Officina

Officina or “workshop,” is an Italian-inspired culinary collective from Chef Nicholas Stefanelli of Michelin-star Masseria. Located at The Wharf, Officina's impressive three-story space is home to an all day cafe, highly-curated marketplace featuring sought-after ingredients and prepared specialty items, a casual trattoria rooted in classic Italian cuisine, rare Amaro Library, versatile private event spaces, and year-round rooftop.  Closest Metro is L'Enfant Plaza.

On this cold and rainy day, we headed over to have an early dinner at the trattoria of Officina.  We were escorted to the second floor, walking past the massive wall of wine behind glass.  Featuring handmade pastas, rotating vegetable sides and an impressive selection of prime meats, sourced from the first floor macelleria, the trattoria is steeped in rustic Italian classics and is perfect for celebrating the everyday.

We chose a bottle of red wine from Tuscany, 2016 Tua Rita Rosso dei Notri. The blend of sangiovese and merlot grapes creates a smooth finish, with silky tannins and bracing acidity. The dry wine paired perfectly with our meal.

We started with some salumi and cheese and chose 3 meats for $19 - Prosciutto di Parma, Soppressata, and Finocchiona. We also ordered the Burrata d’ Andria that was beautifully creamy inside and punched up with fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh black pepper.

Next, I enjoyed the Risotto made with Acquerello Carnaroli rice, mushrooms, parsley, and Parmigiano. The serving size was a bit smaller than expected, but proved to be plenty filling.  The rich mushroom and cheese flavors married well with the red wine and provided a warm comforting meal on this cold day.

Keith enjoyed the Tagliatelle Bolognese with a veal, pork and beef ragu, topped with Parmigiano.  He asked for extra bread to soak up this hearty sauce.

We saved room for dessert, and chose one cannoli with pistachio and chocolate chips.  The cream inside was not sweet, and instead almost salty.  We also shared the Nicciola - a hazelnut and chocolate mousse dessert served with sweet Amaretto gelato.  This dessert was decadent and the perfect finish for our meal.

There were so many items on the menu that stood out and made us want to return soon.  We also stopped by the market and noticed the fresh meat, pastas, sauces, and desserts available for purchase along with imported wines, cookies, and jarred goods.  I'm sure when the weather warms back up, we will be returning to Officina to dine and also check out the roof top terrace.

Total Rating: 3.93
Food: 4, Price: 3, Service: 4.5, Ambience: 4.5, Accessibility: 4.5