Cuisine: The mozzarella bar might intrigue curiosity seekers, but the real draw is chef/owner Domenico Cornacchia’s cooking. It pulls from many regions of his homeland but rings truest when he draws from the stick-to-your-ribs, tomato-based dishes of central Italy. And he’s a whiz with pasta.
Mood: The open dining room channels the buzz of a DC hot spot, right down to the glimpse of the chef intently finishing dishes in the open kitchen.
Best for: A family-style meal for groups who like to share—the staff is happy to bring plenty of plates.
Best dishes: Burrata cheese with condiments of pesto eggplant, tomato marmalade, and roasted red peppers; salumi; fritto misto; tiny clams in a broth with toasted Israeli-couscous-like pasta; a vinegary kale-and-escarole salad; gnocchi topped with veal-short-rib ragu and pungent caciocavallo-cheese sauce; pasta with blue crab and spicy tomato sauce; zeppole, sugared batons of fried dough with zabaglione dip; raspberry-and-white-chocolate cake.
Insider tips: Specials include a $14 two-course lunch and a 15-percent discount on dinner checks daily between 4 and 6.
Service: •••
Open daily for lunch and dinner. Moderate to expensive.
See all of 2010's 100 Best Restaurants
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.
