New Italian restaurant opens in Birch Bay

A new Italian restaurant has opened in Birch Bay, giving locals a chance to try a selection of authentic Italian dishes prepared by an experienced restaurateur.

Since its opening on July 5, Scampi Osteria has already received praise for its menu that includes spaghetti and meatballs, eggplant parmesan, chicken parmesan, carbonara, lasagna, linguini with clams and pasta with sausage.

“The food is so delicious,” one visitor told The Northern Light. “Everything was well prepared and well presented. The service is excellent and the ambiance is wonderful.”

Scampi Osteria is located at 4823 Alderson Road, Unit 108 behind The C Shop, and it has seating for 57 guests.

“We thought this would be a good fit, because there aren’t that many restaurants like ours in this area,” said owner Giovanni Saffioti. “This way, you don’t have to go all the way to Bellingham or Canada.”

Saffioti has been in the restaurant business since 1991. He started in Huntington Beach, California where he opened three restaurants. Around 1997, he moved to the Seattle area, opening two restaurants, one in Marysville and one in Mukilteo. Later, he moved to Hawaii, where he lived for eight years and opened another three restaurants. “I love the business, and I love to cook,” he said.

Family ties brought Saffioti back to Washington state. “We have family here, and I love the Northwest,” he said. “We checked out the Birch Bay area and we loved it.”

Currently, the restaurant serves dinner Monday through Saturday. It is open from 5 to 9 p.m. In a few weeks, after staff members have been fully trained, Saffioti plans to introduce a happy hour from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

He said it’s okay for guests to just walk in, although he recommends that people make reservations on Fridays and Saturdays. Reservations can be made by calling 360/393-4415.

Guests can expect an authentic Italian meal and friendly service. “I love the cooking part of it, the creation part of it,” said Saffioti. “And I like to meet people. When you come to my restaurant, it’s like you’re coming to my house.”