Seattle's Pintxo

Seattle has a new after-work Belltown hot spot: Pintxo. The Basque word pintxo means "small bite" but I swear, it should mean "pinch of pepper" because there was so much paprika and pepper all over our plates (and even some red pepper in one of our drinks!), which made for some great looking, and great tasting foods.

We arrived a few minutes before 5pm on the opening day of this new hangout. My friend, Luuvu Hoang, who had done the video teaser for their web site, was there helping out by arranging flowers last minute, for all of the tables.

We met the owner, Cory, the marketing gal, Elisa, and several of the friendly workers there. We sat down in the lovely back courtyard for a few bites and a couple of drinks. The drinks are seriously where it's at here. I highly recommend the Inti.

Here is a selection of photos from our time at Pintxo!

No paper menus. Only chalk-written on the wall. And
a big vat of "Singria", their signature sangria.

My friend and I were in love with the red chef jackets.
I also loved all of the little tiny plates for serving pintxos.

It's sparcely decorated inside but cozy.

I loved this back patio! A fantastic outdoor eating area.

Pintxos being prepared.

Spices.

Luuvu arranging flowers with Corey, the owner, taking
care of last-minute details.

Not long after they opened, there were folks on the patio.

The fabuloous Inti drink. (Whiskey, Licor 45, and
chocolate bitters)

Singria. A not-very-sweet version of sangia.

Singria and Luuvu's spiked lemonade with red pepper flakes.

Andrea, our wonderful waitress who explained everything
to us and was gracious enough to let us take photos.

Amuse bouche of potato/pea mixture that looked
(and tasted like) avocado guacamole.

Little tiny tomato toasts (a simple bruschetta).

Mushrooms with pimentos.

Leeks and a chorizo-style sausage with cream.

Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese.
By far, my favorite of the pintxos.

They really have some of the most gorgeous little bites I've had the pleasure of photographing. Each one was pretty darned tasty, too. But the honest-to-goodness main reason I'd go back there is that back patio (in the summer) and the really tasty cocktails. It's the perfect after-work or late-night locale. (I don't think I would actually eat dinner there.) The small bites were enough to keep you satisfied while you enjoyed your drinks, before you head out to a more substantial dinner elsewhere. Of course, that's just my opinion.

I'm sure that Pintxo will go far in the Belltown neighborhood. They're in a great little location and the atmosphere is very welcoming. We enjoyed our afternoon there.

Welcome, Pintxo Seattle!