Messina Modern Italian Kitchen

This self-described “modern” Italian spot seems designed for the kind of good time that involves wearing a Saturday night outfit on a Tuesday. But the neon signs, wall plants, and 90s hits can’t distract from the bad food. Sicilian meatballs are baked in a just-fine red sauce, but made with ground chicken reminiscent of wet sawdust. An oily avalanche of toppings like hot honey, pepperoni, and thick cheese slip right off your pizza slice. And the restaurant claims its Festa di Messina “pasta flight” as something you can’t miss—but at $96, it’s basically just a giant charcuterie board with sad mounds of salty pomodoro, carbonara that tastes like bacon gravy, and undercooked vodka rigatoni. With limited options in lower Queen Anne, this place could work as a quick pit stop before a Climate Pledge event. But for good food we’d suggest Paju or the Met Market deli across the street.