Only open Tuesdays – Fridays 11am – 4pm. Armandino Batali's thin-sliced salumeria is way too small, has too few seats, too many fans and is hardly ever open. So shoot him. Bet you a buck he'll come back to life to pour another glass of vino before turning his own carcass into a house-cured haunch of something delicious. Well, get me a glass and a fork and save me a seat because if Armandino's around, it's where I want to be. He woos me with sage-scented gnocchi, wows me with grilled lamb sandwiches and finesses finnochiona — his fennel salami — sold, as is much of his custom cure, by the pound. The pig sign hanging outside this Pioneer Square hot spot could have come from the Middle Ages--appropriate, as owner Armandino Batali cures meats and makes sausages the way Italians have been for centuries. Crowds of regulars make the communal dining table an entertaining experience.

Food Network star, Mario Batali, grew up in the Seattle area. When his father retired from Boeing, he opted to learn the fine craft of sausage making and open up a cured meats shop in Seattle. Salumi is the result of that passion. The hours are limited, but if you have the chance to stop by for lunch, it is well worth the effort - especially if you're a fan of cured meats. Do not blink when looking for this shop - it is on the corner of 3rd Ave S & 2nd Ave E between S Main & S Jackson - a block north of the train station; the simple, pig sign hangs out front above the door. Street parking.