How To Cook A Wolf

How To Cook A Wolf is one of several Ethan Stowell restaurants in the Seattle area. Although I haven't really heard of Ethan Stowell himself, I have read good reviews about his restaurants online and have been meaning to try one of them sometime. Unfortunately, his restaurants are on the pricey side and if I'm in the mood to spend more than a few bucks on dinner, I'd rather go to the likes of Tilth and Cafe Juanita to satisfy myself. However, since it's Seattle Restaurant Week, I thought it might be a good time to go and see if Ethan Stowell is indeed as good as the reviews say. 

How To Cook A Wolf specializes in Italian cuisine, as do other Ethan Stowell restaurants. When we asked the waiter to recommend some dishes, he mentioned that their pastas are the most popular. At 5pm on a Sunday evening, this small cozy restaurant in the Queen Anne neighborhood was already packed with patrons. The space was so maximized that the three of us had to share a table for 2 and glancing at the table next to us, there were about 8 of them sharing what looked like a table for 5.

 As part of the Restaurant Week deal, each of us gets an appetizer, a main course and a dessert for 25 dollars.  In How To Cook A Wolf, everything was shared. They bring out one dish at a time and place it at the center of the table for everyone to share. 

For our first appetizer, we had fresh oysters dressed with citrus and herbs. I enjoyed this because it was cold and refreshing. However, it had an odd after taste that left my throat feeling uncomfortable. And at the original price of 18 dollars for this dish, there could be more or bigger oysters on the plate. It is a good thing we were not paying full price for this.

The next appetizer that came out was the Ahi Crudo. This I really enjoyed, maybe because I am a big fan of raw fish and avocado, and it had both. The plate came with 4 thinly sliced pieces of tuna on a bed of avocado puree and topped with a slice of chili. My first bite, without too much avocado, was good, but my second, when scooped with as much avocado I can take from the plate, was even better. The small size of this incredible dish left us wanting for more.

Our last appetizer was the beef carpaccio, topped with arugula, cheese and what tasted like small chunks of garlic. I have ordered a few beef carpaccio dishes in the past, and this wasn't any different. The beef came thinly sliced and very tasty, just like all the others I've had. 

Next came our main course, which I believe was the highlight of the meal. We had the Rigatoni with pork sausage in tomato sauce. It was very al dente, very chewy, unlike any other pastas I've chewed on. They were also generous with the sausage. There were huge chunks of it all over the pasta, more than enough for everyone to share. And though I am not a fan of tomato sauce, I was ok with how this dish tasted. The tomato was sweeter than sour and I think the mixture of herbs added to this dish diminished the strong tomato flavor I find in other tomato-based pastas.

Since we ordered 2 pastas for our main course, we decided to go with one fish dish, which I now think was a mistake. The fish was tiny, too tough and a bit salty. It was dressed with parsley puree and topped with olives. I do not remember tasting parsley, but maybe I was too busy chewing the fish to notice the flavors that came with the bite.

Finally, my favorite dish of the evening, was the Spaghetti with anchovies, garlic and chili. I rave about this dish mainly because of the pasta's texture. It was even chewier than the rigatoni and I loved it! The dish was a perfect combination of flavors - the saltiness coming from the anchovies, a strong garlic flavor and a hint of olive from the olive oil. Of course, the chili gave a nice kick to it, without making it too spicy. Definitely deserving of two thumbs up.

For dessert, we had two brownies and one panna cotta. The brownie was too rich, but when eaten with the nutty ice cream on top, it was just about right. The panna cotta was everyone's favorite and what could represent my idea of a perfect dessert. There's a fruity flavor to it coming from the raspberry sauce, chocolate coming from the cocoa nibs and milk from the panna cotta itself. It is what I would want to have after a huge meal because it isn't too filling and the portion is just right.

I was impressed enough with the main course and the desserts that I would add Tavolata and Anchovies and Olives (two other Ethan Stowell restaurants) to my list of restaurants to visit. I could skip the appetizer and go straight to pasta next time. 

How To Cook A Wolf

2208 Queen Anne Ave. N.

Seattle, WA

206-838-8090