too. I was in town for the weekend with a girlfriend and this was our best meal. Make your reservations and enjoy.

After my second visit to How to Cook a Wolf I thought I'd take time to write a review. This place definitely lives up to its hype from start to finish. It can be challenging in getting a reservation at a decent dinner time (6PM to 8PM) without booking at least 2 weeks in advanced. But we were told that the bar and outside are open seating. Good to know! Got a 5PM reservation and we were actually happy that we were the first ones there...that means LOTS of attention. And we got it. Even the chef took a sec to greet us. Decided to sit outside since it was a nice Queen Anne evening. To start I had a Whisky Sangria. It was awesome...and I ended up having another. Definitely recommend ordering the bread service. It was fantastic without being too filling as they provide you with small toasted pieces so you don't get carried away. For my entree I decided on the Pasta and Clams. I was floored. It was so tasteful and even had a little tinge of spice giving it some kick. My partner had the lamb which doesn't come with mint jelly but I didn't need it. It was delectable without it. Everything was fantastic including the friendly front of the house service. Definitely will return soon.

I have eaten here multiple times and always enjoy it. The menu is innovative but able to be tailored to dietary restrictions. This is the place that I bring groups of 6-8 friends and no one has complaints, which is rare. Uniformly a win for me.

Last night we entertained friends from Manhattan at HTCAW. They loved every dish. 4 of us ordered 7 small plates and enjoyed it family style. Service was prompt and non intrusive. All the dishes were very good or perfect. Ambiance was energetic and a bit loud. All in all a fine experience in this upscale casual gem.

This was a wonderful experience! The food is outrageously good, in a small plate format. The toast and the squash ravioli were particularly outstanding. We were positively humming with delight as we left. The staff are lovely. We sat at the bar and really enjoyed watching the bartender create designer drinks. The only negative for me was the noise level, but given the overwhelming positives, it's negligible as issues go. Wow! Just wow! It's a tiny place. We were there early on a Monday. It quickly packed. Reservations would be wise.

Everything we ate here was excellent. But because the food is presented family style or tapas style, for larger groups the portions may seem small (and the menu items are pricey). I was in a group of five with two guys and we ordered 7-8 dishes to share. The girls were full but the guys were too polite to say they were still hungry (and again, although delicious, the items are on the spendy side unlike other popular Seattle tapas restaurants) and ended up grabbing some burgers later that night. I would definitely go back with a smaller group--3 at the most seems optimal. The restaurant is small so the table layout is best for smaller reservations.

I finally visited How to Cook a Wolf after wanting to try it for a very long time. Now I am sad I waited so long!! The drinks were unique and delicious, the plates were exceptional, and the pasta was some of the best I've ever had. For the plates, we tried the Salumi Board, the Polenta Fritters, and the Goat Cheese with Pear Bruschetta. They were all wonderful, especially the fritters. For the pasta, my favorite was the Tagliatelle with bolognese bianco, rosemary, and grana padano, but the others were also delightful. To finish, dessert was beautifully presented and even better to taste! The service was great too. Because the space is small, I would try to make a reservation if possible. I cannot wait to return to this amazing restaurant!!

We had our anniversary dinner at How to Cook a Wolf on a Friday night. We started out with delicious cocktails and ordered 3 appetizers and 2 larger dishes. All appetizers were brought out at the same time which a little overwhelming, but not terrible. My boyfriend then asked them to slow things down a bit because we didn't want to be done with our dinner in 30 minutes. Unfortunately, the main courses were brought out before our bottle of wine was opened causing our dishes to get cold while we waited for the waiter to bring, open, and poor our wine. Overall, the food was pretty good (our favorite were the scallops). What made us really not want to return to this restaurant was when the waiter came to our table with the check, a paper bag for our almost finished wine (which we didn't ask for), and asked us if we wanted him to poor our unfinished glasses of wine back into the bottle!!! Why would we ever want to poor our glasses of wine back in the bottle?!

I had heard great things about this restaurant and it was excellent! From the initial greeting, to walking out the door, we were taken care of. The food was fantastic, the server was flawless and helped with food and wine recommendations and paced the evening perfectly. We went there before a play since we were in that area and would definitely go back again.

Everything about this place is top notch. It is small, so you definitely need a reservation. Great wine list, excellent food--this was my second time here, and I have never had anything that hasn't been fantastic. Favorites are the grilled broccoli, bucatini, short rib, and ricotta polenta fritters...but I could go on! They were also very accommodating to food allergies, and never made it seem like an inconvenience. Service is also excellent. Our waiter was helpful, friendly and attentive. He brought two samples of wine to taste and decide which my husband wanted to order, and when one of our dishes was missed, he apologized and immediately told us it was taken care of and not on the bill. The chef delivers food to tables, talks to customers, and greeted us when we walked in the door. A server dropped a glass while she was clearing a table, and we were so impressed to see the chef walk out of the kitchen with a broom and dustpan and clean it up. I don't know what took us so long to get to this restaurant, but it is easily one of our favorites in Seattle and one we will come back to regularly!

No ambience because of the pandemic but the 'rustic' outdoor seating was just fine and did not affect our very positive family experience. The food was excellent and the service was attentive. Our server was very helpful with regard to advising us of the quantity of food to order. The outdoor heating was just right, thank you.

Fantastic tapas bar with awesome service! Came here to welcome my sister moving to Seattle and can't wait to come back. We started off with the tomatoes, burrata, and shishito peppers and all were good but the burrata was my favorite. It came with salted crisps and some lightly mashed tomato which blended well with the burrata, cutting the richness and adding a complex variety of flavor. The tomatoes were super fresh served on top of reduced balsamic with some basil spread on top and were very tasty. Shishito peppers are always amazing and they found a nice way to distinguish with the crisped bread crumbs and artichoke and while good weren't the best served. For entrees we split the short rib pasta and the salmon. The salmon was spectacular with crisped edges and served on a great sauce with veggies. The pasta was also super fresh and the short rib added a lot of flavor. Great spot and will be back when it's not booked the whole night!!

We walked in without reservations at around 5:00. There were several tables open and we were told that they would only let us in if we could be done by 7. Apparently they have enough customers to not appreciate new ones. How to Cook a Wolf is a great name and the variety of dishes was appreciated.

What a great meal. I was visiting Seattle solo; you could not make a reservation for one at the restaurant online, but I called to see if a table was available and the staff could not have been nicer about first advising me when to call back (later that night) and then holding a table. The quality of service continued during my meal itself; both servers were friendly, fun, and knowledgeable. This great establishment in Seattle’s charming Queen Anne is offering outdoor-only dining during the pandemic on a handful of picnic tables in-front of the restaurant. All COVID-19 protocols were carefully observed and, even on a damp night, I really enjoyed myself. The menu was really appealing, with a nice mix of appetizers, pastas, and mains; the “shared plates” nature of the meal made dining for one a little more difficult, but my server guided me well in-terms of the amount of food to order. I started with a delicious crude enhanced with watermelon and some chili; it was deliciously refreshing. And then I had the anchovy bucatini, which was a revelation!: gorgeous noodles with the perfect al dente bite, infused with the delicious saltiness you want from anchovies, with bread crumbs adding perfect texture. Glorious. My meal was accompanied by two nice glasses of wine chosen from a small and appealing wine list. I was so impressed. Can’t wait to return when back in Seattle!

This was a very substandard experience. Let me highlight the reasons: 1. Waiter brought out crudo that we didn't order; and then charged us for it. 2. Waiter described hen dinner as half a hen; it was a measly leg and wing. 3. Sommelier served an $80 bottle of wine; we ordered a $52 bottle. We were stuck. 4. Halibut was uniformly overcooked on all four of the orders; essentially ruined. This is not an inexpensive restaurant. The clearly consider themselves special. They are not . And there service was deplorable. I would not go back. I would not recommend. You can do much better.

We came here for a birthday dinner and were welcomed with a small glass of champagne. Our server was great, friendly and efficient, and the host was very helpful. The food and cocktails were delicious and delivered quickly (but no so quickly that we felt rushed). The food options are all comfortingly familiar, but each has an interesting twist or less common element that makes it special. We loved the bread with fennel-honey butter and our duck and pasta entrees. There is an extensive bottle wine list and a good selection of by the glass options, too. Would definitely visit again!

Great food, eclectic menu, with some comfort food and more unusual dishes. Atmosphere is intimate, and both tables and bar are good for conversation and interaction. Wine list is nice, with both value and more expensive wine. Food is very nice, with small plates to share. Recommend highly!

Make your reservations now -- Ethan Stowell's little den up the hill on Queen's Anne is sure to please. Enjoyed some yummy Copper River Salmon that is nowhere to be seen on the menu now: love the seasonal variety as it plays out. Watching Chef Michael Gifford build the plates is true art in motion -- the open kitchen takes up only a small corner of the restaurant with a full view of preparation. Gifford is a master of perfection, concentration. My absolute fave: Campanelle with sugar snap peas, morels, black pepper and Pecorino Romano. Also, try the Burrata -- it is divine. Intimate setting, small tables, fun atmosphere.

I do not have the words to express how lovely and intoxicating How to Cook a Wolf is. A friend and I came here for dinner, and we were seated in the outside patio. It was cozy, comfortable and felt like we were on a sidewalk in another world. Our server, Megs, was incredibly kind, knowledgeable and had the incredible ability to visit the table exactly when she was needed. From the drinks to dessert, this was the most delectable meal I have experienced in quite some time. The portion sizes were perfect, and we left the restaurant feeling perfectly satiated. Thank you for a wonderful experience, looking forward to visiting again soon.

We came down from BC on a family getaway and were really excited to try this place! The service & atmosphere didn't disappoint. They were still vibrantly busy at 9pm mid-week, and our server had great knowledge about the menu items & their preparation. Their service was warm & welcoming, and the bathrooms were spotless. The only reason I didn't give them 5/5 was because I was actually a bit disappointed with the menu - it was tiny, consisting primarily of small plates & pasta. In addition, they were out of one of the pastas, so it was even more limited. The Bucatini pasta, while tasty, had so little sauce that it was barely discernible. All in all we will be back next time, but maybe just for late drinks & a small snack.

Our good friend lives in Queen Anne and took us to How to Cook a Wolf. He knows I am not a big fan of Ethan Stowell restaurants but I agreed to check this one out. We were five old friends and had a lot to talk about. Our server Joe was awesome! He wasn't annoyed by our stupid jokes or lag when it came to ordering. Our friend ordered several small plates to start and all were really good. Then I had the black cod which again was very good. I tried the gnocchi, again, impressed. I'll admit that it is hard for me to eat restaurant pasta since my nonna is forever the best, but this was definitely good.

This was one of the best meals we've had in Seattle. Great atmosphere, attentive service, and great food. Definitely worth checking out several times!

Small Restsurant, small (and large) plates, big flavor in neighborhood location. What a nice surprise to find a very good restaurant behind this very stupid name. Lots of dishes to share in all sized plates with mainly an Italian flavor, but not exclusively. Located about 20 minutes from downtown it has real local flavor.

We were expecting more based on the restaurant group that this location belongs to, but that doesn't mean it wasn't good. We both had a hard time finding something on the menu that we were in the mood for..so we just split something. Nice little neighborhood in Seattle.

Such a great place to go to with friends. Plates are wonderful to share as there is a fresh and eclectic array of dishes. Small but well laid out with outdoor seating when weather permits. Never disappoints.

If you visit the website it looks as if the menu is limited. There's not that many items. But go with a group, order a cross section and share. Its a great way to try an entree or appetizer you might not take a chance on alone. Nothing dissappointed. The pasta is excellent and the hamachi was an unexpected pleasant surprise. Definitely worth repeat visits.

I had dinner here with my husband on October 30. We really enjoyed the fritters and pork chop. The pasta was good, but not spectacular. We would recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting to get out of downtown for a nice dinner on the town.

Great food, ambient, great service. The roasted beet salad is delicious and love the pasta dish. Good wine selections and love to sit t the bar.

Surprised by the lesser reviews of this restaurant as far as service and noise level goes because we experienced no problems of this kind. Our server was very prompt and quickly explained how the ordering and serving works. We followed her suggestion and ordered two small plates and two pasta entrees to share for two people. She did not seem let down when we opted to drink only flat water either. We very much enjoyed the beet salad over house made ricotta with pistachios and endive. Beets cooked just right. The highlight dish was the gnocchi with fresh peas, shoots and fontina. Lovely pillows and not gummy at all. The second pasta dish was fine with saffron and crab but the pasta itself was a bit tough. Good bread. Plan to go back.

I’ve wanted to try this place for years and finally came here during Seattle Restaurant Week. The service was friendly, but extremely slow. The entrees was average at best (excessively salty pasta and not any better than at any normal Italian restaurant). The whole restaurant was incredibly cold to the point where we had to keep our jackets on. To top everything off, they add a surprise 4% surcharge to the bill that’s retained entirely by the restaurant. Considering what they charge, it wasn’t worth it at all. Not recommended.

This place was great! It's located in the Queen Anne neighborhood which is super cute. They had an amazing wine list. Very extensive Italian wines & the staff were very knowledgable about them & made good recommendations. Small place...we got lucky walking in, but would recommend making reservations

We loved this restaurant. We shared a number of small plates and also shared the lamb rigatoni entree. The food was excellent and each one of our dishes was well prepared and very tasty. I don't normally eat beets and their beet dish was delicious. The place has a nice ambience - small but clean and good vibes, more of an upscale feel to it. Our waitress was excellent and friendly. Food came out in good time and she came by multiple times to check on us. This would be my first stop if I'm ever back in Seattle. I liked it immensely.

The restaurant itself is very well designed and there was a lot of thought put into it. However, for the prices, the food wasn't all that great. I enjoyed my experience here though. Don't think I'll be back anytime soon.

We returned for my husbands bday with another couple who had never been. We share 3 appetizers and 3 pastas and had plenty. This left room for splitting two deserts among us and having dessert wines (they have a great list). For appetizers we had mussels, polenta fritters, and the peppers (may have been seasonal). We had the ravioli, gnocchi and tagliatelle. It is hard to get a reservation for 4 (we had to go Sunday at 5:30) but it seemed easier to get a table for 2. They give parties a leisurely dinner and that is partly why they are hard to get into. They want you to enjoy the experience.

Would I go back? No not necessarily. It was ok, the food was good, different, but it did not wow me. I have been to a few of Ethan Stowell's restaurants, and I will say that I find them all the same, which is ok. I am glad I tried it, and them, and will continue to try the new ones that come out, hoping one will call me back again and again. I like that the restaurants are small, 10 tables with great ambiance within great small neighborhoods. If you want to try any of his restaurants, make reservations...in advance.

eclectic; small portions of each selection; so 6-8 plates for four people. excellent beet salad and fregola for starters with Gnudi and meat board for antipasto. baby greens are very good. Excellent choice for vegetarians and carnivores. highly recommended ok wine selection...could be better

How To Cook A Wolf takes its name from a 1942 cookbook that strived to help readers use simple ingredients to prepare delicious dishes during wartime shortages. No shortages exist now, but this restaurant embraces the concept. Basic ingredients generally blend well here for superb offerings on the menu. The restaurant encourages family-style dining and offers no standard-size entrees. Four of us selected a variety of dishes last night and then shared the small plates. We began with two starters (antipasti and bruschetta) and two pasta dishes ( strozzapreti and agnolotti), a type of order that is usually sufficient at other family-style restaurants. But we remained hungry after finishing and requested another pasta dish and desserts. Based on my small appetite, I can only imagine how unsatisfying our original order would have been for those accustomed to more food. I would recommend ordering at least one more dish than you expect to be able to finish. Quality certainly surpassed quantity, for the most part. One member of our party said a pasta dish was "greasy" and remarked that he didn't like the taste of another. I disliked the taste of the strozzapreti. Fabulous desserts (the chocolate cake with chocolate gelato was particularly outstanding) made us forget the minor drawbacks to dinner. Our server assisted us throughout dinner, describing dishes, giving estimates on portion size and regularly checking on our progress. She even brought two copies of "How to Cook A Wolf" to the table for us to look through. This restaurant seems to be on many diners' radar screen and the small space is usually filled to capacity. I suggest making reservations well in advance. If you have difficulty hearing, the table at the back of the room -- sometimes referred to as the "wolf's den" -- is the best place to have an understandable conversation. The remainder of the restaurant has small tables packed closely together and a bar. How To Cook A Wolf is open daily, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Free parking is available in the immediate Queen Anne Neighborhood.

My bother met in Seattle from Denver and said we needed to eat here. Well I am a southern picky eater and I was very nervous. But to my surprise it was actually good. The best part was it was a small intimate restaurant and the waiter we had was great. I had a pasta dish that was good.

This place is a lie. There is absolutely no wolf on the menu, not even a bone, muchless instructions on how to cook one! Seriously, though. This place is fantastic! We were drawn in by the name, and we were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves at a little neighborhood bistro. Our group of three managed to snag a table out on the sidewalk on a lovely summer eve. It was fun to sit and watch the people go by. Our server was attentive and friendly; we were greeted with a big smile. (I was also super happy to get a parking spot right out front! It was a good day.) We started with some small plates of beets and the chicken liver pate. Both were fantastic, the beets roasted perfectly. The bread they serve was think and delicous. We shared a couple of the pasta dishes as well - the conchigile and the ricotta gnude. We loved both dishes and probably would have ordered more except we had plans for ice cream for dessert. (Down the street.) I am looking forward to a return visit and to trying the other restaurants throughout Seattle that are part of this group!

Somehow I forgot to write a review after we started getting takeout here during the pandemic. It has been such a pleasure to be able to pick up essentially 4 courses of great food for a very reasonable price. We've had an assortment of fabulous pastas, all well done and with interesting and tasty accompaniments. Most recently we got Conchiglie Neri (squid ink large shells) with Baby Squid, and caramelized tomato, pangrattato. So good, that after we both said "This is a giant portion!" we both ate it all. It was served with marinated olives, squash with whipped goat cheese and pepitas, roasted beets with marcona almonds and frisee. Dessert was an indescribably good polenta cake with sage ricotta, huckleberry and walnuts. The best! We also ordered chocolate gelato, because we could, to be eaten another time, and it was great. Thank you, How to Cook a Wolf for providing us with such great eating adventures during this endless pandemic!

This is a cheerful, intimate neighborhood restaurant with gourmet cuisine. Among the dishes we tried were duck breast, gnocchi with chanterelles, and tagliatelle with spicy bolognese sauce — all delicious. There is a very good selection of wines, beers, including local specialties, and cocktails. The service (Sheila was our server) was friendly and attentive. Dinner for four with drinks and wine, including a 20% service charge (no tips are required over that) came to about $214 — quite reasonable given the quality of the experience.

We had a wonderful dining experience in this beautiful restaurant. The restaurant has a welcoming and cosy atmosphere with friendly service from the staff. The menu choices are excellent and the food is wonderfully prepared and delicious. The entire experience was very enjoyable.

This is a great place to enjoy a meal[s] with family and friends. Meals are served "family" style with small (generally) plates but enough to sare for four people, if you have more they will increase serving size to meet your needs. Staff was friendly, knowlegable and efficient. I would add two items to their menu; a pizza dis that changes nightly and a rib dish. Other than that this was a wonderful place to eat and enjoy a wonderful meal

How to Cook A Wolf is quickly becoming our "go- to" spots at the top of Queen Anne Ave.. In a word, it is delicious in its simplicity. The appetizer small plates are meals in their own right and the pasta dishes change -- each being better than the last. Friendly staff and a small but tasty wine selection makes this a place we will kee coming to.

First time visitor to the Wolf. This is a SMALL restaurant and when full is not for the claustrophobic. The atmosphere is nice and the only issue would be your proximity to other diners. Our server Amber was exceptional as well as Joey on the bar. Great recommendations on the appetizer, we had the Crisped Semolina Gnocchi which was great as a first course. For our main courses we chose the Copper River Salmon and the Bucatini. Both were delicious and well prepared. The salmon dish was fresh and clean rounded out by the parsnips but the portion was smallish for the $22 price tag. The bucatini dish was bursting with flavor with the capers and pine nuts but again, the price tag of $17 for a medium bowl of homemade pasta seemed steep. Value aside, a very good experience, staff was exceptional. This experience makes me want to try another on of Ethan Stowell's restaurants...one with more room.

This restaurant was highly recommended for Seattle so I took my wife to it for a test. I spent a lot of time in Tuscany, thus the comparison with the real thing would be tough but I still wanted to try something different that sushi and meat (we had some excellent dinners so far in Seattle). We ordered the Spaghetti for a Primo. It was practically INEDIBLE, the pasta was well cooked but the mint was the only flavor in it (spicy mint to be honest but the mint was dominating EVERYTHING else). Then we went for mussels and scallops. The mussels were ok nothing special but the scallops were well how to put it, it was as if i was chewing large amounts of sea salt (the orange was not a good match with SO MUCH SALT). For last I made the mistake to order desert despite my wives recommendation (she was sure this would be also junk), and guess what, the cannoli was like eating rough mascarpone, not even a hint of sugar (and this comes from someone who doesnt like very sweet deserts). The big fiasco was in the end that the people came and picked up the desert that we didnt touch (practically the whole thing) and brought it as a take away...Did i mention that the average overpriced wine was warm although white....

We came for our mom's birthday, and as soon as we walked in they made us feel welcome and wished our mom a happy birthday. Restaurant has a great atmosphere, and I can't say enough about the food. Everything from the bread, to the starters, and main course was absolutely delicious. We will definitely be back.

The bruschetta was tasty. The cannoli were delicious. The gnocchi and the pork tenderloin were delicious. The salami board was very good.

Had my 3rd date with my wife there and have been back several times after that date because of the great food and even better ambiance. They serve Italian food and give it a nice twist. I have had a nice pasta with asparagus and a amazing rabbit ravioli. the wine selection is great and the servers are attentive and give you time to finish your dinner, not taking away your plate when you put down your fork.

We were staying downtown on a weekend visit to Seattle and decided to venture out a little further to try this neighborhood gem of a restaurant on the advice of a friend and we were glad we did! Creative plates to share and a nice open front and kitchen so even though the space is small and intimate it was nicely airy. A member of our party has a nut allergy and the staff was extremely accommodating and thoughtful in making recommendations off the menu. If you value quality, creativity, and service, you will not be disappointed.

This tiny restaurant on Queen Anne hill is one I've been meaning to try for ages so my husband treated me to a birthday dinner there. Be aware it is hard to reach in Seattle traffic and parking is scarce. You also really need a reservation. Service is professional and pleasant if not terribly friendly, certainly worth the mandatory 20% gratuity charge. The food is very nice. My glass of Italian red was exceptional. Highlights in the dishes we tried included my husband's perfectly cooked succulent lamb. Pasta was fresh made and al dente. We enjoyed the beet salad and the asparagus. I thought everything was a bit bland but I have more adventurous tastes. Not much in the way of vegetarian food choices here, FYI. Also the restaurant took note it wasn't my birthday when seating us (and the info was included in our reservation too) but there were no Bday greetings or any other acknowledgement. So maybe not the ideal choice for a special occasion.

We ate at HTCAW with our two kids, one of whom is a full on vegetarian, the rest of us are flexitarians. None of us was disappointed. The flavours and textures were both surprising and delicious. Well done!

We greatly enjoyed the tasty roasted carrots and parsnip curls. The romanesco was only OK. The pasta with lamb sauce was rich and tasty. The server team was friendly and efficient. The interior is modern and intimate. Very Good.

I ate at How to Cook a Wolf for the first time, but hope I'll be able to eat there again and again. The menu was varied, offering something for everyone in our group. We shared the dishes and each person rated each dish perfect in creativity, taste and presentation. One of the nicest parts of the experience was how good the service was. The waitperson was polite and the dishes were served quickly. It was definitely one of the best meals I've ever had.

It was good, not outstanding, but an enjoyable experience. The service was outstanding, certainly the value for the money is excellent. Just didn't get wow factor from the food. But it was very good.

We overall had a good time, but likely won't be back. Too many other places to try. If you are all bent out of shape over a mandatory 20% tip stop reading now. I usually tip more than 20% so I didn't care one bit about that. They are up front about their policy no secrets. The chicken was great, the pork dish had a bell pepper sauce I'm pretty sure was not described as such on the paper menu. We did not eat that, peppers turn us off big time. The apps and salads were interesting and good, you'll have fun. Seems like the trendy place for millennials with money to go, my opinion. Our bill was $200 for two people, included 3 glasses of wine. Can't afford that too often but it was fun.

This is a small restaurant in Queen Anne neighborhood specializing in taking simple, seasonal and local fare where possible and elevating the basic ingredient to a high level of flavor without compromising the the main ingredient itself. Must have reservations to avoid disappointment. A little noisy for conversation but this was my second experience and most enjoyable.

Three of us had dinner and we shared: Meat Platter, Hamachi, Beet Salad, Oysters, Taglietelli with Beef Cheek Bolognese, Soft Eggs with Crab, and Duck Breast. Cost per plate varies between 15.00 (most of the menu) and 23.00 (Duck Breast)We all thought the Bolognese was outstanding. It had richness, a nice spice, and the ratio between the pasta and sauce was appropriate. We all agreed the low point were the soft eggs with crab. The crab disappeared under the sauce and the egg had an off taste. The Beet salad with smoked trout was really good as was the Duck Breast with peaches and chantrelles. We usually order a bottle of wine, but because they have an interesting list we ordered by the glass. We had 4 different reds and all were very good. Great service! This was our first visit because we've never wanted to stand in line. How wonderful that they are now on Open Table! We will be making another visit.

We were in Seattle for a long weekend and this was hands down the best restaurant we ate at. We had the gnocchi for our main dish but I highly recommend getting several of the appetizers for yourself or to share (everything is so good you might not want to share). Also the service is superb and the outdoor seating was better than I thought.

Make a reservation as they fill up days in advance. Friendly staff who paid attention to our desires. Nice wine specials. Great food well sauced.

This little restaurant in Queen Anne is certainly one of the best in Seattle, with it's emphasis on farm to table sourcing and small plates and a menu inspired by the gourmand MFK Fisher. We have enjoyed dinner there three times and it has been consistently excellent. In our most recent visit we began with Negronis mixed perfectly by Joey in the bar. Our server was Annie and she was pleasant, professional and kept our small plates coming in a very timely fashion. All our dishes deserve to be singled out as standalone highlights. We began with the hamachi crudo, followed by roasted beets and heirloom tomatoes. The chicken liver mousse with huckleberries was fantastic as was the beef tenderloin carpaccio and the smoked salmon bruschetta. Finally, our pork tenderloin was cooked perfectly. How to Cook a Wolf provides memorable dining experiences. Each plate is carefully thought out and presented in an artistic fashion with flavors rich and representative of their local Pacific Northwest sourcing. It is certainly a little gem of a restaurant in Seattle.

Small place as part of the Ethan Stowell restaurants. Reserve your space, as there are not many tables. The menu is fresh and is updated daily. Farm to fork meals, attentive service. So tasty!! The beet salad is outstanding! and the sorbet is served with shortbread cookies which are light and not too sweet and perfect for the end of the meal.

How to Cook A Wolf offers excellent food in a stylish setting. My cocktail was good and strong, and all of the food was terrific. On this night at least, service was pretty bad-slow and inconsistent, ostensibly because of too many online orders hitting all at once. I hope it was just an uncharacteristically bad service night, because it truly was not what I expect from any restaurant, let alone a high caliber restaurant.

We were 2 couples in Seattle for the Tim McGraw and Faith Hill concert and checked out “How to cook a wolf” due to its great reviews. Well, this is another great review. We were promptly seated near the large open door near the outside street tables. Our server was prompt and very knowledgeable about wine and the current menu. My wife and I shared the chicken liver mousse as an appy and we decided to share 3 pasta dishes between the 4 of us and it was plenty. The flavours were amazing. Fresh tasting ingredients and great pasta sauces. I would highly recommend this restaurant if your in the Queen Anne area of Seattle!!

Small place, built with wood panels looks more like the inside of a boat -- Interesting. Small plates that we shared as a family. We had the mixologist's choice of drinks and the DW and I got a vodka based and a bourbon based drink respectively -- very good. the beets with smoked trout was excellent as were the two pastas -- one with crab (lots of pieces of crab meat) and the spaghetti with anchovies and garlic -- Simple but delicious. The Gnudi was the only ok dish -- a little more dense than we have eaten in the past and not enough sauce -- We don't like too much sauce with pastas in general but this dish tasted bland. The Risotto was excellent, creamy and had some great mushrooms. For dessert, the olive oil cake and the Hazelnut/Peanut/chocolate action was excellent. We love the upper queen anne neighborhood and this was an excellent restaurant to visit

Good, but Rione XIII is a better bet for your money and your taste-buds. Granted, the ambiance at How To Cook a Wolf is much better (the woodwork is phenomenal), but the main dishes leave much to be desired. The appetizers are great: the scallops, soft cooked egg with dungeness crab - I would order the entire appetizer list. The pasta (gnocchi, rigatoni, casarecce, ravioli) were all somewhat flat in terms of taste. Perhaps lacking salt, garlic, or more butter/cream? I don't expect/want flavors to be overpowering. Subtle is great. However, if a dish has butter and sage, I expect to taste it, but in some of the dishes, the flavors were muted and muddled. You weren't sure what you were supposed to taste. Not to mention we found what was likely a curly beard hair in the pasta. The waitstaff is tremendous - great people and they gave a complementary dessert. Having been spoiled for a decade at Babbo, Scarpetta, Maialino, Del Posto, Osteria Morini, Esca, Marea, etc. in NYC has made me perhaps a bit jaded or overly critical. Bottom line, better to be found.

I went to How to Cook a Wolf with friends who live in Queen Anne, and all the staff welcomed us like family. We had a lovely tasting array with scallops, octopus, beets, and chickpeas. It has one of those menus where you really want to order one of everything! It would be nice to be able to go back often.

I've had this on my list for over a year now, and now that I live here, I had to make it a point to get in. I understand the process better now, as the restaurant is fairly small, so there aren't too many reservations to be had. We got in on a Monday night, 7:45 reservation. 3 of us. Sat at the corner table by the window. Note: wear your jacket. There's a reason why there is a rolled up carpet cutting off the draft from the floorboards. I was basically cuddling up with my friend on her leg. lol The server was pleasant, but distracted. They were understaffed. Our waters came out, we ordered some plates to share, but I was in starvation mode, so I chose the sourdough for 3 to start. At $3 per piece of bread with an accompaniment of garlic and fennel honey butter.... should be good, right? Except two other dishes came out first, with you guessed it, toast pieces or crackers. By the time the bread got there, we had filled up on other carbs. I should've declined the late sourdough arrival. Dish 1 - Burrata - English Peas, Mint, Fennel Cracker This was very tasty and the burrata creamy, love the addition of the peas, they were bright and a fresh spring feel to the dish. A bit too much on the olive oil. Dish 2 - Lamb Tartare - Anchovy Vinaigrette, Fresh Herbs, Garlic Toast There were some lamb chunks that were sinewy and overall, way heavy handed on the oil. It was like Olive Oil took over. Two bites and I was done. Delightful presentation, but that's where that ended. Dish 3 - The Sourdough Bread. I think I was already breaded out at that point. The honey butter with the one bite of bread I had was lovely. Dish 4 - Polenta Fritters - Ricotta, Sage, Chestnut Honey My favorite dish. Lightly crisp on the outside, and fluffy inside, nice and hot. Sat on top of a sweetly ricotta base and hints of sage. Well done. Bravo! Dish 5 - Tagliatelle - Wild Ramp, English Pea, Egg Yolk, Prosciutto Brodo Tasty. Noodles stuck together though. Boring dish overall. Nothing stood out. Next. Dish 6 - Strozapretti - Pork Belly, Tomato, Calabrian Chili, Pecorino Tastiest dish of all the dishes. Pork belly was a shade stiff. Still some residual olive oil taste though. Server said the dish would be spicy, it wasn't spicy in the least bit. Definitely the more tasty of the two pastas. My opinion, overpriced for the quality of food. Bread should always come out first. My palate was so "olive oil'd" I'm surprised I didn't get Popeye'd as I left!

Visiting Seattle for a few days the couple we were traveling with made reservation at the restaurant. The service was excellent, with the server being well informed of all the different items on the menu. The plates are designed to be eaten family style, where food is shared. The menu is small, which I love, as this almost always ensure fresh food. The food was fresh and tasty, I enjoyed the fresh pasta dishes the best. The serving size is small for 4 hunger persons. Overall this is an excellent place to dine.

Cozy environment with wooden deco, nice crowd, yummy food. From entrée to deserts, we love them all. No matter of just two of u spending a evening with good meal, or a group with long table. They can accommodate your need.

Just based on the local fresh asparagus, the beet cured Copper River sockeye (it's June after all) and the hamachi crudo with jalapenos, there's little left to chance! The place has a good vibe from the staff, a neighborhood feel, and cranks from a small space.

We enjoyed our visit to How to Cook a Wolf. The food was very good but not amazing. The service was great and it is definitely a cool setting for a quiet dinner. Not a place I need to return to but glad that we tried it.

We had an awesome dinner experience. We had four people in our party. Got right in with our reservation. The waiter told us the menu was designed to be family style and to order 1-2 dishes per person. We did that and were delighted with the experience. Dishes came out one at a time. Smoked bluefish bruschetta was to die for. Sugar snap peas were yummy. So was the salmon special dish. We ordered 3 pasta dishes and, by that time, we probably just needed two. All three were delicious. We highly recommend.