Who We Are

I first opened the shop in 2003 as “La Buona Tavola” which means, “The Good Table” in Italian.  It was the natural result of having a classically trained chef for a mother, a sister-in-law who married into an Italian truffle hunting family, and my eagerness to share delicious things whenever I discover them.  I truly wanted to show people how easy it is to use truffles and other quality ingredients to make the everyday a little gourmet.  

In the beginning, we served delicious homemade sandwiches and soups, which showcased our specialty foods, and also poured Italian wines during our wine tasting events.  I later added “Truffle Café” to our name to better convey our full line of products (and to make it easier to pronounce.)

Over the years, I kept filling more of our shelves with yummy, truffle-centric sauces and other goodies that I’d fallen in love with, and I realized two very crucial things: 1) I just didn’t have ROOM to make sandwiches anymore, and 2) if I put everything on sample tables, you could taste everything for yourself while we tell you all the easy ways to use them!  Plus, we could offer wine tastings every day and include small, Washington State wineries in our selection! Total game changer.

I’m truly humbled that my little shop has now become a must-visit destination at the world-famous Pike Place Market. As we begin our 17th year, our re-brand to “Truffle Queen” is gaining momentum with more private label products including my famous “truffle-KABOOM” truffle salt, our amazing Truffle Almond Brittle, my Tilted Tiara wine and more.

But there’s no way I could do this alone.  My amazing team now includes my daughter, Alicia, and the best group of people a Truffle Queen could hope to surround herself with.  Our name may have changed, but my little shop is still focused on welcoming you, and helping you make your kitchen a little more gourmet!