It’s one in the afternoon and we’re drinking bourbon. I came here to Cantinetta to have a chat with Chef Brian Cartenuto…5 minutes into the interview, he’s pouring Basil Hayden with a heavy hand.  I am, of course, charmed. This is how interviews should start. Hell, this is how everything should start- grocery runs, walks with the dog, yard work…no matter- pour the bourbon. Based on this action alone, I know that Brian and I are going to get along just fine.

“You hungry?” he asks. I just had lunch but when word gets out that Ive never tasted rooster he bolts back to the kitchen. “You have to try it…” he tells me. He comes back not 10 minutes later with rooster prepared two ways. On one plate, it is braised and sitting a top a bed of chanterelle mushrooms, the other holds fat raviolis stuffed with the meat. Both smell so good that my lunch earlier is quickly forgotten, my belly suddenly growling in anticipation. The braised rooster is what chicken should taste like. Its rich and gamey, so savory and soft that I cannot stop eating it. I want to pick it up, suck on the bones. The ravioli is velvet on my tongue, tasty as hell- the rooster meat inside satisfyingly full flavored. I want to keep eating, drinking and I want to keep talking. Chef Brian is charismatic and crude, honest and funny…this interview is cake.

Obviously, my experience here this rainy afternoon was nothing but pleasant…really a wonderful time in which I may have met a new drinking buddy. But perhaps I should break down what makes Cantinetta so very enchanting overall. First off, the space itself is fucking gorgeous. The restaurant sits nestled on a quiet corner in Wallingford- the exterior is brick, the interior remarkably European. Its in the glow of the lighting, the worn wood floor…the antique chandeliers…its the dark wood, the buttery walls, the solid furniture. I have eaten at Cantinetta three times previous to this visit and loved it a little more each time. The food is more than good- its captivating enough to quiet a busy table after a single bite. A far cry from your typical Italian American pasta/red sauce joint- there are no lumpy lasagnas or garlic powder seasoned breads, no tired Chicken Parmesans or gluey congealed Alfredo. Cantinetta makes Italian cuisine interesting again. Here, there are no “typical” foods instead Chef Brian Cartenuto has filled the menu with inspired dishes that pay intelligent homage to their Italian roots. This place strikes me as well thought out- every part of it…the location, the decor, the menu. Its alluring warmth and nonchalant glamor is conducive to a casual dinner at the bar or a special occasion. Cantinetta is everything, truly everything I want an Italian restaurant to be.

Interview with Chef Brian Cartenuto.

**keep in mind that I had to cut this interview down quite a bit in the interest of page space (we chatted for over an hour)…so unfortunately I was forced to leave out some real gems (ie- his dirty jokes and a lot of our amusing banter). Trust me, he’s hilarious…and that’s not just the whiskey talking.

A bit about you? Your background?
I’m Italian by heart…my mom and dad are both from Italy and so I love Italian food, I was raised on Italian food but I never felt like I could cook it well enough to compare to my mothers and fathers standards. So in that, I went somewhere else…I did Provencal French and I spent a year abroad traveling on a small yacht. I was working for a small cruise ship company. I did four months in Central and South America and the Caribbean then I did another four and a half- five months in Europe…the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, the Med, North Africa. As of today Ive been to 57 percent of the worlds countries.

There seems to be a lot of traveling going on with chefs eh?
Well, I was a military brat from the beginning, my Dad was in the military, so we did Eastern Asia and Japan. Ive been to all the continents except for Australia..Ive been to Antarctica. So a lot of traveling and I always did it on someone elses dime..whether that was the governments when I was a kid or the companies I’ve worked for as an adult. Anyway, I got tired of Europe and decided I wanted to be somewhere else. I knew some people out here…I was somewhat dating a girl in San Francisco and Spokane- there was 2 different girls at the time and there was an ad on Craigslist for this position (the restaurant hadn’t even opened yet) to open a brand new restaurant focusing on 100% handmade pastas only using local seasonal ingredients and Tuscan culinary traditions. One of the first things I ever learned how to cook from my mother was handmade pasta. So…got tired of living in Europe, replied to an ad and on September 16th I flew out here to Seattle. I had never been out here in my life. I cooked for Trevor and the other owners of the restaurant plus their families for 2 days and then they offered me the job.

How long has Cantinetta been here? How long have you been here?
Ive been here one year…September 16th was my one year anniversary. We’ve been open since January 3rd though…so we’ve only been open for about 9 months.

This place feels like its been here longer…
That’s what we were trying to do…we were trying to create a neighborhood restaurant that has a feel when you walk in that its been here forever. The floor is from Garfield High School…we made the tables ourselves. Trevor made them..my pastry chef varnished them and I stained them. They are made from old growth Douglas Fir that we found in Southern Washington. We really tried to make it feel like its been here for awhile.

Did you develop the menu?
Well my only guideline was 100% handmade pastas and use as much local and seasonal ingredients as possible. It was a really daunting task for me at first, not being from this area. I didn’t know what was local, what wasn’t and what really defined local. I define local different than probably Maria Hines does at Tilth or Ethan Stowell…we all define local as different. To me local is British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and sometimes Northern California when you really need it. It was hard at first…it really was- not knowing any purveyors, not knowing who to buy an onion from or where to get fish from…it was daunting. I had to do a little trial by fire with that. Right now, the menu is about 85% local.

Has your cooking always reflected what is local to the area you live?
Ive always cooked with whats in season. For me, Ive always believed there’s twelve seasons…one for every month. A good example would be asparagus. Asparagus is a Spring thing…really only phenomenally good for four weeks in April maybe even late March but after that its kind of gone, hit or miss. You can get it year round…you can get it from Ecuador but that’s not what I wanted to do. I always wanted to get stuff that was in season because to me food is a link to a lot of memories. When I see rack of lamb I always think of my Mother…maybe its because my Mom loves rack of lamb. Lamb in general reminds me of my mother and that’s what food does for a lot of people. So why should I bring in asparagus right now? Its cold and dreary outside, you don’t want foods like asparagus that make you think about Spring and sun and about frolicking outside. On a day like today no one wants to frolic outside.

How often does the menu change?
The menu changes 80% about every (80% because we have some staples that will never leave) week. Some things come and go…we tweak things here and there. But mostly things move with the season. You can come in Fall a few times and you ll probably see two or three different menus. I did just bring back a pasta that we started with which is a home made creme fraiche with black pepper and a fresh farm egg with tagliatelle that you stir the egg yolk in at the end and it makes the sauce even creamier.

What inspired you to be a chef?
I think more than anything- it just made sense. Cooking and using this as a creative outlet always made sense to me…I could figure it out really fast. I don’t think there was a real shining moment but my parents have restaurants. It was never pushed upon me…actually, originally I wanted to become a priest. But my mom said she wanted grandchildren and I realized that I liked sex.

Why Wallingford?
I know they were looking at a lot of places and I think what really drew them to this location was the building. You know, its on a corner, its brick…it is set in a neighborhood. Six block radius all around there is nothing- there’s no other restaurants here really.

Whats your favorite part of this?
I like the whole package. I get to cook. For a shy guy like me its kind of a rock star job. And its the lifestyle too…I work all day and then I go home…I go to sleep- I don’t go out and party all the time. Or I go play football…I’m not your typical hipster Seattle chef that you see…I never have been. I like to differentiate my social life from my work life. Its great because I get to be a part of this community of chefs and still do my own thing and that’s okay.

Are there parts you don’t particularly care for?
The hours. I mean…I love the hours but I hate them. I don’t mind that they re long but sometimes I wish I could take more trips, visit my family in Florida. Or I just want to have a Saturday off and watch college football all day. So the hours…this industry is not conducive to a normal social life.

What are your personal favorites on the menu?
Right now, I really like the duck confit with brussel sprouts. Anything duck with me, in general, it will be my favorite…I just love duck- I love the versatility of it. Also, I really like pork cheeks…so we have a pork cheek risotto with slow roasted root vegetables and thyme. One of our classics that I like is the black pepper creme fraiche tagliatelle and a farm egg…just hinted with a little lemon zest and chives. Those are the three things I really like on the menu right now but if you were to ask me two or three weeks ago it would have been totally different.

Most popular?
Pappardelle bolognese, gnocchi or the tagliatelle. Pastas are always really popular.

Anything you wont put on your menu?
I have a very strong pastry background as well…Ive done pastries for many many years and I hate creme brulees and I hate tiramisu. I think creme brulees are overdone and tiramisu- same thing. You just wont see the classic standard Italian American stuff on our menu…you wont see chicken Parmesan, you wont see lasagna…no cliche Italian food.

What would you like to see change in the way that people eat?
I think everyone needs to learn balance in life and in what they eat. Of course, less processed foods- that would be great. But, really, don’t get me wrong- you put a Hot Pocket in front of me when I’m drunk and I’m going to eat it. I’m not going to lie…I eat processed foods. A lot of times its a matter of convenience for me. But I think if people learned balance more than anything- that would be huge. You know, none of this “I’m going to cut dairy out of my diet” or “I’m not eating wheat or rice”…these elimination diets are the problem. We just need to get back to the basics. I was always told to eat on the outside of the grocery store- whats on the outside? Its the fresh foods- dairy, seafood, meat and vegetables. If you eat that way for the most part you’re going to stay pretty healthy…its when you start going in to the aisles is when you get into trouble. And of course, support whats around you- I would much rather go to a local farmer than just grabbing organic from who knows where. Why am I going to get an organic tomato out of Mexico? Just because its organic? I can get a great tomato from my own backyard or from a local farm…that’s what I find more important.

Future plans with Cantinetta?
I just want us to stay as busy as we have been staying. We’ve held to our principles really well- we make everything in house from scratch,  nothings over $18 and you always walk away satisfied..these are things that I want us to continue to hold to and we will. In the future, we d like to have another Cantinetta or another establishment. I’m here for the long haul…I fell in love with Seattle. I do miss my family but this is home now.

What would you be if you weren’t a chef?
Um…I’m really into fashion. I worked for Donna Karan for awhile and I did marketing for a couple clothing companies during my stints of wondering if I really wanted to cook. I would probably do something in the fashion industry…not retail per say because I hate folding…so that means Ill do your laundry for you if you come over and fold mine. We can work out a deal.

I hate folding. I don’t fold…I usually just leave my clean clothes in the dryer.
Really? Hmmm…shit. Come on…I iron!

Oooo…you iron? I fucking hate ironing- I don’t remember the last time I did it. Looks like you can do more for me than I can do for you eh?
We can talk about it…we can work out a deal. Anyway yeah, fashion industry or maybe a personal shopper.

What do you eat at home? Do you cook at home?
I do cook at home all the time. Bowl food- you know, rice dishes…I like red beans and rice. Just simple grilled chicken…I also eat a lot of seafood at home. Really…what evers around…like last night I made myself carbonara. Two nights ago I made myself fish tacos.

Food favorites? What do you love?
Pasta. Pasta and red sauce- that’s what I was raised on…I cant get tired of it. Pizza- I love pizza. I get Pudge Bros. because they deliver. I love Chinese food. I love Sea Garden. I like late night food…street vendors.

Dislikes?
For the longest time I wouldn’t eat oysters but lately I love them. The one thing I will not eat is calf’s liver…I don’t want to eat it. Ill usually eat anything…growing up my Dad and I used to have brussel sprout and sardine eating contests. I love food..there’s nothing I wont try. But if I have a choice- I’m not going to do the crazy shit…like don’t give me a cricket or something like that. I don’t want the crazy shit. As far as cuisines go, Thai does nothing for me. Give me really good Chinese or Mongolian or Cantonese cuisine..but Thai to me, I guess its just…maybe its too sweet? I love Vietnamese food…but Thai- no.

Would you rather go savory or sweet?
Depends on the time of day. I mean, I have a huge sweet tooth…I think I ate all my saltwater taffy for the day that I had allotted myself in like 37 seconds. But, I like going out to eat…I like having a dinner…but I do always save room for dessert.

Whats your favorite dessert?
Ice cream.

Favorite places to eat in Seattle?
Sea Garden…umm, I like Bombay in the U-district, Palace Kitchen, Spinasse, Smith, Quinns, RoRos, the taco truck up on 45th- those are my favorites.

Proudest achievement?
So far, I’m just happy to be where I’m at right now. I’m 28 years old and I’m in a pretty successful restaurant in Seattle. Im just proud of where Im at today and I still have a lot of energy and a lot of gumption to go do something else.