Happy Hour: Tavolata is the spot when you've gotta have pasta

Happy hour |

Let's just get to the pasta. There's no way around it. Tavolata's happy hour features it in all forms — spaghetti, rigatoni and linguine. And gnocchi, both flour and potato versions.

Sure, some rebels in stilettos made a stand recently, ordered a happy-hour salad and picked at some marinated olives, only to succumb once the waiter delivered bowls of pasta with seafood, meatballs and Italian sausage for others nearby.

Tavolata's happy hour will do that to you.

Chef Ethan Stowell serves dinner at the bar. Here comes the baked Gnocchi alla Romana, six big polentalike gnocchi, fluffy and buttery, covered in gooey mozzarella, with tomato sauce and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Tasty, too, were the cheesy chicken meatballs. We're in familiar Stowell territory now. Spaghetti and meatballs were a happy-hour staple at his downtown restaurant Union, too. Too bad these dark-meat chicken meatballs were too delicate to pair with the thick, al dente spaghetti.

A break from pasta? A plate of bruschetta topped with smoked mackerel and aioli, the better tuna salad. Heartier, too.

Wait, we're not done. A bowl of rigatoni with spicy sausage and fresh marjoram, good and simple. Not overcooked or over-sauced.

This is happy hour, almost like family-style. This is pasta made fresh in-house. But happy hour is only at the bar. Little elbow room and space to spread out the dishes. Stagger the order. Stay a while. They don't eat that fast in Italy anyway.

Tavolata, 2323 Second Ave., offers happy hour daily 5-7 p.m. with bowls of pasta for $8. Beers cost $3.50, wine and well drinks $5 and cocktails $7 (206-838-8008 www.tavolata.com).

Tan Vinh: 206-515-5656 or tvinh@seattletimes.com