A few weeks ago, my sister and I decided to reward ourselves after a long day’s work in Seattle with a nice dinner out. She suggested Il Terrazzo Carmine — known affectionately as simply “Carmine’s” to locals. An institution for more than 25 years, Carmine’s is located in the historic Pioneer Square district, so I expected a very traditional space in an old brick building with a good though perhaps somewhat stodgy menu. Happily, I was wrong on most counts. It was a chilly, wet, blustery evening when we arrived, so we were thankful for the complimentary valet parking located just across the alley from the restaurant’s courtyard entrance. The building might be over a hundred years old, but the initial impression is of a modern yet welcoming entrance with a fountain, lush containers of plants and a scattering of tables for al fresco dining on more temperate evenings. Inside, I got an immediate sense of unpretentious, elegant comfort and warmth from dark woods and soothing, subtle fabrics. I appreciated that this wasn’t one of those places gloomily lit to the point where one needs the table’s candle to help one read the menu. Instead, soft lighting, flowers on every table and the gleam of the copper hood in the semi-open kitchen added to the sense of welcoming. We hadn’t made a reservation on this Wednesday evening, so we accepted a pleasant table in the bar, which thankfully was not too crowded or noisy. The food here is classical Italian, but plenty of local ingredients are featured and put to good use — especially seafood. We each ordered a glass of wine and started with bruscetta — but with chunks of king crab added to the usual tomatoes and basil. Really scrumptious, although either the bread hadn’t been toasted quite enough or the topping was a little too juicy, as we found the bread sagged as we tried to pick it up from the plate. I moved on to some wonderful salmon on a bed of risotto while Ann chose a pasta dish. We ended the meal sharing crème brûlée (served with perfect berries) and tiramisu, both of them light and just right to end the evening. I would certainly visit Carmine’s again and recommend it to visitors to Seattle. The food, the service and the setting were all just right — although next time I might visit on a warm summer evening and enjoy dining outside! — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor