Where did all of the people come from?

I have lived in Seattle for 3 years. Actually, now that I think about it, I moved to Seattle about 3 years ago to the day. The entire time I have resided in Seattle I have lived in Freemont or Ballard. I have noticed during this summer that Ballard, especially Ballard Ave NW, has been packed with people. I don’t know when Ballard became popular, but now it’s nearly impossible to get table for dinner the best restaurants.

I am willing to admit that I am part of the overcrowding problem – I am not a native and I frequent many business establishments. Last night I enjoyed dinner at the “new gem” Volterra (http://www.volterrarestaurant.com/). The restaurant opened this summer and has enjoyed a constant stream of people seeking their delicious cuisine. The eatery has been featured in all of the local newspapers and even in the NY Times. Benefiting from the inherent capabilities within my blog I can now write my own review.

The atmosphere and service were great. However, with all of the acclaim in the press I expected more pazzow with the food. The best dish we had was homemade lamb ravioli with a creamy and mildly spicy tomato sauce – it was delicious. Also, we started the meal splitting a warm mild mushroom salad that was excellent. The other two dishes, halibut and muscles, were average. The flavor was good, but not memorable. In the end I would recommend the restaurant, but maybe order a few different selections. The one problem, Volterra is slammed every night (even on Monday), so good luck getting a table. I guess that’s the point of this blog – Ballard restaurants have become packed and it’s often hard to get a reservation.