First taste: Assaggi Bistro

Assaggi has been turning heads among diners in Ferndale for more than eight years. The name Assaggi means “to taste” in Italian, and in a restaurant like Assaggi the name hits the nail right on the head. The restaurant strives to serve the best possible foods and flavors with a Mediterranean flair.

Co-owners Josie Rotando Knapp and George Gize are fixtures at Assaggi, greeting customers at the door usually with hugs and handshakes as many are regulars. Their presence doesn’t stop there as you will find them walking around to tables and ensuring the happiness of their guests. The brilliance of the restaurant is its ability to get better and build upon its success, something that most restaurants only dream of achieving. 

So what’s the big secret? The key to Assaggi’s success is the attention given to the customers. Servers are friendly and knowledgeable, every time I’ve eaten there I find myself striking up conversation with the servers almost as much as my friends. They are as passionate about the food as the chefs.

When it comes to wine Assaggi has a comprehensive bottle list of eclectic options from Spain, Italy, France and the United States. Glass pours can be a little pricey but they are worth it, especially when at most restaurants you feel like you have to buy a whole bottle to bypass the swill served by the glass. 

Before anything is served or even talked about, a basket of fresh bread baked over Assaggi’s wood-burning stove by Gize, and served with extra virgin olive oil and a mix of Mediterranean herbs. 

For starters, there are plenty of appetizers and salads to get your mouth watering for heavier fare. We had the Antipasti, a beautifully presented plate of marinated cherry tomatoes; prosciutto wrapped spinach, burrata, an Italian mozzarella with a warm creamy center, berignola olives, served with crostini, toasted bread and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. 

Next was the baked brie salad which starts with a generous chunk of baked almond encrusted brie that is then flash fried to obtain a nice golden brown color and textural crunch surrounding its gooey center brie. The brie is served on a bed of pristine organic hydroponic bib lettuce, asparagus tips and halved strawberries served with strawberry white balsamic vinaigrette.

The entrée was a seared flatiron steak, a cut unfamiliar to most but quickly gaining attention from the culinary world. The steak was a twist on the classic steak and potatoes.

Uniform rectangles of beef sliced thin and served rare almost resembling the way top quality beef is served in Japanese restaurants. The slices were plated in a simple cabernet pan sauce with dollops of Roquefort butter on top. Accompanying the steak was handful of herb seasoned pomme frites with smoked paprika ketchup and honey mustard aioli.

Lucky for us the chefs at Assaggi have been experimenting with a new ice-cream maker. The menu offers an ice-cream sampler that rotates as the chefs find new creations to make. We tried the sampler with chocolate malt, strawberry cheesecake and butterscotch pecan. They were all good but the strawberry cheesecake with graham cracker bits and mascarpone cheese hit the spot.