At Sitka and Spruce, I had one of my the best meals since moving to Seattle. But what’s a great meal, anyway? Truth be told, food is only half the battle. The rest lies in the service, the ambience, and even the clientelle. Sitka and Spruce hit these marks so well that even if the food was mediocre, which it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have cared.

To start, we arrived about fifteen minutes earlier than Megan and Ross, whose review is below and would later become our tablemates. Valeria and I stood at the bar, read the menu on the chalkboard and started on a bottle of Malbec that seemed to be a hit that night. I base this on my observation of people to the left and right who were also enjoying the same. This wasn’t due to a lack of choices and I am still pressed to find an explanation that doesn’t involve mind control or moon phases.

The wait staff was friendly, informed, and attentive, only pausing long enough to flip the record over on the turntable behind the bar. They had an IPOD below but, luckily for us, stuck to the vinyl. We were seated and asked if we would mind sharing our table. In New York City it is commonplace to eat in some pretty cramped places; I once ate Steak and Frites while sitting atop a family of Canadian tourists. This being the case, we were fine with company. Turns out it was Megan and Ross, the used-to-be strangers who arrived fifteen minutes after us. We didn’t notice at the bar, but they also had ordered the Malbec. Perhaps it was mind control.

The meal that followed was fantastic, made even better by our company and lively conversation. For menu details see Megan’s review; we ordered the same sans ravioli.

I think what makes this place special is the spontanaity that exists within, punctuated by the chalkboard menu, deliberate nature of music selection and the chance to meet new friends. I am looking forward to my next visit.