The high-end boardroom decor and hefty price tags signal an expense-account spot, but the house-made pastas and hearty ragus infuse the place with some soul. And while servers may come off as stuffy in their white jackets and burgundy ties, this is a place where you can settle in and take your time savoring what’s in front of you. Some dishes, such as the hamachi crudo or the pork tenderloin with white beans and a wine reduction, can somehow feel both fussy and one-dimensional; stick with humbler fare such as soups, pastas, and grilled meats.
What to get: Beef tartare; carrot-and-leek soup with basil raviolini; fettuccine with baby-goat-and-sunchoke ragu; lobster risotto; grilled rack of veal; apple cake with chestnut mousse; squash-and-quince strudel with cinnamon ice milk; vanilla-spiked Vin Santo panna cotta.
Open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday for dinner. Very expensive.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
