100 Very Best 2018Restaurateurs Fabio and Maria Trabocchi bill their Van Ness pasta house as a “neighborhood” joint, and indeed the red-and-white-striped dining room is a welcome addition to an area starved for decent restaurants. But the place also has enough Trabocchian indulgences (truffles, rare reserve wines) to be a draw across the city. The menu asks, “Which pasta are you?” It’s hard to imagine anyone who’s not the spaghetti carbonara with its thick, chewy noodles and oozing egg. But if you’re not sure, a tasting with three family-style plates for $68 is a great way to sample things. Expensive.
Also great: Grilled calamari; polenta; spinach tonnarelli with walnuts; squid-ink-and-paprika cannelloni; soft-serve gelato; tiramisu panna cotta.
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.
