A Visit to Brave Horse Tavern and Cuoco

The Chocolate Budino from Cuoco is worth every calorie. 

We recently spent a night out at two Tom Douglas restaurants in Seattle's SLU area. Tom Douglas is a Seattle restaurateur. I've always been impressed with his places and we've dined at many of them. We decided to visit Brave Horse Tavern and Cuoco. They're right next to each other on Terry Ave S, with Brave Horse being just up the stairs from Cuoco. 

Brave Horse Tavern is a casual sports bar with gourmet pub food. They have a decent happy hour, with cheap beer and Rose. Their menu is pretty chicken focused, with two kinds of sliders, buckets of chicken, and wings. There's also salads and pretzels with dipping sauces. I started with a glass of Sparkling Rose and my husband had a Rainier beer and a shot of Bourbon. He ate a salad and I chose a pretzel with the peanut butter bacon dip. Each pretzel arrives on a board with pretzel chips. The pretzel chips were great for dipping. The dip tasted like peanut butter and honey with a small amount of bacon on top for a little bit of savory. The pretzel wasn't huge like some places, but it was plenty big enough. When I dipped the pretzel into the dip, it reminded me of eating peanut butter and honey sandwiches as a kid. 

Next up, we headed down the stairs outside and entered Cuoco, a Northern Italian Trattoria. The lighting was dim and romantic and the promise of an amazing meal was in the air. We decided on a cozy table in the bar and we got settled into the soft chairs. I chose a Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned and my husband picked a Manhattan. My cocktail was exceptional and I could really taste the pumpkin spice and the strong Bourbon. Who knew they'd pair so well together? The glass was also a nice size. 

We shared the Burrata and the Crispy New Potatoes. The dishes came out quickly and both looked like a dream. The burrata had basil pesto, pine nuts, sun gold tomatoes, and came with some crostini for dipping. I enjoy a good burrata and when I see it on a menu, its hard to turn down. The cheese is just so creamy and delicate. The Crispy New Potatoes looked and smelled incredible, too. The portion was just right for sharing. Each bite was better than the next and they were hot and crispy pieces. The potatoes were accompanied with a fennel pollen crema with chives. It looked like sour cream, but tasted miles better. 

We decided to end our night with a bang and order dessert. The Chocolate Budino caught my eye and I knew we had to order it. This is an Italian dessert that's been on my list for a long time. It's not a common dessert in Seattle, so it can be hard to find. The Budino was topped with sea salt and served in a cocktail glass with a cookie. It was rich and chocolaty and worth every calorie. By the time we polished off the dessert, I was stuffed. 

I definitely recommend hitting up these two spots if you're in the South Lake Union area. I still have more Tom Douglas restaurants I want to check out, so stay tuned!