100 Very Best 2016
100 Very Best 2019Chef Nick Stefanelli isn’t afraid of unusual pairings—starting with his fine-dining Italian on a gritty warehouse row near Union Market. (No matter, Michelle Obama has visited three times.) The intimate space—industrial-chic epitomized—offers tasting menus of three, four, or five courses, including obligatory dessert, and a six-course chef’s choice. Portion sizes can be haphazard, as are the pacing and lengthy spiels; we suggest going with five courses to feel satiated. Our tactic: Home in on the meat section of the menu for its petite but flavor-rich cuts, and sample hedonistically from pastas. Very expensive.
Also great: Veal tartare; broccoli pasta with red wine and olives; gnocchi with mushrooms; duck with fennel; veal loin and cheek with pistachio gremolata.
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.
Kristen Hinman has been editing Washingtonian’s features since 2014. She joined the magazine after editing politics & policy coverage for Bloomberg Businessweek and working as a staff writer for Voice Media Group/Riverfront Times.
