Restaurant: Ristorante Tosca (http://www.toscadc.com/)
Location: Metro Center
Total Rating: 4.05
Food: 4, Price: 4, Service: 4, Ambience: 4, Accessibility: 5
Summary: One of DC's newer and trendy restaurants, Tosca, is headed by Executive Chef Massimo Fabbri. Chef Fabbri's style is strongly influenced by his native Tuscany in Central Italy. He blends the freshness of locally grown organic ingredients with the unique flavors of imported products from selected purveyors in his native region. Ristorante Tosca's seasonal menu consists of a variety of signature dishes, and creative desserts. Closest Metro is Metro Center.
We went for dinner with family and were seated in the middle of the brightly lighted restaurant. I was initially surprised to see the restaurant quite packed with patrons in stuffy dinner jackets. Our server was informative and attentive, yet rubbed some of us the wrong way by not having two of our wine selections and then pushing a more expensive wine he picked onto us. He also discouraged us from ordering several appetizers for the table to share, stating they would be too small, even though that is exactly what we wanted to do - just have a taste of everything. He also scoffed one of our party who ordered two different pasta dishes - one half portion whole wheat spaghetti as an appetizer and another veal stuff ravioli as his entree. Overall though, service was decent and our food was fresh and flavorful. I would recommend this restaurant to others looking for contemporary twist on classic Italian food.
What I ate:
Insalata di astice al Prosecco, con pisellini, sedano rapa e aglio orsino
Lobster salad with pickled celery root, english peas, ramps in Prosecco dressing
Tortelli ripieni di Robiola e tartufo con salsina ai funghi Porcini e porri
Tortelli filled with Robiola cheese and black truffle served with a Porcini mushroom sauce and leeks
Tagliatelle al nero di seppia con polpa di granchio, carciofi e aglio arrosto
Black ink tagliatelle with jumbo crab lump meat ragu, artichokes and roasted garlic
Tortino al cioccolato caldo con granita alle mirtilli,
mirtilli canditi e panna montata
Warm chocolate cake with blueberry granita,
sugared blueberries and whipped cream
Plus Keith ate:
Crudo di Hamachi alla tosca
Hamachi carpaccio Tosca’s style
Risotto con astice, basilico e ricotta fatta in casa
Risotto with lobster, basil and house made ricotta cheese
