Cuisine: Northern Italian cooking that sometimes veers into the nonsensical—does the excellent beef carpaccio really need cubes of foie gras on top?—but often soars, especially the risottos and pastas.
Mood: This small cottage bears all the hallmarks of traditional romance: red roses on the tables, lilting opera, and street photos of Italy. There are white tablecloths and heavy silverware, but you’ll also feel comfortable in jeans.
Best for: Cozy dinners for two; anniversary or birthday celebrations (the waiters sing).
Best dishes: Chestnut soup with caramelized chestnuts; arugula salad; penne drizzled with butter and balsamic vinegar and hiding nubs of lobster; linguine with langoustines and shrimp; risotto with lobster and mushrooms; lacquered breast of pheasant with sauerkraut and Asian pear; saddle and leg of rabbit.
Insider tips: The lunch deal offers three courses for $18. It’s a simpler menu than you’ll find at night, but dinner dishes are available on request.
Service: •••
Open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday for dinner. Very expensive.
See all of 2009's 100 Best Restaurant
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.
