Green Lake’s Family-Run Italian Favorite Perché No Will Close Soon After 13 Years

Time to say a fond addio to one of North Seattle’s popular pasta mainstays. Perché No Pasta and Vino — an Italian restaurant in the Green Lake-Wallingford area that has become a neighborhood favorite for its warm, family-friendly atmosphere — will close on December 18 after 13 years. The owners, chef David Kong and his wife Lily, plan to retire and write a book about their experiences in the restaurant business.

This was the second location for the family-run operation, which originally started in Lower Queen Anne in 1992 catering to those attending the ballet, symphony, and opera at the nearby Seattle Center. The first Perché No was a little fancier than the lower-key offshoot (it even had a limo to shuttle customers), and closed in 2006, leaving the Green Lake restaurant to carry the torch on its own. The second edition gained some acclaim for its housemade pastas, and maintained some of its theatrical roots by hosting winemaker dinners with opera singers and musicians. Perche No’s property has been sold and will no longer be a restaurant.

Meanwhile, the Kongs’ culinary legacy’s other representative in the area will also take a step back from the dining world. David and Lily’s son, Alex, who runs a well-regarded Italian food truck in Seattle called Mangia Me, recently announced on Instagram that the mobile operation’s last day of service will be December 16.

UPDATE: December 6, 2019, 12:48 p.m.: This post has been updated with information about the Mangia Me food truck closing.

• Perché No Pasta and Vino [Official]
• 15 of the Best Pasta Places in Seattle [ESEA]