We checked out Marco's new restaurant last night. Marco, who opened Marco's Supperclub at First and Wall about five years ago, has opened another one where the Septieme coffee house used to be (it's not even worth mentioning that GoodChow was there also). Marco's Supperclub is meant to be relaxing and a place to drop into for whatever reason not just for dinner. Lush Life, on the other hand, is a serious attempt to be an Italian tradition fine restaurant. In the tradition of the Supperclub, though, the prices remain very reasonable. Lush Life just opened up this week and is really still in an experimental stage, so don't hold any mistakes or inadequacies against them because I know that Marco is an experienced and successful restaurateur who will get them fixed. The pasta dishes have two prices, a first course price (about 8 or 9 dollars) and a main course price (about 11 or 12 dollars). Then there are non-pasta main course dishes from 12 to 20 dollars). There's also pizza and interesting appetizers. My wife tried the eggplant main course with red (bell) pepper sauce. I had the mushroom ravioli. The ravioli was strikingly intense. It was one of those dishes where one sops up the sauce with bread when all the ravioli are gone. It was garnished with a spicy chard and more mushrooms. The eggplant would have been an excellent dish under almost any other circumstances, but when placed up against the funghi ravioli, it seemed bland. We didn't get to check out the wine list because we were on a schedule to get out in time to make it to the opera. I had a Chianti which was their most expensive by-the-glass wine, but it wasn't as good as a more medium priced Italian merlot by-the-glass. We ordered an additional glass of the latter. Lush Life (Marco is much into 40's swing music - Louis Prima was on the CD player when we were there - and the name is undoubtedly from the 40's song that Linda Ronstadt got her album title from a few years ago) doesn't have it's name outside yet, nor am I sure that you can get its phone number from information. So to get a reservation call 441-9842 or drop by - enter through a small courtyard just south of the Battery and 2nd Ave intersection on the West side of 2nd Ave.
Seattle, WA