Sections
  • Home & Style
  • Editors’ Picks
  • Events Calendar
  • Food
  • Health
  • News & Politics
  • Longreads
  • Our Events
  • Parenting
  • Real Estate
  • Shopping
  • Things to Do
  • Travel
  • Weddings
Reader Favorites
  • 100 Best Restaurants
  • Takeout Guide
  • Quiz
  • Neighborhoods
  • Newsletters
  • Directories
Washington’s Best
  • Apartment Rentals
  • DC Travel Guide
  • Dentists
  • Doctors
  • Financial Advisers
  • Health Experts
  • Home Improvement Experts
  • Industry Leaders
  • Lawyers
  • Mortgage Professionals
  • Pet Care
  • Private Schools
  • Real Estate Agents
  • Restaurants
  • Retirement Communities
  • Wedding Vendors
More
  • Subscribe
  • Manage My Subscription
  • Digital Edition
  • Shop
  • Contests
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
© 2021 Washingtonian Media Inc.
Privacy Policy
All Rights Reserved
 Rss
Skip to content
Washingtonian.com
  • Search
  • Subscribe
  • Menu
  • News & Politics
  • Things to Do
  • Food
  • Health
  • Shopping
  • Home & Style
  • Real Estate
  • Weddings
  • Travel

  • 100 Best Restaurants
  • Takeout Guide
  • Quiz
  • Neighborhoods
  • Newsletters
  • Directories
  • Trending Now in Food
  • DC Restaurants
  • COVID-19
  • Inauguration
  • Outdoor Dining
  • 2020 election
Food

Try Frozen Negronis and Fried Gnocchi by the Water at Morini Piccolo

Osteria Morini's Italian snack stand in Navy Yard pops up this weekend before opening next year.

Written by Anna Spiegel
| Published on October 19, 2017
Tweet Share
Osteria Morini is one of many Navy Yard restaurants throwing down for a boardwalk party. Photograph courtesy of Osteria Morini

It may be mid-fall, but Osteria Morini is taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to give patrons a sneak peek of its new waterfront project: Morini Piccolo. The Italian snack stand is located on a dock beneath the Navy Yard restaurant and will pop-up on Friday and Saturday before officially opening next year.

When New York-based Morini restaurateur Michael White became one of the first to open at the Capitol Riverfront in 2013, he had other plans for the small kiosk overlooking the Anacostia River: a branch of Nicoletta Pizzeria. The only problem? The vents (or lack of them). Since then, the space has sat empty. Now Morini chef Ben Pflaumer and his team have come up with a creative way to utilize the dockside space.

When Piccolo officially opens, the 24-seat area will be outfitted with orange umbrellas and tables to give the feel of an Italian seaside retreat. A counter-order cafe menu will include dishes like fried gnocchi served savory with prosciutto and cheese or sweetened with powdered sugar and chocolate sauce for dunking. Other bites will include salads, saffron arancini, and fresh-baked focaccia paninis. The kitchen will also make its own gelato and cookies for decadent ice cream sandwiches.

The pop-up will only include food (see a menu below), but the snack stand will eventually serve draft wines from Emilia Romagna, beers, and frozen cocktails. We can happily imagine a summer spent alternating between Whaley’s rosé garden above and Morini’s frozen negroni garden below.

The pop-up will run Friday from 4 PM to 9 PM and Saturday from noon to 9 PM.

Morini Piccolo. 301 Water St., SE.

 

Morini Piccolo Pop-Up Menu:

PRIMI PICCOLO 

Delicata squash – whipped ricotta, pistachios, pomegranate, brown butter $8

Rucola- baby arugula, hazelnuts, sundried sour cherries, balsamic vinaigrette  $8 

BATTILARDO

Don’t Miss Another New Restaurant—Get Our Food Newsletter

The latest in Washington’s food and drink scene.

Or, see all of our newsletters. By signing up, you agree to our terms.

Battilardo- prosciutto di parma, soppresata salame, mostarda, gnocco fritto $13

Formaggio- parmigiana gelato, robiola di bosina, red onion jam, crostini  $13

Arancini – crispy saffron risotto balls, parmigiana

FRESH-BAKED FOCACCIA PANINI

$12

Proscuitto di Parma- pecorino Toscana, prosciutto, arugula, pickled red onion

Porchetta- slow roasted suckling pig, fennel sausage, roasted garlic aioli, broccoli rabe

DOLCE

Gelato Sandwiches- 1 for $2 or a trio for $6

Tiramisu – $6

Gnoccho Fritto- crispy donuts, powdered sugar, Nutella $6

More: Benjamin PflaumerCapitol RiverfrontItalianMorini PiccoloNavy YardOsteria Morinirestaurant opening
Join the conversation!
Share Tweet
Anna Spiegel
Food Editor

Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.

Most Popular in Food

1

Yep, Donald Trump Only Visited One DC Restaurant in Four Years

2

Updated: A Running List of DC-Area Restaurants and Bars That Have Closed During the Pandemic

3
Sip a cocktail kit during the inauguration. Photo courtesy of Jack Rose Dining Saloon.

Cocktail Kits, To-Go Brunches, and More Inauguration Specials at DC Restaurants

4

DC-Area Restaurants Extend Outdoor Dining Season This Winter with Igloos, Lodges, and Yurts

5

The Most Charming Outdoor Bar and Restaurant Setups Around DC This Winter

Washingtonian Magazine

January 2021: Joe Town!

January 2021: Joe Town!

View Issue
Subscribe

Get Us on Social

We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day

Get Us on Social

We'll help you live your best #DCLIFE every day

Related

Taco Bamba. Photograph by Scott Suchman.

Chef Victor Albisu Will Open His First Maryland Taco Bamba This Spring

12 New Restaurants and Creative Pop-Ups to Start 2021

RPM Italian is serving a seafood feast for the holiday. Photo by John Stoffer.

Where to Find Feasts of the Seven Fishes for Christmas Eve Around DC

Little Sesame Is Opening a Shawarma Rotisserie Pop-Up in Chevy Chase DC

More from Food

This Friday: Chat With Food Critic Ann Limpert

Yep, Donald Trump Only Visited One DC Restaurant in Four Years

best brunch for groups DC

Where to Find Brunch on MLK Day Around DC

Today at 11: Chat With Food Critic Ann Limpert

Sample Biden-themed ice cream at Ice Cream Jubilee. Photo courtesy of Ice Cream Jubilee.

5 Fun Food Events Around DC This Weekend

The Most Charming Outdoor Bar and Restaurant Setups Around DC This Winter

Sip a cocktail kit during the inauguration. Photo courtesy of Jack Rose Dining Saloon.

Cocktail Kits, To-Go Brunches, and More Inauguration Specials at DC Restaurants

Inauguration Has Always Meant Huge Business for DC Restaurants. This Year, Many Are Closing.

© 2021 Washingtonian Media Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Washingtonian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Privacy Policy and Opt-Out
 Rss
Get the best news, delivered weekly.
By signing up, you agree to our terms.
  • Subscribe
  • Manage My Subscription
  • Digital Edition
  • Shop
  • Contests
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs