Tonight we had dinner with friends at a place called "Tosoni's" somewhere over in Bellevue. Our friends drove, and we were yakking, so I can't tell you how to get there, but it's kinda this little sign in the middle of a commercial strip mall, next to Egghead Software. From the looks of the outside, you'd never think to go in. The experience however, would be well worth your investigation. They have a healthy assortment of wines... we wanted a full bodied Shiraz, but they were out of Penfolds so we settled for a red recommended by our waiter... and were not at all disappointed (if only I could recall the name... sheesh). Interestingly, the wine bottle had a brail (as well as printed) label... causing us to wonder if a trend is on its way. We began with oysters rockefeller... which was a pleasant surprise for me, having always been a die-hard "raw on the half shell" kinda girl. Your basic caesar salad, and a sweet potato cashew soup followed. Our entrees were: - Pheasant with a delicate (i.e., NOT like Smuckers) marionberry sauce - Veal Saltimbocca with an excellent, lightly herbed brown sauce - Garlic lamb (thinly sliced and sauteed in a brown sauce with capers) - Winterfest plate: Pork loin resembling weinerschnitzel, and brats/bockwurst made right there in the restaurant. Each plate included a dab of sweet potato, a helping of creamy garlic mashed potatoes, and lightly sauteed fresh vegetables. We (happily enough) gave up trying to decide which entree was our favorite. Dessert was tiramisu (the best I've had in Seattle, but then opinions, like recipes for tiramisu, do vary greatly), creme brulee, assorted sorbets, and a fruit torte sorta thing. Our entrees ranged from $19 to $21 in price... the most expensive entree on the menu was the lobster at $26; the least expensive was a vegetable pasta dish at $16. Other items on the very diverse menu included ostrich, NY steak, ahi tuna, swordfish that our friends say is to die for, lamb rack, chilean sea bass, free range chicken, a vegetarian grill, veal piccata, atlantic sea scallops, and more. The menu does change a little bit from week to week, but it sounds like many of the entrees are ongoing regulars. All in all, we enjoyed everything and would highly recommend Tosoni's be added to this group's "must try" list for good restaurants on the east side. Relaena and Dave
Seattle, WA