The artichoke is a big part of dining traditions in Italy and much of the Mediterranean area. In fact, the ancient Greeks had a story about how this curious vegetable first came about. As is the case with a lot of Greek myths, it involves one of the gods falling in love with a mortal.
As the myth goes, Zeus became infatuated with a beautiful woman by the name of Cynara. He elevated her to the level of godhood so that he could take her to Mount Olympus. Unfortunately, Cynara was unsatisfied with the life of a god, and often snuck back down the mountain to visit her family. When he found out, Zeus was so infuriated that he turned her into the world’s first artichoke plant.
At our Italian restaurant in Bothell, you can enjoy artichoke in the form of our ravioli di carciofo, our pollo pizza, and our grilled flat bread. Try one tonight at Amaro Bistro!