Restaurant Review: Ristorante Machiavelli
Sunday, July 27, 2025
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| Ristorante Machiavelli Photo by TCA |
425-774-0650
This establishment was a mainstay of Capitol Hill for 35 years, but has relocated, bringing downtown dining to the happy denizens of Edmonds.
Started by Tom & Linda McElroy in 1988, the hostess and chef liked it so much they bought the store to continue its legend.
Acquired by Suzette Jarding in 2013, she moved to the heart of Edmonds in 2023, taking the baton from the much-lamented Chanterelle.
It has a bright, open-concept dining room, with sidewalk seating, weather permitting.
At a glance, it is traditional Italian with many classic favorites. An original “Red Sauce Joint”, its roots and recipes have endured from origins in North Beach of San Francisco. It has met expectations for well over three decades and aims to continue in its new premises.
It should be noted that all their sauces are made from scratch, keeping true to their heritage and decades of expertise.
There will be mozzarella, olives, anchovies, capers, parmesan, gorgonzola, arugula, parmigiano reggiano, coppa, basil, fontina, gruyere, ricotta, prosciutto, gianduja, tending towards the pescatarian, but suitably omnivore.
Appetizers feature Macrina bread, antipasto, Caesar salad, tuna carpaccio, olive/anchovy tapenade, bresaola, minestrone soup.
Pizza selections include mushroom, pesto, artichoke/mushroom, coppa/garlic, spicy salame, sausage/peppers (Mama Lil’s).
Pasta selections are linguini, fettuccine, penne, spaghetti, conchiglie, to create vongole, carbonara, marinara, Bolognese, puttanesca, pepper pesto, Alfredo, meatballs, sausage, prawns, garlic/olive oil.
Specialties are meat lasagna, spinach ravioli, eggplant parmesan, gnocchi, tortellini formaggio, prawns/spinach.
Other entrees are veal/chicken piccata, veal/chicken parmigiana, veal saltimbocca, veal/chicken Milanese, chicken al forno, filet mignon.
But to order veal/chicken/steak at a pasta & pizza haven would be a mystery, as it has marinara & garlic and plenty of it!
And if you have any more room, a must-have is their famous Il Diplomatico (ladyfingers, espresso, rum, choc mousse), or affogato or cheesecake or gelato – or you could come again just for dessert.
The bar is well stocked with reds, whites, beers and sodas. They also have impressive options for brunch, lunch, and happy hour.
You want Italian comfort food, you got it, without the fuss of a trip into the big city, due to a renaissance.
Buon appetito!
--TCA
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6 comments:
That's a review? Seems like all you did was list items off the menu. How was the service? How did things taste? Is it a good value for the money?
But is it good? This is more of a description than a review.
It's a brief review/overview of the history, atmosphere and menu. It's not a food critic's review, nor would I want it to be. You can find those elsewhere. I like the friendly overview. It fits well with a community newsletter and is enough for me to consider whether or not I'd want to try it out .
We had a fantastic experience at this Italian restaurant. The service was truly exceptional—friendly, attentive, and made us feel right at home. The food was absolutely amazing—every dish was full of flavor and clearly made with care. It’s such a treat to have a place like this right in our little town. Highly recommend!
I have been twice. The first time was ho-hum. Pasta under cooked and wrong sauce. Tried once more, thinking maybe the experience the first time was because it was new. Nope. Ordered a grilled sandwich that was so saturated in butter it was inedible. Of the four people at my table and four different entrees, not one of us enjoyed our lunch.
I've eaten here - the food, service and atmosphere were all good. But this is really not a review, it reads more like an advert.
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