Olive oil is an important part of many dishes at our Bothell Italian restaurant. It is a crucial ingredient in a lot of Mediterranean cooking, and a big aspect of the superior health benefits offered by the same. But how does this oil make its way from the olive to our wood stone fired pizzas, our pomodoro, and other selections?

The process of brewing olive oil begins in the olive harvest. As soon as the olives are picked from the tree, they are sent to the olive mill as quickly as possible to prevent the acidity level from getting too high and destroying the taste of the final product. At the mill, the olives are cleaned and turned into a paste. This paste is then pressed to squeeze out the oil and water. The oil then needs to be separated from the water, which is accomplished with the use of a centrifuge. The oil is now ready to be bottled, sold, and cooked into a delicious Italian meal!

It’s no mystery why garlic has made its way into the hearts of cooks and diners throughout the globe. This amazing clove adds a delightful flavor to many dishes, and it comes with a set of powerful health benefits to boot.

In ancient times, garlic was often used as a medicine to treat many conditions. In the modern world, we now know that a diet rich in garlic offers many legitimate benefits. The clove is good for lowering your cholesterol level, decreasing your blood pressure, and serving as a powerful antioxidant and a broad-spectrum antibiotic. Amaro Bistro offers many classic Italian dishes that feature garlic, so join us to make the clove a bigger part of your delicious and nutritious diet today!

Italy has been cooking with clams, or vongole, for many years. To the city of Naples, these classic shellfish are an important part of their signature dish, spaghetti alle vongole. Visitors to the region would be well-advised to go during the summer months, when fresh clams are readily available.

Nutritionally, clams are a great form of meat. They are surprisingly rich in iron, with a three-ounce serving of cooked clams providing you with 24 milligrams of the mineral. This represents more than the average adult’s recommended daily intake of iron, making clams a great choice for people struggling with low iron.

On top of the iron content, clams also give you a good supply of omega-3 fatty acids, phosphorus, copper, potassium, manganese, selenium, and zinc. They are also a lean source of protein, with less than two grams of fat in a three-ounce serving.

At our Bothell Italian restaurant, you can benefit from the rich nutritional content of clams in our cozze e vongole. Come and try it tonight at Amaro Bistro!

Though not as well-known as beef or chicken, lamb has been a popular source of protein throughout the Mediterranean region for a long time. Chefs know it as one of the world’s most versatile varieties of meat. It is characteristic of a tender consistency and a taste that many people find irresistible. Counted among the red meats, it is a rich source of protein, vitamin A, vitamins B3, B6, and B12, as well as calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc. The meat also contains trace amounts of other valuable minerals, like selenium, manganese, and copper.

Though a three ounce serving of cooked lamb contains about eight grams of fat, only about a third of this is unhealthy saturated fat. The remaining two thirds are monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, which are actually beneficial for your body.

At Amaro Bistro, we offer several great ways to enjoy the hearty taste of lamb. Come to our Bothell Italian restaurant to try a rigatoni bolognese or a lasagne, both made with ground lamb ragu sauce.

Though liquor is not generally a health food, many doctors will tell you that a moderate consumption of red wine is a fair addition to a health-conscious diet. Though the effects of red wine are not well understood, it has been observed that such wines might serve to decrease one’s risk of a heart attack or stroke.

The reasons behind this may be multi-faceted. The alcoholic content has a certain relaxing effect, which can reduce the stress that aggravates heart disease. Red wine pairs this effect with resveratrol, an antioxidant that has been found to protect your blood vessels from damage while also decreasing your levels of LDL cholesterol and discouraging clotting. This antioxidant is not found in beers, white wines, or other liquors.

Unfortunately, most of these observations have only been made with animal testing, and nothing conclusive has been drawn from human testing on the effects of red wine. All the same, it remains clear that red wine is a delicious way to complement many of the meals at our Bothell Italian restaurant. Come try one of Amaro Bistro’s many red wine offerings tonight!

Thank you to Bothell Eats for having us as a part of the review of Italian restaurants in Bothell!

Arugula is a variety of herb belonging to the mustard family, related to watercress and radishes. They are characteristic of a hot, peppery taste that diners have been enjoying for centuries. It is native to the Mediterranean region, and was first cultivated by farmers of the the Roman Empire. The Romans not only ate it as a food, but also used it in the creation of medicines and aphrodisiacs. In the modern day, it remains a big part of traditional Italian cooking.

Nutritionally speaking, arugula has many benefits as a salad ingredient. Compared to the more common iceberg lettuce, this herb contains about five times the vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K content, as well as about four times the iron content and eight times the calcium. It also contains a healthy dose of folate and copper.

At Amaro Bistro in Bothell, you can experience the taste of arugula in the form of our insalata barbabieotola, made with roasted beets, hazelnuts, and grapefruit. Come and try it for yourself tonight!

When you’re looking for a good aperitif to go with your Italian meal, you can’t go wrong with vermouth. This classic liquor has been a favorite for the aperitif course in Italy for a long time. It comes in the form of a wine, mixed with an assortment of herbs to give it additional flavor. Because of this, some people know it as fortified wine. Fans of the drink appreciate it for its sweet, refreshing taste.

The origins of vermouth can be traced back to late in the eighteenth century. It was at this time that it was largely used in Italy as a tonic drink, due to the medicinal properties of the herbs used in its fortification. These herbs often include coriander, cinnamon, cloves, juniper, nutmeg, marjoram, orange peel, and wormwood. Since the German word for wormwood is wermutkraut, it is this herb that gave the drink its name.

At Amaro Bistro, you can enjoy a delicious sweet vermouth with your meal. Consider visiting our Bothell Italian restaurant for your next outing!