Foodie Friday: Ciao Trattoria in Pasco, WA

One of the newer local restaurants in the area is also a great choice if you are looking for Italian cuisine in the Tri-Cities area.  My girlfriend and I stopped by Ciao Trattoria on 4th Avenue in Downtown Pasco for dinner this week.

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I had been to Ciao Trattoria for the first time last summer not long after they opened and was impressed with the menu and the food.  With so many offerings in the area, sometimes a place slips your mind, and that is what happened with me and Ciao Trattoria.

As we were discussing where to go to eat I remembered and asked if she had been there. When the answer was no, dinner plans were made.  The atmosphere is quaint, a little on the smaller side, but comfortable.  We got there at the beginning of the dinner rush so we could choose our table.

The Appetizer

We decided to start with the Mediterranian Plate, which comes in a 2 person or 4 person option.  The two person is what we went with.  The pita bread was perfectly seasoned and warmed and the cucumber salsa was light but flavorful.  The hummus was good and the tzatziki was excellent.  The star of the dish was the gyro meat...the flavor, texture, and temperature was outstanding.

My Girlfriend's entree

She decided to go with the Wild Mushroom Ravioli with garlic parmesan sauce, king oyster mushrooms and garnished with pine nuts.  Unfortunately they were out of the mushroom stuffed ravioli so she opted for the burrata stuffed ravioli.  Even though it wasn't the intended item, the burrata ravioli was excellent, very light.  The mushrooms were flavorful and really worked well with the ravioli.  The garlic parmesan sauce was also light and had good flavor.

My Entree

I know..it looks like a big hunk of cheese... but under it is Cannaloni Florentine.  It is pasta stuffed with ricotta, spinach, and Italian herbs topped with your choice of garlic parmesan, tomato sauce (or both), then cheese and baked.  The first time I was there, their bolognese sauce really stood out.  I asked if I could substitute that and was very happy that I could.

The Cannaloni Florentine was excellent.  The consistency of the pasta was very good and the combination of the stuffing, sauce and cheese was delicious.  The bolognese sauce really tied everything together, so I would recommend asking for the bolognese if you decide to go there and try that dish.

The service was tremendous.  Our server was friendly and was consistently checking on our table to see what we needed.  This is a great locally owned place to go for a quiet dinner for two or to bring a few friends.