This damn fine mandoline work by Mike Easton of Il Corvo Pasta is almost as good as the mandolin playing on “Maggie May”. (Though I find “You Wear it Well” to be the superior song, but I digress). If you don’t have the pleasure of living in Seattle, you are missing out on Mike and some of the best damn food you’ll eat in the entire city. But don’t try and show up for dinner, because Il Corvo is only open for lunch. Fortunately, he opened his doors for me late in the afternoon so we could tape an episode of my podcast, Wine Without Worry.

Now this photo was taken at Mike’s old digs in a gelato place. (Seriously.) I snapped it when I was a guest blogger for him. You see, Mike sends out his menu every day via a blog post before the 11am bell tolls and he throws opens his doors. What else should you know about Mike? Well listen to the damn show! Ok, sorry to be cranky; let me repent.

Here are a few tidbits I gleaned from my half hour with Mike:

• Church pews make excellent restaurant bench seating. Consult craigslist.
• Showcase a unique red wine like Barolo by adding it to a risotto with Pecorino.
• Fancy seasonal greens like garlic scapes are great cooked in white wine.
• Paying bills with someone else’s art sucks.
• Everyone should have wine at lunch.

And there is so much more. Like how being a chef can be relationship-crushing. Well, that’s kind of a downer. We also talk about vermouth, which is uplifting. Oh, and get inspired by the reason behind Il Corvo’s lunch-only weekday hours: so Mike can spend more time at home with his faimly. And, you know, have a chance to do life’s most important work, like teach his daughter how to ride a bike.

Tags: il corvo pasta, mike easton, podcast, Wine Without Worry