Eastlake’s Mediterranean hotspot dishes up bite-sized fish and sweet Italian wine.

The Restaurant: Terms of endearment come to mind when Cicchetti Kitchen & Bar is mentioned. Rightly so — the cuisine is tasty and affordable, the staff is attentive and amiable and the atmosphere combines neighborhood serenity with city chic.

Cicchetti (chi-KET-tee) opened its doors in 2009. Nearly 20 years earlier, owner Susan Kaufman established its big sister restaurant, Serafina. Today, her two Italian eateries sit side-by-side in the same sleepy Eastlake enclave.

As difficult to pronounce as the restaurant’s name is, its meaning — “a small nip of wine or plate of food” — is significant. Executive Chef Brian Clevenger and his crew specialize in just that, thanks to a large, wood-burning hearth that stands in the restaurant’s kitchen.

The Dish: The first item listed on Cicchetti’s menu is a plate of Spanish boquerones ($5), white anchovies served with radishes and celery. This appetizer is a personal favorite of Kaufman’s, who says Barcelonians down the fish like candy on the sandy beaches of their waterfront metropolis.

A few centuries back, when salt was one of the pricier luxuries on the Mediterranean, anchovies were used as seasoning. The small fish was packed in salt to extend its shelf life, so families that couldn’t afford table salt used it to enhance the flavor of their food. Today, anchovies are regarded by many as an underrated delicacy of the Mediterranean — and should be paired as so.

The Variety: Gavi di Gavi. The actual grape used is called Cortese, but the wine is rarely labeled this way. The title simply means Gavi from the town of the same name, a commune in the Province of Alessandria in Piedmont that has exclusively produced the wine since the 17th century.

Why It Works: Flavors of white stone fruit (such as nectarine, peach and pear) round out the aromatics with zinging acidity and minerality. The coastal mineral qualities of the wine make it a perfect counterpart for the briny, fishy aromas of the anchovies and offset any negative traits that could be inferred from such fragrances.

The Recommended Drink Match: La Giustiniana Montessora Gavi di Gavi ($16). Fleshy peach, D’Anjou pear and Granny Smith apple burst out of the glass with a seductive zip of vigorous acid. Striking flint with wet stone — the wine’s signature aroma and corresponding flavor — holds the structure of the wine together, making it a suitable partner for any seafood dish.

Cicchetti Kitchen & Bar |  121 E. Boston St., Seattle  |  (206) 859-4155