This is my favorite date restaurant. The wine list offers great variety and good value in fine Italian wines. The menu changes every few months, taking advantage of seasonal seafood and produce, so there are often new options to try. The new location (moved from Wallingford to Fremont last year) is spacious but tranquil.

The menu is classic Italian, with Bruschette topping the antipasti, insalate including a nice Caesar, primi featuring housemade pastas and secundi with several seafood options as well as meats and at least one vegetarian entree. The pasta dishes are splendid, sometimes a bit large for all but the biggest appetites. The preparation and presentation is impeccable, but the service is what distinguishes Asteroid from the other restaurants in Fremont or Wallingford. Most of the staff have been with Asteroid for years and those who are new are careful to keep to high standards of service that are quite a rarity in Seattle.

The Asteroid hosts a Jazz ensemble on Thursday evenings and sports a well-appointed bar. The dark wood and black decor is set off with small paintings by local artists and a small gas fireplace that’s very welcome on chilly evenings. It’s a little hard to spot – inside the building entrance. If you drive, parking is available in the lot on the north side of N 36th between Fremont and Evanston – you can take the elevator up and Asteroid will pay half the parking fee.

This place is very nice. The owner was the one who greeted us and the waiter seemed to be very knowledgeable. My friend and I both had a glass of wine, shared the mushroom appetizer and had the halibut special for an entree. All the food was very nice. It did come out a bit pricey. About $50 per person. It would be a good date restaurant.