Acqua al 2

Located directly across the street from the historic Eastern Market, this is the third Acqua al 2 to open (first in Florence, Italy and second in Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, CA). This fine dining Italian restaurant is a welcomed new edition to the neighborhood and whose anticipated opening created hyper buzz around town and overbooked nights. Since their opening in 2010, we have returned for various special occasions and Acqua al 2 remains one of my favorite restaurants in DC. Closest Metro is Eastern Market. 

Palio Ristorante Italiano

The cuisine at Palio is a delicious blend of Old World tradition with contemporary flare. Each meal combines familiar, hand-crafted Italian favorites with seasonal, local items such as venison, lamb, wild salmon, and a varied Virginia harvest. Owner Antonio Pino's thoughtful wine selection focuses prominently on exceptional Italian vintages, but includes local wines, as well. All bread, pasta, and charcuterie are made fresh in-house, and you'll find new surprises in their delightful daily specials.

Oma's Pizza and Italian Restaurant

Oma's Pizza and Italian Restaurant is a casual eatery with generous portions on Anna Maria Island, Florida. Serving classic Italian dinners, salads, pizza, and heros, Oma's is a local favorite that also offers catering for special events.  All of the pizzas are handmade to order and can be made with a regular hand tossed crust or a one inch thick Sicilian crust.  When craving casual Italian food on the Island, go to Oma's!

Butera's

Last date I was here: 09/03/2010

Restaurant: Butera's (http://www.buteras.com/showContent.php?linkid=3/)

Location: Seaford, NY

Total Rating: 3.9
Food: 4, Price: 4, Service: 4, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 4

Summary: Butera’s of Seaford, owned and operated by the Butera family and Randy Narod. This newly renovated room is tastefully decorated with a mix of traditional and contemporary design. It’s the best of both worlds. The restaurant exudes a warm Italian charm with a fresh and modern twist, without losing the “comforts of home” feeling. The new Italian cuisine features Northern and Southern influences. Italian food lovers will never grow tired of the expansive menu. The great Butera reputation continues as we are known for our generous portions. Whether it be pasta entrée’s, grilled fare and fresh fish. The menu runs a gamut from pasta marinara to veal prosciutto, marsala and sage.

Keith and I went to dinner with his family while we were visiting for the holiday weekend. We were seated right away in a comfortable booth and were immediately intrigued by the many choices on the menu. We ordered a few appetizers specials for the table to share and they were all very tasty and fresh. With the nice Sangiovese wine we had, I was quickly filling up. I am not sure if we were just too full from the appetizers, but the entrees were mediocre. Keith and his brother each ordered veal, yet the meat tasted different in each. The chicken sausage in my dish was a little underseasoned and dry. Yet, Keith's father enjoyed his bassa fish, which was very flavorful and flaky. The portions were very generous so there were plenty of left overs. Supposedly the desserts are really good too, but those were to be saved for another time. All in all, Butera's is a nice family restaurant with classic Italian dishes that were very satisfying.

What I ate:

Baked Clams

Calamari Fritti

Golden fried calamari with spicy marinara sauce and lemon

Baked Eggplant

Stuffed Mushrooms

Jumbo whitecap mushrooms stuffed with spinach, sun dried tomato, fresh mozzarella & bread crumbs

Rigatoni with Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Spinach

in a white wine sauce

Plus Keith ate:

Veal Sorrentino

sauteed veal, topped with eggplant and proscuitto in a red wine sauce over linguini

Xop D'Or

Last date I was here: 05/28/2010

Restaurant: Xop D'Or (http://restaurantxopdor.com/)

Location: Place d'Espanya-Barcelona, Spain

Total Rating: 3.5
Food: 3, Price: 4, Service: 4, Ambience: 4, Accessibility: 5

Summary: We wanted to find a place to have dinner before the night time water fountain show and stumbled upon this brewery/restaurant. Patio seating is available outside and the tapas bar inside. We sat in the back dining area that was decorated with bright orange colors and contemporary paintings. Our server spoke English very well and was very attentive. The menu seemed varied with common dishes - similar to the chain restaurants in America. Our appetizers were amazing and very tasty, yet I was disappointed with my entree selection. I knew I probably should not have ordered it, yet thought it would be a safe choice. Keith enjoyed his veal and we both devoured the desserts (seemed to be a trend in Spain). All in all, this dining experience was different than the "authentico" establishments, but the food was still decent. I would recommend other tourists to eat here, since they could find a mix of familiar (salad, pasta, pizza) and traditional (veal, rabbit, tapas).

What I ate:

♥Goat Cheese and Roasted Vegetables♥

Tortellini with Mushroom Sauce

spinach tortellini filled with Ricotta cheese and topped with a creamed mushroom sauce

Bread Pudding

served with pistachio ice cream

Plus Keith ate:

Fried Sardines

Veal Steak with Potatoes

served with boiled potatoes

Famous Luigi’s

Last date I was here: 04/16/2010

Restaurant: Famous Luigi’s (http://www.famousluigis.com/)

Location: Dupont Circle

Total Rating: 4.6
Food: 5, Price: 5, Service: 3, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 5

Summary: One of the oldest Italian restaurants in Washington, DC, Luigi’s is a casual restaurant offering classic Italian cuisine in a convenient location. Attempting the Trattoria-type restaurant, Luigi’s can get packed at times even with the bountiful seating on two floors and an indoor patio area. Closest Metro is Dupont Circle.

We have had dinner here several times and it is a favorite of mine in the city. Famous for its pizza, the other traditional menu items are very generous and tasty and hit the spot every time. Great prices! Tourists and locals dine here, making it crowded at times. But I love this spot so much, I have even brought out-of-town family to Luigi’s for a nice meal.

What I ate:

♥Pizza♥

with mushrooms and prosciutto

Insalate di Marre

Cold salad of lettuce, tomatoes, olives, shrimp, calamari, mussels in a vinnaigrette dressing

♥Involtini di melanzane♥
Thin slices of eggplant wrapped around tomato & topped with cheese

Calzone
Folded pizza dough stuffed with ham, mushroom, pepperoni & mozzarella

Antipasto Luigi
Old fashioned antipasto salad with sliced Italian meats, mozzarella, lettuce, & fresh vegetables

♥Seashell alla partenopea♥
Pasta sautéed with zucchini, garlic, herbs in a pink sauce

Manicotti di ricotta
Homemade pasta stuffed with ricotta, parmigiano & spinach baked in tomato sauce

Lasagna al forno
Spinach pasta with ricotta

♥Parpadelle Sottobosco♥

wide pasta with ham and mushrooms in a cream sauce

Plus Keith ate:

♥Vitello Parmigiana with Spaghetti♥

Breaded veal cutlet topped with spinach, tomatoes, and mozzarella

Linguine del pescatore
Mixture of seafood in a spicy tomato sauce

Pollo e salsiccia
Sautéed with link sausage, peppers, onion in tomato sauce

Rigatoni rustici
Sautéed with Italian sausage, mozzarella cheese, parmigiano, & fresh herbs in tomato sauce

Melanzane Parmigiana with Spaghetti

Baked eggplant parmesan with a side of spaghetti in marinara sauce

Café Mozart

Last date I was here: 09/12/2009

Restaurant: Café Mozart (http://www.cafemozartonline.com/)

Location: McPherson Square

Total Rating: 3.75
Food: 4, Price: 3, Service: 4, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 5

Summary: Café Mozart is an authentic German deli with a restaurant and bar attached in back. Serving authentic German Austrian fare ranging from knockwurst to schnitzel and large masses of quality German beer, Café Mozart transports you to Europe with their friendly hospitality and quirky ambience. Closest Metro is McPherson Square.

We stopped by to check out their deli and see what authentic cuisine they had to take home. The bakery section is a little small and lacked any German bretzels that I was looking for (those are the big soft ones). We also had a gift certificate so we decided to stay and eat a late lunch. Our server was very friendly and attempted her German accent while listing the German beers available on draft. Our food arrived fairly fast and was genuinely cooked in traditional style. Besides German beer, they carry German wines and I had one of my favorites from Alsace. We were too full to try any dessert – which is supposed to be wonderful – and will definitely come back again.

What I ate:

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Boneless chicken breast stuffed with ham and swiss cheese and then breaded and fried.

Served with spaetzle and vegetables.

Plus Keith ate:

Wiener Schnitzel
Veal cutlet breaded and fried. Served with German potato salad and sauerkraut.

Spezie

Last date I was here: 02/19/2009

Restaurant: Spezie (http://www.spezie.com/)

Location: Farragut North

Total Rating: 4.15
Food: 4, Price: 4, Service: 4, Ambience: 5, Accessibility: 5

Summary: Italian for “spices”, Spezie offers an unusual blend of the old and new in its menu and its ambience. The chefs collaborate to present seasonal menus featuring modern interpretations of rustic Italian cuisine. Visually alluring maps of the ancient spice routes are artfully displayed throughout the restaurant that combines a sophisticated and elegant decor with a comfortable, spacious and welcoming setting. Furnished in earth tones , the softly lit wall sconces decorated with pressed herbs and spices add the perfect touch. An airy and inviting bar with large windows provide an al fresco feeling and the atmosphere of Italian “people watching” along downtown L Street. The professional, courteous, and attentive staff further enhances the atmosphere. Closest Metro is Farragut North.

It’s Restaurant Week again here in DC and we chose Spezie because we have often driven past it and I was always curious to try it. Service was pretty great considering the crowd that began to grow around 7:30pm. We were seated right away and after we ordered, we were served delicious focaccia bread with an olive tapenade spread. Our first course arrived and was a decent portion, unlike the main course which was a little small – expected considering the price fixe menu. I have never had the pistachio cream sauce before and it was a little too sweet for a main meal. Keith enjoyed his steak and thought it was cooked very well and was well portioned. The dessert was a little overly decorated with frou-frou sauces, fruits, and dusted powdered sugar – yet still tasty. I was very pleased with this RW experience and look forward to trying Spezie again.

What I ate:

Prosciutto di Parma stagionato con mozzarella di bufala
Imported Parma ham with fresh buffalo mozzarella

Ravioli di porcini e pistacchio alla panna
Homemade ravioli filled with porcini mushrooms and ricotta, served with a pistachio cream sauce

Tiramisu Classico
Espresso soaked ladyfingers layered with mascarpone cheese and cocoa powder

Plus Keith ate:

Stufato di guance di vitello al vino rosso con polenta morbida
Red wine braised veal cheeks with soft polenta

Filetto di manzo con patatine arrosto, spinaci saltati salsa al gorgonzola
Grilled Hereford all natural beef filet with roasted fingerling potato, sautéed spinach, gorgonzola sauce

Mousse di cioccolato e passion frutti
Passion fruit and white chocolate mousse cake