We’re talking Italian American comfort food with Darkalino’s owner/entrepreneur Marcus Lalario and Chef Sean Russo! Marcus and Sean tell us about how their nostalgia for the classic “red sauce joint” inspired a menu update that reclaims corporation-brutalized dishes like chicken parm and sausage and peppers. Could Darkalino’s be Seattle’s entry in the West Coast trend of new restaurants treating old-school Italian American mainstays with a sense of both craft and approachable fun?

We also share our big love for Pioneer Square and discuss where it is in post-lockdown recovery. And Marcus gives us the details on the upcoming concert and event series he’s organized for Occidental Square, which he’s also restyled (unofficially!) as Brick Park.

Plus we chat about Meg’s must-read story in The Stranger about the Virginia Inn lease dispute, and—of course—this week’s restaurant news and our best bites of the week. 

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00:00 Intro

02:48 Darkalino’s Tangletown vs. Pioneer Square

16:06 The Story Behind the Name “Darkalino’s”

20:04 Meg’s Grocery Outlet Mystery Snack

25:20 This Week’s Restaurant News

36:28 Pioneer Square

49:17 Thanks, I Ate It!

01:03:39 Coming Up Next Week