Last night we lucked into some baby sitting (thanks, neighbors!), so we went out for an actual sit-down meal at a place without a kid’s menu. This time around it was the Ballard location of Pasta Bella, a string of old shops mashed into a funky, twisty space. We’ve been before, so we knew what to expect: Classical Italian meat and pasta dishes with creativity and taste. After the fine (and spinach-free) salads, I was disappointed in my veal tri formaggio — it’s easy to overcook veal, sadly — but the wife’s pollo agrodolce was a fine mix of fruit and chicken. For dessert, it was bread pudding and tiramisu (with vintage port as well for me). It’s not the best bread pudding in the city (not as long as Boat Street has their amaretto-and-cream heart attack in a bowl on the menu), but it’s well above average.

Total price for food and wine and tip: $100 for two. But very much worth it, even before you factor in not having a two year old demanding your attention.