Gino's Bistro

Reviews

• Gino's Bistro Opening Soon at Four Corners

  February 1, 2012

  Maple Valley Post

  When Gino Rivera began considering a location for a second Gino’s Bistro restaurant, he thought of Maple Valley, his former hometown.
  “I enjoyed the community, and I remembered it being really beautiful,” said Rivera, who lived briefly near the Elk Run Golf Course about 17 years ago.

  Rivera plans to open the second Gino’s Bistro in late February or early March at Four Corners in the former Shakey’s Pizza storefront. His original Federal Way location has been open for about 10 years.
  Gino’s Bistro will seat 105 people and serve Italian and Mediterranean entrees. From the bread to soup to pasta sauce, everything on the menu is homemade, Rivera said.
  Customers will be able to order martinis and wine at a bar that will seat 30. A private room can be reserved for up to 20 people.
  Pizza will also be on the menu. Rivera says he is happy to offer pizza as a memory of Shakey’s, a 30-year Maple Valley institution that went out of business recently when the owner died.
  “Even when I lived here — I remember — if you want to go for pizza, you go to Shakey’s,” he said.
  Unlike Shakey’s, Gino’s will offer a more upscale menu and atmosphere, with bistro-style butcher paper on linen tablecloths.
  Rivera, who has four children, stresses that kids are welcome. The bistro will offer takeout — including both pizza and family-style meals in microwaveable containers. Gino’s also will offer full-service catering.
  Rivera, 40, who immigrated from Peru at 18, says he worked at several Italian restaurants in the region before opening the bistro in Federal Way. He will serve as the primary chef in Maple Valley until he can train a replacement.
  Not just his fond memories of Maple Valley, but also construction of new housing developments and the Fred Meyer complex persuaded Rivera to locate here, he said.
  “We are very excited to come into this neighborhood. It has a lot of potential.”

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• "Best Of Federal Way"

  March 1, 2009

  The Federal Way Mirror

  Gino's Bistro was voted "Best Italian Restaurant" in Federal Way for 2008 & 2009!

• Gino's Bistro: Ample choices, and it's all good

  August 1, 2008

  The Seattle Times

  Gino's Bistro is a classy neighborhood restaurant that for six years has been tempting residents of Federal Way with exquisitely prepared Mediterranean cuisine with a Spanish twist — at moderate prices.

  By Nancy Bartley
  Seattle Times staff reporter
  Ol' Blue Eyes is singing. There's a hint of garlic in the air. Tables sport crisp white linen. It's always the same at Gino's Bistro, a classy neighborhood restaurant that for six years has been tempting residents of Federal Way with exquisitely prepared Mediterranean cuisine with a Spanish twist — at moderate prices.
  On this evening, I bring along a friend and meet another, Gino's convert Dave Farris, the local vet, who is leaving with a pizza.
  "Everything is good here," he says. And I agree.
  The menu: It includes pizza (eat in or take out); traditional Italian fare such as lasagna, puttanesca and gnocchi; scampi fresco; and tenderloin topped with gorgonzola and figs. The portions are ample and well-presented with flair. Gino Rivera learned to cook at an early age in Peru, where he helped out in his mother's restaurant. The paella on the menu reflects his Peruvian heritage.
  What to write home about: At Gino's, I discovered pear ravioli in cream sauce and have had difficulty ordering anything else — until the other night when I chose chicken marsala with asparagus and mushroom risotto, and my friend opted for chicken saltimbocca.
  The marsala sauce for both entrees was slightly sweet and light, the chicken very tender and the risotto as creamy as the baby asparagus was crisp. The saltimbocca had a nice mix of flavors, with tangy goat cheese and spinach on top mingling with the sauce.
  The setting: Gino's has comfortable elegance and candlelight without pretentiousness. You can dress up or be casual here. And the service is good at this small bistro, which can get a little noisy when full.
  Summing up: The bill for two entrees, served with bread and salad, came to $46. We could have picked less-expensive dishes and still eaten well. I often take out-of-town guests to Gino's, tucked away in a tiny strip mall on the way to Dash Point State Park. Once you get there, you'll forget that short jaunt through the neighborhoods and wish Gino's were in yours.
  Nancy Bartley: 206-464-8522
  or nbartley@seattletimes.com

  Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company

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