Lovers of bitter cocktails, tiny fish, and gloriously creamy cheeses—also known as Italophiles—have a home at this leisurely no-reservations hangout, a respite from the 14th Street swarm. We could graze for hours on the veggie specials—which recently included butternut-squash agrodolce, roasted leeks with prosciutto, and braised cauliflower with saffron. Start things off with a glossy bulb of burrata, and throw in a pizza, too. The crusts, arrayed with treats such as chanterelles and imported speck, are wonderfully chewy. Moderate.
Also great: Celery salad; oil-cured tuna belly; roasted clams with sherry; Calabrese-salami pizza; clam pizza; chocolate “salami.”
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.
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.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
