"#1 Best Fireside Dining" - 2005 Citysearch "...But by far the best way to begin a dinner at Sostanza, especially on a cold, rainy night, is with a steaming bowl of Zuppetta Tuscana augmented with a couple of sips of a young red wine, it's sheer culinary poetry. Even more rich is the Risotto ai Funghi and it comes perilously close to dessert..." - John Hinterberger, The Seattle Times "One of Seattle's Top 20 Restaurants" - Gourmet Magazine Devotees would gladly "walk five miles for the osso buco (a frequent special)" and other specialties that "never disappoint" at this "cozy neighborhood" "gourmet Italian" trattoria ("don't look for spaghetti and meatballs on this menu"); it also offers "great ambiance" and a "knowledgeable", "very friendly staff", pleasing its patrons nearly "every time." - ZAGAT SURVEY: BY POPULAR VOTE ZAGAT "America's 1,000 Top Italian Restaurants 2008" For a "great date restaurant" with "views of Lake Washington' to boot, Madison Parkers meet up at this "warm" Northern Italian trattoria serving a "wonderful" menu under the guidance of chef-owner Lorenzo Cianciusi; "unobtrusive" servers help maintain the "relaxing" vibe. 25-23-24 ratings