April 1, 2011
Alex Barron
Restaurant Critic
Bon Appetit
Photos: Meredith Rizzo/DC Spotlight Newspaper
Washington, D.C.’s detractors have always cited the city’s lack of places likecozy neighborhood bistros. Sure, no one is arguing that the District has its share of big time chophouses and showy cocktail restaurants. When it comes to the sort of cliché hole-in-the-wall Italian places where everybody knows your name — the sort of places you find in Boston, NewYork and Philly — pickings can be slim. Such local joints keep a low profile and never seem to make themselves easy to find. How fitting it was then, that I learned about Capitol Hill’s quaint Bistro Italiano, not through the Internet — they don’t have their own website– but through wordof mouth.
Wedged between row-houses on a quiet, pretty stretch of D Street, a few blocks from Union Station, Bistro Italiano is easy to find. The plan, according to manager Tony Diaz, was to acquire a cafe license, which would allow the restaurant to place a few tables outside. Such arrangements would certainly add to the restaurant’s appeal as a summertime hangout, although a meal inside the clean, small dining room, lined with framed portraits of wine bottles and other Italian paraphernalia, has its own charm. This is a charm that tends to go unnoticed by tourists in town for the weekend, but apparently not by certain members of the Senate. “They come in in big groups,” says Diaz with a smile. “I think they like the chance to just be normal people for a night. Most people here don’t know who they are and won’t bother them.” For their part, Diaz and his staff have welcomed the novelty of famous faces stopping in for dinner, although it has not been without its minor inconveniences. When a high ranking government official dined a few months ago, Secret Service agents combed the kitchen in search of potential threats and, not knowing the manager by sight, briefly held Diaz out of his own restaurant until he could produce proper identification.
While workers on the Hill keep business booming during the week, one only needs to stand outside and look at the lines that form for weekend dinner to see the profound effect of word of mouth. But the Bistro has adapted to the slow increase in numbers; it began taking reservations not long ago and, even more recently, obtained a liquor license. The restaurant made good use of the inviting bar that takes up the room’s entire back wall. To accommodate his customers, Diaz has also acquired a library of scotch and whiskey, not normally associated with Italian cuisine. Traditionalists will be happy to know, however, that the wine selection is more than adequate, and includes good deals on inexpensive Stone Cellars wines ($10.95 for Half Carafe, $18.95 for Full Carafe).
There are not many surprises on Bistro Italiano’s dinner menu, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone accustomed to dining at local trattorias. Aside from a relatively versatile selection of veal dishes, there’s a plethora of delectables, including the incongruous addition of Lamb Gyro and Chicken Souvlaki and the Subs and Sandwiches section. The menu features just the sort of hearty, dependable dishes one would expect to find. To seek an adventurous eating experience here would be to miss the point: the kitchen is best at playing the old favorites. Fried Calamari ($6.95) gives a little spicy kick and is served with a garlicky marinara. The same sauce appears alongside both the Mozzerella Sticks ($5.95), which are chewy, not greasy, and much of the pasta dishes. Baked Brie ($7.95) comes with baked Italian bread and an entire bulb of roasted garlic. It is an indulgently cheesy way to begin a meal. Mussels ($7.95) come sixteen to a plate and are served with either a white wine or red tomato sauce.
Chances are that guests at the Bistro will know what kind of pasta, pizza or entrée they are looking for, but the helpful wait staff is still happy to give out pointers. The Seafood al Diablo ($17.95) is a generous assortment of shrimp, clams and calamari, served over pasta and mussels. Shrimp Primavera ($16.95) served in a rich pink sauce is one of the more flavorful pasta dishes. A buttery Chicken Picata ($13.95) is likely to please poultry-lovers. Nothing here can honestly be described as “off the beaten track,” but the lemony Grilled Salmon ($15.95), which some might overlook in ordering, is truly something of a find.
For dessert, stick around for a surprisingly light Tiramisu ($3.95). By the time you step outside onto the streets of DC, after taking that last fork full of cake, drinking that last sip of Cappuccino and listening to that last old tarantella coming from the radio behind the bar, you may find it hard to believe that the whole time you were essentially within the shadow of the Capitol dome.
