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Ghibellina, Italian Gastropub with a Huge Bar on 14th and Corcoran Street


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We went to the new Ghibellina on 14th Street last night.  The good news:  thoroughly enjoyed the bianca pizza with rapini, mozzarella, garlic, calabrian chilies,fennel seed, and pecorino romano.  The crust was perfectly charred and flavorful.  I prefer pizzas that retain their crispness, and this pizza did just that.  It was one of the best pizzas we've had in awhile, and we've been eating pizza quite a bit lately.  We also enjoyed the fresh ingredients in the Insalata Ghibellina - arugula, avocado, confit, tomatoes, emmenthaler, pine nuts, pesto.

My husband and I shared Spaghetti Alla Trabaccolara.  The menu listed the ingredients as tomato, white wine, cod, pollack, golden tilefish, and fennel.  The dish arrived and I was a little disappointed in the fact that the pieces of fish were small and not very plentiful. Then I noticed that one of the fish had been replaced with squid. My husband keeps kosher and squid is not okay.  We called the server over and she apologized and said that the chef frequently toys with the ingredients in this dish.  I don't really think it's appropriate to add shellfish to a dish and not alert diners.  There are people who are severely allergic to shellfish, not to mention others who don't eat it for religious reasons.  Before leaving we asked to speak to a manager, and he echoed the server in saying that the chef had made changes to the dish.

I was really enjoying Ghibellina until the squid incident.  I still think it's a great place for pizza.  But I feel that the staff minimized the situation with squid.  Any kind of dietary restrictions require the diner to take responsibility for inquiring about ingredients.  But a restaurant should also take responsibility when they substitute one ingredient for another- particularly if it's something that may have an adverse effect on their patrons.

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Meet the Artichoke, Nostraliana Olive and Tomato Confit Pizza:

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Starting this Tuesday: half-priced pizzas similar to this will be available during Happy Hour(s) from 4:30-6:30 Tuesday through Sunday, at the bars only.

Drink specials also abound.

For pizza geeks, it's a NY-Neapolitan style pie, utilizing the wood-fired oven and great ingredients common in Neapolitan pizze, but with a lower temperature and longer bake time. The pizza is not soup. It's foldable. It's delicious. And we slice it for you, if you want us to.

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We officially opened for brunch this weekend.

Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30-4 you can find a selection of dishes from our dinner menu, plus additional brunch plates such as Shakshouka, Shrimp and Polenta (with poached eggs), French Toast with Almonds and Peaches, Frittata and Piadina.

The restaurant switches over to the dinner menu at 4. Happy Hour starts at 4:30 at the bar. Half Priced pizze and drink specials abound.

Please come by and visit.

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Thanks, Jonathan. I did happen to stop by and visit early Saturday afternoon, and had an enjoyable lunch at the bar. I liked my small portion of (obviously homemade, and perfectly cooked) spaghetti, as well as a plate of very thinly sliced octopus, with chickpeas and fried capers. Both dishes were really tasty, though honestly both were also a bit oily for me. Washed down with a refreshing 10oz draft Peroni for $4.

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To honor our long-time member Jonathan Copeland - who, in case anyone doesn't know, was Sous Chef at Palena, and opening Chef de Cuisine at Palena Café - I decided to take him up on his cocky message to me which basically said, 'Stop in sometime if you want to have the best pizza in the entire DC area.'

Well ...

I got there early, super early, about 5 PM - nominally to find parking and a bar seat; actually to drink and drink cheaply.

Ghibellina has one of the best happy hour menus in town, and I plumbed its depths like I was snaking a drain. Here we go:

Rebuli Prosecco ($5) - Served in a beautiful Luigi Bormioli Champagne glass, with about a 4-5 ounce pour, this was an elegant Prosecco - "elegant" for me means "crisp, dry, and no off-flavors," as Prosecco (like Cava) is not my favorite sparkling wine; but this was good.

Estate in Toscana ($6) - One of three happy-hour cocktails, made with House Gin (Gordon's), lime juice, pineapple juice (not too much), and basil.

Beauvignac "Syrah Rosé" ($5) - Oh yeah, this is your wine. From from the Languedoc-Rousillion region, it's a Vin de Pays from Côes de Thau, and has none of the excessive grapiness that is often found from this region. Not bone dry in the least, but a good pizza rosé that will make you happy.

Pizza time!

Olive E Carciofi ($8.50 (!)) - Eight-fifty for this thing? *Eight* *Fifty*?! This was a huge, four-slice pizza made with Nostraliana (Leccino) olives, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, smoked mozzarella, basil, garlic, and peperoncino. Hyperbole time: this was the best pizza I've ever had that cost less than $10 (note, these are all happy-hour prices, happy hour running Tue-Sun 4:30-6:30). Yep, not only that - it was a contender for best pizza in the DC area, just like Jonathan boasted it would be - he was right. An unbelievable Neapolitan hybrid, its char was right on the boundary of acceptable, but never crossed that boundary. Served uncut, but with pizza scissors, it's best cut into quarters, picked up, folded, and enjoyed a la New York slice. An incredible pizza that is vaulting Ghibellina right to the top of DC's pizza scene.

Salsicce E Cipolla ($8.50) - No, I didn't eat it at Ghibellina (I was dining solo), but I sure as heck got it to go. Sausage, provolone, wood-roasted onions, oregano, peperoncino, and grana - I had some cold, and while I don't think it's quite the pie that the Olive E Carciofi is, it's awesome all the same. I enthusiastically Facebooked Jonathan (who is out of town for a wedding) on the way home, raving about the pizzas, and he said, and I quote, "Put a sheet tray in your oven and heat it to 350 or 400 for a few minutes. Then throw the pizza in for 5 or so minutes to reheat and refresh" - so that's how you reheat it properly.

This was my first visit to Ghibellina, and needless to say, based on this one visit, I'm enthusiastically bumping it up to Italic. 

Is it better than Etto? I'll be having Ghibellina and Etto several times over the next few months, and I will sort it out on an objective, consistent basis. By all means, take note of what other people say, but please trust my pizza palate - it's a damned good one, if I do say so myself. :) And this pizza was fantastic.

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...

Ghibellina has one of the best happy hour menus in town, and I plumbed its depths like I was snaking a drain. Here we go:

...

^ A decent example of the difference between a food writer and those who write stuff about food?  I think so but, then again, I'm not so qualified to judge.  I am qualified to say I enjoyed and was entertained by that vivid phrasing.

More substantively, between the Palena pedigree, the great raves above and the fact that I'm clearly behind on the local pizza scene not having been to Etto yet either, I will get to Ghibellina asap.  Perhaps both naiive and clueless; certainly less-than-fully-informed, I still think of 2Amys as top of the heap pizza 'round here.  To be continued...

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I very much appreciate the advice Chef Copeland shared via Don about the proper way to reheat 'za. I used it last night on a pizza from a competitor who shall not be named (I'm in NoVA, and about to get my hip replacement from two years ago fixed, so no adventures for me, food or otherwise, until this is resolved), and it worked beautifully. Picking things up like that is one of the pleasures of this site, and Don's stewardship makes it possible.

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Question for Jonathan or anyone else who might know.  On the restaurant's website under "About Us, " it says:

Ghibellina is an Italian Gastro Pub brought to you by the owners of Acqua al 2, Ari Gejdenson and Ralph Lee.  The inspiration behind this project was drawn from their days living in Firenze.  On a daily basis the two would eat lunch at their favorite restaurant, Trattoria Mario and fell in love with the idea of creating a comfortable place where diners feel at home every time they walk through the door. The name is derived from the street, Via Ghibellina, where the two shared an apartment on one end and own an American Diner on the other.  Executive Chef, Jonathan Copeland, has teamed up with this duo and has matched their passion and dedication to executing an authentic Tuscan menu in the heart of the 14th street Corridor.

So, given the restaurant's wonderful inspiration, any plans for weekday lunch anytime soon?  Grazie.

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At the moment we are stretching our legs with brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Next up will be opening on Monday nights. If all goes well, and we feel the neighborhood can support it, week day lunch is a possibility.

Trattoria Mario in Florence is only open for lunch. They do not serve dinner at all. And it truly is an amazing and warm place. There are people who eat lunch there every day. Like, seriously, every day for years.

And MsDiPesto, I'm glad it all worked out with the pizza that shall remain nameless. And good luck with the surgery. I wish you a speedy recovery.

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Had  an early dinner (at the very crowded) bar yesterday for happy hour. I have to agree, that the pizzas were pretty damn good. Nice char on the crust and quite flavorful. We got a Margherita and the one with the olives and artichokes. 2 pizzas, 2 cocktails (which were also very tasty) and our bill was like $30. Great addition to the DC pizza scene! Would definitely go back to try some of the other menu items..

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Had  an early dinner (at the very crowded) bar yesterday for happy hour. I have to agree, that the pizzas were pretty damn good. Nice char on the crust and quite flavorful. We got a Margherita and the one with the olives and artichokes. 2 pizzas, 2 cocktails (which were also very tasty) and our bill was like $30. Great addition to the DC pizza scene! Would definitely go back to try some of the other menu items..

Concur.  This is a great happy hour deal -- hope they don't jack up the prices after a while.  Really good pizzas, cocktails, beer.  Also had the Arpaccio di Piovra off the main menu -- chilled thinly sliced octopus, chickpeas, braised arugula, smoked paprika and (nice touch) crispy capers -- which was also excellent, although not bargain-priced ($13).

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We at Ghibellina are honored to be a part of the Fall Dining Guide and the Greater DC Dining Community. If you haven't checked us out yet, please do come. We serve traditional Tuscan fare as well as a unique pizza that I can only describe as a hybrid between the old NY pizza joints like Lombardi's and Totonno's and Neapolitan pizza.

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We at Ghibellina are honored to be a part of the Fall Dining Guide and the Greater DC Dining Community. If you haven't checked us out yet, please do come. We serve traditional Tuscan fare as well as a unique pizza that I can only describe as a hybrid between the old NY pizza joints like Lombardi's and Totonno's and Neapolitan pizza.

Having had this pizza, I can say that this photo doesn't do it justice. It's *great*.

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We love the pizza at Ghibellina. We've been to Ghibellina several times and to Etto several times and we prefer Ghibellina's pizza. Ghibellina's pizza competes with Puppatella's for best in the DC area, in our view. Every other dish we've had at Ghibellina, mostly brunch and salad dishes, have been excellent as well.

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Winter is quickly approaching and Ghibellina is very proud of its Winter Menu (with still a few more additions to come). I hope to see some of you there, warming yourselves by the light of our wood-burning oven amidst wild boar, duck, well-charred pizzas and ribollita.

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Ghibellina seems to always be crowded, and justifiably so. The other evening, I was able to get the last bar seat, and had a fantastic dinner.

This is not at all specific to Ghibellina, but the price of wines by the glass in this town is nudging me back to being the beer lover I once was. A draft of Ellie's Brown Ale ($9 for 20 ounces) by Avery Brewing Company in Boulder, CO is another example of my recent love affair with Brown Ales. Whenever I see one, I pretty much stop looking at the menu.

Happy hour had just ended, and the menus had been taken from the bar, so there was no temptation to order a bargain pizza. I'm glad this happened because I had the good fortune to try the Pollo Ruspante Al Mattone ($23) - a free-range, very high-quality chicken cooked under a brick in a thin, rich, brown sauce that - were it not for its lack of viscosity - could have been some type of mole. Whatever it was, and I have no idea what it was, it was fantastic - seemingly containing chocolate, cinnamon, etc., but not at all sweet. Jonathan, if you see this, could you chime in and describe this wonderful sauce?

And also your chicken which is obviously of very high quality. With this level of quality comes a higher price tag, and this $23 dish was served a la carte - no vegetable, no starch. I'm glad it was, too, because I got a chance to order Ghibellina's excellent Cavolo Nero Toscano ($8), a plate of sautéed black Tuscan kale that was cooked and seasoned to perfection.

Between the two dishes, I had virtually no carbs (except for the beer, of course), and the portions were hearty enough where I took about 1/3 of the food home (in a very environmentally friendly container which was right there at the bar) and enjoyed the rest of it later that evening. Despite the healthy portions, I'd bet this meal - beer notwithstanding - had under 1,000 calories, and yet could not have been any more satisfying.

Ghibellina is being raised to the #1 slot in 14UP in the Dining Guide. Do you folks realize just how good this restaurant is? Due to the sheer size of its menu, I award this ranking with some trepidation, partly because I just haven't plumbed its depths enough to be confident, but mainly because the ranking is only going to last for one day: the next night, I had the two best things I've ever eaten in 14UP - so Ghibellina will be falling to the #2 slot, at least temporarily, until I can sort through this.

But rankings are just a bunch of arbitrary malarky - each restaurant has its own strengths and weaknesses, and Ghibellina is one the greatest restaurants restaurants on 14th Street. Jonathan Copeland, if you'll recall, was Chef de Cuisine at Palena Cafe, and worked under Frank Ruta for many years. He is a great cook, and the food his kitchen is putting out - including the pizzas - is worthy of a special visit. If you haven't tried Ghibellina, you should, pronto.

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I agree completely about Ghibellina. It is our favorite restaurant in the 14th Street area and we've tried most of them. It is Ghibellina that we keep coming back to. Their pizza is every bit as good as Pupatella's, whether you eat it in the restaurant or carry it out. The rest of the food offerings are very fine and the service is friendly and the ambience really cozy. I tell everyone about Ghibellina and I'm always surprised at how many people have never heard of it. My only 'complaint' would be that to order carry-out pizza you have to order in person at the bar -- you can't phone in your order.

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Thanks for the kind words Don and Laura. We are working very hard over here to just try and keep pace with the Pupatellas and 2 Amys of the world.

As for the chicken...the pan sauce is impossibly simple. It is just a very, very good Aged Balsamico, Chicken Stock and butter...along with the fond from the roasted chicken. We then finish the whole plate with a great olive oil.

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What more to say, except that I completely agree that this place and their pizza is fantastic. The crust is perfect. The ambience is gorgeous - rustic and modern, at the same time. Cool red tile behind the bar. The service seems top notch (we were at the bar).

Bianca - my lady friend got this + arugula on top, not my usual order, but I liked it a lot. She wants to turn me on white pizza, and I think this got me there.

Margherita - what more to say - mozzarella, sauce, fresh basil, a perfect crust.

Either their crushed red pepper is super hot or the calabrian hot peppers on the bianca are super spicy, because my mouth was on fire at the end.

She had 2 sangrias. I had 2 Atlas Rye IPAs.

$44, plus some leftovers for the clinic staff that had to come in with me this morning. Are you freaking kidding me? This is the best happy hour deal around. The pizzas are half price, and the drinks are near half price.

Come at 5.30ish to the bar, have a few drinks, linger, get that pizza order in at 625p, go home early, sated, and very happy.

I'm not necessarily a Napoletena guy (Detroit upbringing - I'll take Jet's or Buddy's any day of the week, with no apologies), but I'd rank: Ghibellina's > Pupatella's > 2 Amy's > Orso. Yes, I know, it's like ranking supermodels.

S

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Either their crushed red pepper is super hot or the calabrian hot peppers on the bianca are super spicy, because my mouth was on fire at the end. 

Thanks for the kind words Simul. As for your observation regarding the crushed red pepper, you are spot on. We buy whole dried chili de arbol, then dry them out a bit more in an oven over night, and grind them ourselves. It's a task not for the faint of heart, and our prep cooks deserve a medal for enduring the chili vapor that pervades the whole kitchen. But it's well worth it.

Also, the Calabrian chili's are very spicy too. In a salty, spicy kind of way. I love cooking with them.

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Ramps are here!

Mozzarella di Bufala, Garlic, Pecorino Romano, Confit Cherry Tomatoes and our favorite early spring vegetable, Ramps.

For a limited time only.

The new spring menu also has: a porcini rubbed, dry-aged ribeye; suckling pig porchetta braised in milk and served with crispy testa and salsa verde; and francobolli en brodo (veal, mortadella and culatello stuffed ravioli in a beautifully clear and flavorful broth with spring vegetables).

And of course, one of the best happy hours in DC. Half-priced pizzas 7 days a week from 4-6:30 plus drink specials.

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Stopped by for happy hour here last week and was impressed.  Pizzas here has a lovely crisp light crust (reminds me of the fast rise version at Osteria in Philly) and they're a great deal during happy hour.  The octopus carpaccio appetizer I tried was perfect, it seemed a bit pricy on the menu, but the portion was quite generous.  The drinks I got were tasty too, nicely balanced and not too sweet.

I'm definitely coming back to try more of the menu and if I lived nearby, Ghibellina would certainly make it into my regular rotation.

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We chose to meet a friend from out of town at Ghibellina tonight for an early dinner.  We'd enjoyed brunch here with our toddler, so we figured it would be up to the challenge for dinner.  Great decision.

First things first, service was stellar from start to finish.  Given it was early in the evening, they were happy to seat me and the boy before the others arrived (which gave Dad time to enjoy a Negroni, and the boy to get started on a wonderfully light and crispy fritto misto).

As we were with an old friend we decided to order a number of things family style, and I was pleasantly surprised that the kitchen didn't take that as license to follow the prevailing trend of "sending dishes out when they are ready."  Dishes came out 1 or 2 at a time, never overwhelming the table, and never before we were finished with the preceeding course.  Serious kudos for this, given that so many other spots can't seem to get that right.

A cheese plate and olives was a cheese plate and olives, but a welcome moment to catch up and unwind before having to decide anything further.

The Francobolli Brodo was a perfect primi split 3.5 ways (the boy ended up loving it more than we expected).  Tender ravioli with a peppery meat filling in a light but assertive broth with spring vegetables.  It would be tough to go back and not order this to start.  Next up came the Pizza Primavera with ramps (of course) and confit tomato.  I echo Samul's assessment of the pizza quality here (although I'd throw Menomale in the mix, behind Pupatella).  The crust was perfectly balanced between crispy and chewy, and held the balance in nearly every bite until the inner third.  So often, pies turn into a soupy mess (tasty nonetheless) an inch in from the cornicione, but not here.  The boy's marinara pie was no joke either, loaded with a fantastically sweet and sharp marinara with thin slices of garlic.

For secondi, we had the lamb blade steaks and brick chicken.  A blade steak is always a bit of a surgical exercise to get off the bone, but ours was cooked perfectly to the requested med-rare, and quickly devoured with after a squeeze of lemon and smeared with the chopped olives on the plate. Gnawing on handheld bones was involved and rewarded.  The brick chicken was a more civilized affair, but equally liked.  A crust that looked impossibly spiced (almost blackened) but was perfect gave way to meat that was cooked absolutely perfectly.  5 seconds less on the heat and it would have been undercooked, and 2 minutes more would have been what most places served.

If I had one criticism, it would be for the management to either bring the wait staff up to speed on the wine list, or have them offer to send over someone who is when a table is looking for direction on wine.  We ended up with a great Sicilian red, but that was largely because of my obsession with ordering Sicilian wines I've never heard of, and becuase our waitress admitted she had very little guidance to give on the wine front.

I feel pretty comfortable saying that, viewed from my particular circumstances in life (toddler at home, limited babysitting budget), Ghibellina is our number 1 place on 14th St.  The only other place I would put in contention is Estadio, but I don't see how they could accomodate a high chair (nor should they, necessarily), so Ghibellina it is.

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After discovering Chef Copeland's background (at Palena) we had to come here and try Ghibellina. This post is meant to offer my own opinion of the place, as well as (I hope) thoughtful suggestions.

Getting there -- 14th street means a challenge for parking. This time we lucked out and easily found a spot - it's easier when you have a smaller car. Sure it is reasonably metro friendly, but we live in Laurel, so for weekends the car is easier. That said, sorting out transportation for my wife and I for a midweek driveby here will either require a little forward planning so I can metro in to work in Bethesda, and back - it is either that or spur of the moment  visits will require driving/parking issues after work.

Ressies - They take reservations for earlier times for dinner, but not after a certain time (6?6:30 - I forget). I hate not being able to make a reservation. That said, our informed wait of 10-20 minutes ended up being just 5, so we were lucky that way too.

Space -- This place, in the pictures, looks small, but it really is not. While there are only three fully outdoor tables, they do have a full front window/door thing going on allowing a row of bar diners a raised view of the passersby for good people watching and catching a breeze. Nice. The bar space is quite large and seems fitting for a nice quick meal of drink. It is LOUD though at the front of the space, so be warned! Drifting back to the back of the space, the hum and buzz of the room and opening up of the space allows for the noise to diffuse a bit. The smaller tables are deep - so the distance between two diners is longer than normal. This is a double edged sword in that it provides more table real estate for sharing food, more legroom for tall people (like my wife and I), but, with the noise level in general, requires the lean-in to sometimes get a point across in a conversation. I do love the lighting and the wood and the seating is fine (not uncomfortable (but not super comfortable either).

Drinks - They have several of their own cocktail concoctions on the drinks menu. We tried the Botticelli, which was OK - while refreshing, it tasted a bit too much like cucumber, almost like a salad. We also tried the Accademia - which was better, but a little too heavy on the rye and not heavy enough on the bitters, but that is my preference, your tastes may differ. We also got a nice Chianti Claasico Riserva (a 2007, forget the producer) which was good all around but was spectacular with the Ribollita. We finished up dinner with a Ben Rye (http://www.donnafugata.it/products/Ben-Rye.aspx) that we'd discovered on a trip to Verona that was great.

Food - I was a happy camper. Really. Started with Finocchiona (good, the pickled veg with it stole that show), Culatello (while not 'true' Culatello, so damn good - more of the pickled veg here was not needed, but appreciated because it was so good) and fegatini (wow - so smooth and good, and on better bread than in Firenze!!). Also got the house cured olives - so good and a steal! Tried the Insalata di Scarola which was quite good. The radishes in it were a nice touch, but the meyer lemon notes throughout really made this dish for me.  Moved on to the aforementioned Ribollia - just great. While a bit thinner than many of the variations I have had in Italy (maybe to make American diners still get that it is a soup? Not sure) the flavors were spot on delicious (not sure which beans the chef went for here, but they really made the dish here). Also, I absolutely HAD TO TRY the Francobolli Brodo. Fans of Palena's consomme (and variations thereon) will not be disappointed. Served in a wide bowl (perhaps for the visual effect), this dish delivered the goods. Small raviolis floating in an excellent consomme broth with leafy vegetables. The vegetables were a little unrully, wanting to dollopdrop off my spoon at times, but not a problem. Why? The raviolis were super - while not what you'd exactly expect from Palena (the textures from this combination of meats being a new experience for me here), the meats inside raised the level of the dish that was brought together by the real star of the show - the consomme. Chef Copeland learned from a master and he learned well. This was divine. While it should already be obvious I will be back here, this dish alone would bring me back in any form the chef chooses to keep it on the menu. We finally opted for splitting the porcini rubbed dry aged ribeye. Wow. This was a great piece of meat to begin with, but expertly cooked and wisely adorned, an unexpected side dish of the patate arrosto showed up (thanks!) and it was delicious. I could have easily eaten an entire portion myself it was so good. Steakhouses could learn something from this dish. We were not going to have a dessert - really. We ordered a glass of the Ben Rye when a nice jiggly panna cotta showed up to go with (thanks!) - which we slurped up to fill in the cracks in our bellies. Only curious thing about the food was there was no list of specials - I realize this is not something every restaurant does, just wondering.

This place reminds me of Firenze in a lot of ways, and also of a place in Roma we tried (Enoteca Cavour 313) - a very relaxing neighborhood kind of place with extraordinary food, served simply and in a welcome atmosphere. Service was very good - from the wait being shorter than expected, to our waiter (friendly, informed and very happy to be working there), to kitchen crew (they were busy but organized), to all of the support staff (and a quick chat with the chef (thanks!)). The food I have already hopefully pointed out is worth it alone to make the trip there (curious how regularly the menu will change).

We'll be back, not just to confirm our view of the place, but we'll be back with gusto. :)



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Was here last Wednesday with friends at the bar and had a strange, un-Ghibellina-esque experience. We started with cocktails and the fritto misto. Being a tentacle girl, I reached first for a crispy tentacle morsel -- as soon as it hit my tastebuds, there was a very strong, distinct ammonia taste. I thought, OK"¦ give it another try. Calamari ring. Same undeniable taste. The other fried bits -- polenta, lemon -- were fine. I was puzzling over it silently when my friend looked at me oddly and said, "I hate to say it, but this tastes really bad -- my calamari had a really strong"¦ ammonia taste. Does yours? What is that?!"

We asked the bartender to bring it back to the chef and ask him about it. She returned and said the chef didn't taste anything wrong. But she kindly took it off our bill. We were so turned off by the calamari-ammonia and chef denying it, we decided to have dinner elsewhere. Sorry to say"¦ because I've always had very good and enjoyable experiences here before. An off day that won't happen again, I hope...

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Was here last Wednesday with friends at the bar and had a strange, un-Ghibellina-esque experience. We started with cocktails and the fritto misto. Being a tentacle girl, I reached first for a crispy tentacle morsel -- as soon as it hit my tastebuds, there was a very strong, distinct ammonia taste. I thought, OK"¦ give it another try. Calamari ring. Same undeniable taste. The other fried bits -- polenta, lemon -- were fine. I was puzzling over it silently when my friend looked at me oddly and said, "I hate to say it, but this tastes really bad -- my calamari had a really strong"¦ ammonia taste. Does yours? What is that?!"

We asked the bartender to bring it back to the chef and ask him about it. She returned and said the chef didn't taste anything wrong. But she kindly took it off our bill. We were so turned off by the calamari-ammonia and chef denying it, we decided to have dinner elsewhere. Sorry to say"¦ because I've always had very good and enjoyable experiences here before. An off day that won't happen again, I hope...

Well that's disconcerting.  A bad dish is going to go out from time to time, but one would hope the palates in the kitchen would pick up on something as obvious as what you described.  Kudos to you for speaking up.

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We asked the bartender to bring it back to the chef and ask him about it. She returned and said the chef didn't taste anything wrong. But she kindly took it off our bill. We were so turned off by the calamari-ammonia and chef denying it, we decided to have dinner elsewhere. Sorry to say"¦ because I've always had very good and enjoyable experiences here before. An off day that won't happen again, I hope...

The taste - and especially the odor - of ammonia is undeniable, and foul enough to remember days later. It doesn't take an acute palate to pick this up, but Jonathan has one regardless, and he simply wouldn't miss it. Indeed, this is an aroma that old calamari can begin to pick up - I suspect the odds are that either Jonathan wasn't working, or that the bartender didn't ask him to taste it, knowing in advance that she was simply going to take it off the bill, but I wish she hadn't said he didn't taste anything wrong. Night Owl, btw, is an experienced diner with a reliable palate, and wouldn't imagine something like this - she was there to have a good meal; not to complain. Is there any way this could have been fresh (wild) marjoram which is used in Ghibellina's fungi misti in the Contorni Caldi section of their online menu? This could potentially cause confusion - have a look. Ladies and Gentlemen: We have a mystery with capable, honest players (the bartender remains an unknown quantity), and no particularly good answer.

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No restaurant sends out perfect food 100% of the time, and we happened upon one of those instances. I have had delicious experiences before at Ghibellina (hello, olive & carciofi pizza, for starters) and I'm sure I'll have many more there. Jonathan reached out to me as soon as he saw my post and was great about the whole thing. It says a lot that someone as busy as he is with the real work in the line of fire at the restaurant also keeps his finger on the pulse of what people are sharing about their experiences in real time. That shows true dedication to quality and excellence. 

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Jonathan's pizza is as good as anything I ate in Italy or the Italian part of Switzerland in the past year.  The daily HH makes it an absurd deal.

My only complaint is that clearly no woman was consulted when discussing the mirrors in the bathroom because it is impossible to make sure that your makeup is perfect in those things.

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The marinara pizza is absolutely fantastic, and the wine program is very thoughtful.

My one critical note is that the octopus carpaccio presentation was not nearly as delicious as the one I had a couple of months ago. I had been enchanted by their use of lemon juice to brighten the dish previously, and this rendition was more earthy (with a heap of chickpeas) but also more bland and needing acid.

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Went again last week. Note to self - ask to be seated in the back, closer to the kitchen and not up near the front part of the restaurant near the bar - it is way too loud up there.

The Alici Marinate is quite good - I could eat A LOT of this. The Zuppa de Ceci was tasty and had some really nice spice nuance. The Francobolli in Brodo is still great (wish it had more of that broth!!!!!!!!). The Disossata ala Griglia is still amazing. The only thing that did not really sing for me was the Costolette d'Agnello alla Griglia - the olive based accompaniment is what made the dish for me, but the blade chops themselves were just ok. Not bad at all. It is hard to stand up the the rib eye they have there currently.

Still enjoyed ourselves a lot, just had to raise our voices and repeat stuff from time to time because of the noise level. Grr.

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Went again last week. 

Say hi next time.  :)

I had a friend in town, and went to Ghibellina to try their world-beating pizza, perhaps the best in all of Washington, DC right now.

After waiting for awhile, she had a San Pellegrino Grapefruit Soda (*) while I had a Frizzante ($12), Via dei Milleri Prosecco, Damrak gin, fresh strawberry, simple syrup, and lemon, and by the time we were halfway finished we got a seat at the bar.

As it turned out, we didn't test the kitchen on this evening. Mark Kuller once told me, "If you don't make good charcuterie, it's much better to source it well," and this was the case at Ghibellina.

We started out with the full monty: Varietí¡ di Salumi Artigialani ($24), a plate loaded with the entire assortment: culatello, finocchiona, salami toscano, salsicce cinghiale, and the lone house-made item: fegatini which was also the best item on the plate.

"I could stop eating right now," I said when we were finished.

But we'd already ordered Antipasto d'Estate (for two) ($24), Burrata cheese, balsamic-roasted cippolini onions, marinated rapini, sweet peas mash, and some unannounced button mushrooms. While the charcuterie was well-sourced, this dish was flawed, under-seasoned, under-salted, and lacking punch. Every single item was bland, and essentially, a "Burrata for one" was stretched into a "Burrata for two" due to all the condiments - which added about $10 to the price.

We saw the pizzas coming out, looking on covetously, knowing we could have ordered better. But, you still have to try different things in a restaurant, and on this evening, we had a good time, but only a decent meal that scarcely tested the kitchen with its talented chef, Jonathan Copeland. While Ghibellina didn't lose any ground in the Dining Guide, we probably ordered some of the least rewarding things on the menu here.

We returned a week later, hoping to get at some of that terrific pizza, but ended up putting our names on a list, and subsequently found a table at Etto (so we called and removed our names - a shame because I really wanted that tremendous pizza again).

While this is technically a "review" of our meal, it's really not. I know what Chef Copeland is capable of here, and it's a whole lot greater than purchased culatello, as good as it was.

(*) It says something about me - I'm not sure what - that it gnaws at the inner depths of my core that I can't remember how much the San Pellegrino cost.

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I had a hair appointment Saturday afternoon in the neighborhood which was all the reason I needed to stop by Ghibellina for happy hour. Despite a 14+ mile run early that morning, I had only managed to eat a bowl of oatmeal and some fruit so I was completely starving by the time my boyfriend and I sat down promptly at 4pm. My boyfriend and I ended up ordering the quattro formaggi pizza which was ($8.50). While I love cheese as much as the next person, I am usually skeptical of four cheese pizzas as there can be such a thing as too much cheese. The cheese on the pizza included buffalo mozzarella, ricotta, grana padano, and pecorino romano. The pizza also included basil, pickled hot peppers, garlic, and oregano. It's hard to pick a "favorite" from all the great pizzas I've had at Ghibellina, but this pizza was very good. The cheese was not too heavy and I especially enjoyed the ricotta. The other ingredients balanced out the pizza so it wasn't too rich and cheesy. I probably ended up eating 3/4 of the pizza all by myself. I also enjoyed two rounds of the frizzante that Rocks described above. It was everything I wanted in a drink at that point in time and was only $6 at happy hour! 

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The sad thing here is that I still have yet to try their pizzas. The thing is, doing an early dinner mid week is a pain in the ass for someone who lives in the burbs. Not impossible, but requiring some forethought. Must correct this.

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We saw the pizzas coming out, looking on covetously, knowing we could have ordered better.

We returned a week later, hoping to get at some of that terrific pizza, but ended up putting our names on a list, and subsequently found a table at Etto (so we called and removed our names - a shame because I really wanted that tremendous pizza again).

What's interesting if that I have some very knowledgeable diners agreeing with me about the pizza, and others basically saying that I'm crazy - that it's okay, but not even close to being the best in DC. When I made this call about Comet Ping Pong, and then Pupatella, I didn't get this type of resistance - this tells me that there may well be consistency problems, and in a restaurant this size, that wouldn't surprise me.

One diner (who knows what he's doing) mentioned a "soggy undercrust," and that's the antithesis of how I would describe the pizzas I've seen here; if anything, the pizzas I've praised have had almost *too* much char.

Consistency is everything at a restaurant of this size, especially if someone like me is claiming that they're doing something at a certain level. Disagreements duly noted and recorded (and, to complicate things further, go to this July 25th Pupatella post ... there's no inconsistency, as Pupatella is in Virginia - they're not competitors at all, and I feel we're lucky to have both).

Went to Pupatella last night after an early movie.

Was seated quickly at 9pm- Enzo and Anastasia were not present, but a team of 4 or 5 were manning the prep station and oven.

Ordered Brussel sprouts -delicious as usual and Fig and Pig as well as a Buratta pizza- we were happy and felt things were good as ever with leftovers for lunch today-

Need to get to 14th street at happy hour- difficult for me but so far Pupatella is highest on my pizza list .

I have it on good word that the things to try at Ghibellina are:

* Fegatini

* Pizzas, especially the Finocchiona

* Pastas, especially the Francobolli in Brodo

* Disossata alla Griglia

* Melanzane e Cocozelle Peperonata

If you, or anyone, goes, I would take note of this list. It's insider information, available ONLY TO READERS OF DONROCKWELL.COM!!!

:)  :rolleyes: 

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We recently tried all 5 pastas on Ghibellina's menu and I think Copeland has the best overall pasta (?program?) in DC.



While most good Italian restaurants in DC seems to have one or two pastas that really stand out (while the others are marred by issues with the pasta or sauce or temperature), all the pastas at Ghibellina are fantastic.


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Pizza is so personal.

For example, I think I've tasted pizza all over the DMV and think I have a feel for it, and I would never ever go to Two Amy's over Ghibellina or Puppatella, unless coerced. But, you could find hundreds of people that went to all 3 and completely disagree, and be right.

The problem is that I think many knowledgable people would be biased toward one or the other, because of personal history and taste. I think pizza is one of the foods that is least amenable to objectivity. Depends on where you were raised, the environment, what style you prefer. More so than most foods, I think pizza is also highly contextual. There was a pizza place we got pizza from my intern year of my residency every Friday at lunch at the hospital. That year was 80+ hour weeks, 30 hour shifts, anxiety, sleep deprivation, and humiliation. No matter how good or bad it was, I will never eat at that place again.

I.e. Ghibellina's finest pie made well vs Puppatella's - there are people that would disagree for whatever reason. I doubt it's that inconsistent, unless someone is really slipping at Ghibellina. What one person describes as too much char might be what another calls not enough. What one person thinks is soggy, another might say soft and mouthwatering. There is so little objectivity in pizza, especially in this region, where everyone is from different regions of the country, and decent pizza is a very new experience for the DMV. We are lucky to be finally having this discussion.

Anyway, I'm not trying to do the Obama "there's not a red America or a blue America" bit.. I'm just saying there is probably more nuance and subjectivity involved in pizza than there is in discussing health care policy or the Middle East.

S

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Pizza is so personal.

For example, I think I've tasted pizza all over the DMV and think I have a feel for it, and I would never ever go to Two Amy's over Ghibellina or Puppatella, unless coerced. But, you could find hundreds of people that went to all 3 and completely disagree, and be right.

Had a late lunch at Ghibellina today and I can testify that the Margherita pizza is just as good as it's ever been.  Perfectly charred, thin crust, not soupy in the least, the buffalo mozzarella perfectly melted, the basil fresh and flavorful, and the tomato sauce is just exquisite -- it's sweet, but not too sweet, and a beautiful color.  Ever since we first visited Ghibellina last summer we have not felt any need to travel to Pupatella for pizza.

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Pizza is so personal.

I couldn't agree more. When I was thinking about, conceiving of and testing my dough/pizza recipe for months, the only thing I was trying to accomplish was to create a pizza that I wanted to eat every day.

Thank you for the kind words and the feed back. Just to be mentioned alongside of institutions like 2 Amy's and Pupatella is an honor.

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What's interesting if that I have some very knowledgeable diners agreeing with me about the pizza, and others basically saying that I'm crazy - that it's okay, but not even close to being the best in DC. When I made this call about Comet Ping Pong, and then Pupatella, I didn't get this type of resistance - this tells me that there may well be consistency problems, and in a restaurant this size, that wouldn't surprise me.

One diner (who knows what he's doing) mentioned a "soggy undercrust," and that's the antithesis of how I would describe the pizzas I've seen here; if anything, the pizzas I've praised have had almost *too* much char.

Consistency is everything at a restaurant of this size, especially if someone like me is claiming that they're doing something at a certain level. Disagreements duly noted and recorded (and, to complicate things further, go to this July 25th Pupatella post ... there's no inconsistency, as Pupatella is in Virginia - they're not competitors at all, and I feel we're lucky to have both).

When someone tells me that a restaurant serves the best pizza in town, and when I agree with that, and tell it to the world, then I must hold that restaurant to a higher standard.

I went to Ghibellina last night, on Labor Day - probably Jonathan's night off, but there was a packed bar area nevertheless due to their outstanding happy hour bar specials from 4-6:30. If you haven't taken advantage of these, you really need to.

Starting off as I did once before, I ordered and sipped on a Frizzante ($6, all prices here are happy hour prices), prosecco, gin, strawberry simple syrup, and lemon. I can't be certain, but I don't think they're using Damrak gin any longer - their online menu, if I'm not mistaken, is not quite current. Regardless, for $6, this was nearly as refreshing and well-made as before, but it didn't wow me.

I then switched to a glass of Prosecco ($5) which was well above the norm in quality. A very good prosecco, served in a high-quality champagne flute, for $5? Yes, you should take advantage of Ghibellina's happy hour at your earliest possible opportunity (select 20-ounce draft beers are only $4, including the Atlas Rowdy Rye PA).

Dinnertime! Diners can now choose from numerous pizzas during happy hour, and I chose the Salsicce e Cipolla (a ridiculous $8.50), sausage, provolone, wood-roasted onions, oregano, peperoncino, and grana. I ended up eating only one-quarter of the pizza (which diners cut themselves with a pair of scissors - I love this), and took the rest home, having half later that evening, and the final quarter for lunch the next day. So I got to try it at three different times - the half pizza was well-heated and crisped in a good, hot oven, and the final quarter was eaten at room temperature, so I got to really examine this pie in three very different ways.

When claims are made as to The Best at something, scrutiny needs to be tightened. Consistency means a lot, and in some sense, you're only as good as your worst pizza on your worst day. I have to say that I liked, but did not love, this Salsicce e Cipolla. It was extremely well-charred on top, but had very little char on the bottom (an odd combination), the tomato sauce was sweet, and perceived as even sweeter by the wood-roasted onions which were sweet to a fault. While the sausage was very good and interesting, albeit somewhat pink (from nitrates?), the grana did not seem to be of the highest quality, but that could have also been the overall combination of flavors which just didn't pan out. The flavor and texture of the crust was delicious, and was the high point of the pie.

Having now had several pizzas at Ghibellina, I can comfortably say that this was my least favorite. Was it because it was Labor Day, and the first shift was taking a break before busy season starts up? Are they offering too many different pizzas at happy hour instead of only serving a couple and executing those to perfection? I had this pizza on my first visit to Ghibellina, and loved it then, so why didn't I love this? Primarily, it was the overall flavor which was less than the sum of its parts. Have the ingredients changed? Was an inexperienced pizzaiolo at the station? I don't know.

All I can say is that to claim a restaurant "has the best pizza in town," especially in this pizza-soaked city, the pizzas have to be both magnificent *and* consistent, and it's the consistency that was lost on this visit. This was a good pizza, and for the money, was an amazing pizza, but taken on absolute terms, it was not a great pizza. Right now, I don't feel comfortable saying Ghibellina has the best pizza in the DC area - I think it has the *potential* to serve some of the greatest pies, and rest assured that if Jonathan is overseeing things, it will, but this is a high-volume restaurant, talented cooks need days off, and the diner has no way of knowing what is going on. Jonathan will be cursing at me when he reads this - especially because I'm writing this about a Labor Day visit - but I'd be remiss if I reported on anything other than the actual experience. Honestly, I've had some fantastic restaurant meals on Labor Day proper in years past - crowds are thin, and if the chef is working, it's like you unearthed buried treasure.

Above all, everyone please keep in mind: This is not a bad review by any means; it's merely expressing doubt about Ghibellina's pizza being "The Best."

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Liliana here--I handle marketing and public relations for Mindful Restaurants, which includes Ghibellina, Acqua al 2, Harold Black, and the forthcoming Denson and Sotto. I know Jonathan is a regular on this forum but I wanted to join in on the fun and let you know that Ghibellina now offers valet, making driving to dinner at Ghibellina easier than ever. The stand is directly outside the restaurant, on the west side of 14th street.

In bar news, we've added 3 new 750 ml bottles from Italian beer makers Birra Gjulia, including an American Pale Ale, a German Hefeweizen, and a stout. Plus we're thrilled with the new Fall cocktails, which feature flavors of apricot, saffron, cinnamon, plum, and cider. Take advantage of the valet stand and try some of these new cocktails with half-priced pizza at happy hour, offered from 4-6:30pm 7 days a week

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I never really write reviews of places I've eaten, but I just gotta give 2 big thumbs to our meal last night. We've only been here once before (for happy hour) and had great pizza and cocktails, and I'm glad we came back last night for a full-on meal. We sat in the 6-top right by the pass, so my daughters got to watch the food coming out which is always a bonus. We had a great server, very attentive and informative (blond hair, can't recall her name).  Anyway, everything we ate was simple, yet well made and well seasoned. Pizzas were excellent, but the dish of the night (for me) was the white beans with pumpkin and almonds---well balance and quite tasty. Anchovies were great as well.  It was the perfect spot to take the visiting mother-in-law, as it was a great mix of the 14th St vibe with just really great food and service. We'll be back sooner than later! Thanks again.

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I never really write reviews of places I've eaten, but I just gotta give 2 big thumbs to our meal last night. We've only been here once before (for happy hour) and had great pizza and cocktails, and I'm glad we came back last night for a full-on meal. We sat in the 6-top right by the pass, so my daughters got to watch the food coming out which is always a bonus. We had a great server, very attentive and informative (blond hair, can't recall her name).  Anyway, everything we ate was simple, yet well made and well seasoned. Pizzas were excellent, but the dish of the night (for me) was the white beans with pumpkin and almonds---well balance and quite tasty. Anchovies were great as well.  It was the perfect spot to take the visiting mother-in-law, as it was a great mix of the 14th St vibe with just really great food and service. We'll be back sooner than later! Thanks again.

Thank you very much for your support and feedback.

Carly is a superstar. She is knowledgable, dedicated and truly cares. She spends her mornings in the prep kitchen and her nights on the floor.

As for the fagiole e zucca. We have been getting a lot of raves for the dish and it will be on the menu through the winter most likely.

Please say hello next time (and bring some chocolates)!

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Thank you very much for your support and feedback.

Carly is a superstar. She is knowledgable, dedicated and truly cares. She spends her mornings in the prep kitchen and her nights on the floor.

As for the fagiole e zucca. We have been getting a lot of raves for the dish and it will be on the menu through the winter most likely.

Please say hello next time (and bring some chocolates)!

It's always nice to have dedicated and knowledgeable employees--makes such an impact. Will definitely bring chocolates next time!

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...and I'm glad we came back last night for a full-on meal. We sat in the 6-top right by the pass, so my daughters got to watch the food coming out which is always a bonus. 

Sitting in the back near the kitchen is a de facto requirement for my future visits here. It's just too darn noisy at tables near the front. It's much more relaxing in the back IMO.

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