Cucina! Cucina! is an Italian restaurant that kind of seems like a chain restaurant, but their website only shows the one location in Issaquah, Washington. There’s just something about the decor (and the food) of the restaurant that makes it seem like it would have multiple locations. I put this restaurant under Bellevue, because it’s about 15 minutes away, and I don’t want to make a new category for Issaquah.

I went to Cucina! Cucina! when the MePlusFood team went to the states last weekend. I never really got to research the restaurant, because it was a last minute decision. Everywhere else that sounded good wouldn’t take reservations for our big party of 15 in such a short time. So we had to drive all the way to Issaquah, which I’ve actually never heard of. The website also doesn’t have their menu posted.

All I really have to say about this restaurant is that the food is as far from authentic Italian pasta as you can get. The taste was very bland, and not even up to par with Olive Garden. The pasta I got seemed like a pasta that you would get from an Western chain restaurant like  Boston Pizza or Red Robin. It wasn’t very good. I ordered the Wild Mushroom Tetrazine, which was just Penne with a cream sauce and some vegetables (button mushrooms, portabello mushrooms, tomatoes, and peas). It was mediocre and didn’t have much flavour. No strong flavours at all. I also got to try some of the Spinach and Arthicoke dip, but it had a really meaty taste for some reason. Don’t know what’s happening there…

My friend also ordered the Lobster Ravioli and she said the pasta was undercooked and a bit hard for her liking. Another friend ordered the Pollo Marsala, and said that it came out dry.

Also, although the manager was great, the waitress seemed to be a little slow… When paying (there were about 15 of us) she wanted to take the credit cards one by one. Swipe one credit card, come back and then get the next one. With 15 people that would take forever. We decided to put the amounts on the back of the receipt with the last 4 digits and give her all the cards at once, so she just needs to match.

Anyways, I’m pretty sure I won’t be back. It’s all the way in Issaquah, and the pasta is something I can just go get at my local Boston Pizza, or Red Robin. $26 for my mediocre pasta and a huge Blue Moon beer definitely isn’t worth the money.

Cucina! Cucina!
1510 11th Ave NW
Issaquah, WA

Phone: 425-391-3800
http://www.cucinacucina.com

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