Why go: It’s not that there’s no good Italian in Washington; it’s that the best, most rewarding cooking is to be found in such high-priced bastions of refinement as Tosca and Obelisk. But if you just want the rib-sticking simplicity of a red-sauce joint, you’ll like this tiny cafe that hand-rolls its own pastas and cases its own sausage. And you can get in and out for about the price of a night at the Olive Garden.
What to get: Fried coins of cheesy polenta with marinara; house-made sausage and peppers; fettuccine dressed up with reconstituted porcini mushrooms and a drizzle of olive oil; fettuccine alla amatriciana, with thick bits of bacon and onion in its zesty tomato sauce; cannoli filled to order.
Best for: A cozy, cheap meal before or after a movie at AFI or a show at Round House Theatre.
Insider tip: Portions are filling, and all meals come with a simple house salad, so two appetizers may be overdoing it. Not all the pastas are prepared in-house—look for “fresh house-made” next to the dish.
Open Wednesday through Saturday for dinner.
See all 2008 Cheap Eats restaurants
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.
