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Osteria Elisir (Formerly Elisir), Downtown on 11th and E Streets NW - Chef Enzo Fargione Comes from Teatro Goldoni - Closed


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Dinner on Friday night was close to great. The food was out-of-this-world (especially the pasta dishes), but the service was "off." The server and wine guy were professional and knowledgable, but quirky to the point that it was almost uncomfortable for our table. I also thought that the pacing was slow. In addition, while $75 for five courses, along with three "extra" courses is an incredible deal, I thought that the wine pairing at $55 was a poor value. Were the wines good? Yes, but our pours bordered on barely half a glass, making it out to be $22 per glass of wine, which is quite pricey for the wines that we got.

Overall, this place rocks, but a few changes would have taken our meal to the next-next level.

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Our first time at Elisir for dinner on Saturday night was good but not great. Some menu items really were fantastic-gnocchi, veal and cheese plate specifically. But the general consensus of our group was that overall the food was- for lack of a better term- ungapatchka. The food was a little too fussed over and gimmicky. I'm not someone who worships at the altar of seasonality but white asparagus, "summer corn", "summer mushrooms", and English peas in on a menu in November? In reality, this is all nit-picky stuff. But after reading the reviews we went in expecting to be blown away and we weren't.

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Read my response below this article in the comment section for everyone to remember how unpredictable our industry really is these days.....................

Chef, your industry is not the only one that is unpredictable these days. In my world (management consulting) we consistently have people in very strategic positions, often supervising several employees, that leave in very short fashion. While two weeks is the norm and is what is expected (although personally I think that is too short of a time period for the position that several people are in), I had someone recently resign on a Wednesday and state that their last day would be Friday. Is it as extreme as your case? No, but it is pervasive in almost every working situation.

By the way, this wouldn't irk me as much as it does except for the fact that employees often complain when the shoe is on the other foot. My firm has never laid off any workers, but I hear former colleagues complain about "only" getting eight weeks severence (after maybe being at the company for one or two years) or raising an employee's insurance responsibility by $50 a month (when the employer may have to cover an extra $200 or $300) a month.

In the end, companies, or in your case restaurants, are not evil. There are some evil owners that screw over their employees, but there are also a whole lot of crappy workers out there too.

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http://www.washingto...ir.php#comments

Read my response below this article in the comment section for everyone to remember how unpredictable our industry really is these days.....................

Have a very Happy New Year everyone

Enzo

I'm sorry, Enzo.

I still want to hear Mark's side of the story, but you make things sound quite damning. Still, it makes very little sense for a bartender at a reputable restaurant to abandon ship on New Year's Eve for an extra hundred bucks somewhere else. It makes no sense at all - there must be more of a backstory.

But I'm still sorry it happened to you, and it makes me want to come in and have a few drinks with dinner at the bar just to give you my support.

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Don,

Thank you my dear friend, but did you ever catch me in a lie in the past 6 years?

Drinks are on me

Enzo

No, no, no - I was just saying that the bartender (and as I type this, I don't even remember his name) probably has his own version of the story ("I told the bastard a month ago that I wasn't coming in!" :)). This is no different than any other contentious issue - "There are two sides to every story," etc. - and is more of a general thought, unrelated to this particular situation. It's why judges listen to both stories before rendering a verdict.

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We had dinner here recently for my birthday. I was very curious about this restaurant. I remember after it opened it received quite a few accolades; however, I knew the restaurant had recently changed its concept to be more casual, so I wasn't sure what to expect with the food. I'd seen older pictures of the dishes, which were beautiful, almost sculptural. The new menu, while good, is not that. The dishes are well-made but nothing unusual. We enjoyed what we had (the pastas were particularly good), but I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that whatever modern flair existed previously seemed to be gone. The service, on the other hand, needs some attention. Our server was friendly and polite, no problem tehre--it was the other aspects of the service that were disappointing: the bar was quite slow and the staff was way too eager about clearing our table. My cocktail was whisked away with about 1/4 of it left, platters were taken with bits remaining we would have eaten, and my husband's plate was taken away while I was still clearly eating, a move that's common to lesser restaurants and a personal pet peeve (I'm a slower eater than he is). For more specifics about our visit, here's my blog post. Overall, while I certainly wouldn't say we had a bad time (again, we enjoyed everything we ate), I was hoping for more.

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The antipasti looked more interesting than the pasta, and the pasta looked more interesting than the secondi, so we did 4 antipasti and 2 pasta. Also interesting are the specials but we didn't have enough room to indulge. For example, last night they offered a not-on-the-website grilled seafood combo for $89, meant for sharing btwn 2-3 people, including lobster, prawns, scallops, squid, etc.


The 4 antipasti we had were: Venison Carpaccio (porcini dusted, blueberries, Portobello mushrooms, Grana, Sherry vinegar, arugula), Porchetta Tonnato (black pepper fennel seeds roasted pork slices, tuna capers sauce, shaved fennel, arugula, parmesan shaves), Roman Artichokes (deep fried, lemon, mint, oregano, creamy anchovy garlic sauce), and Stuffed Squid (with spicy salami and shrimp, sweet garlic saffron broth, braised leeks and green olives). The squid was very tender and it was stuffed with a tasty shrimp paste (kinda like har gow at dim sum joints). I felt somewhat healthy eating lots of arugula with the venison and pork/tuna but the slight bitterness of the arugula often drowned out the flavor of the proteins.



The 2 pasta were: Linguine Clams (Neapolitan style, little necks, basil, spicy pepper, touch of San Marzano) and Saffron Tortelli (Filled with ricotta and spinach Braised veal cheeks sauce). I loved the linguine, you can taste a little spiciness, the scent of basil, and the sweet acidity of the tomato, in addition to the flavors of fresh little neck clams. The saffron tortelli were 6 huge stuffed pasta dumplings. I'm not on a diet, but if I was, the tortelli would've busted it, along with the super-rich veal cheek.


I would say Elisir is comparable to Al Dente, both are excellent high-end trattorias (Elisir being a little more formal than Al Dente).


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We also dined at Osteria Elisir recently and had a few of the same dishes as ericandblueboy. We thought the artichokes were very good, but pale in comparison to the stuffed squid- which is a dish that has me clamoring for a return visit. My friend had the linguine with clams and didn't particularly care for it. She thought the clams were a touch overdone. I tasted the dish and thought it lacked flavor. I had a much better experience with an satisfying black spaghettini with strips of tuna, green olives, capers, roasted garlic, and pepperoncino. Another great dish was rigatoni with creamy burrata, smoky mushroom ragu, and rosemary. A friend had pasta with a side of meatballs, which were overcooked and tasteless.

All in all despite some of the misses, I liked the food and the more casual atmosphere.

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I am sad to say that I left rather disappointed in our meal. I was not expecting the same sort of dishes that we had when it first opened, but I did expect the same attention to detail – not how it appears on the plate, but how well the dish appears on your palate. There were cooking issues with two of our dishes, and most of the rest lacked balance that a simple shot of acid would have cured.


The stuffed squid were excellent; I would go back and eat those again and again. I think that the squid on its own was a little overcooked, but in this preparation I think that worked in its favor as it presented a nice bit of chew where the delicious filling did not. This was by far the most balanced dish of the night.


When I saw the artichoke dish arrive at the table I thought that maybe we were served the wrong dish, the only thing that this dish had in common with Roman style artichokes was the artichokes. Roman style artichokes are generally fried whole, however, this dish consisted of a cleaned artichoke that was mostly heart and stem with a small portion of delicate inner leaves still attached. The only sign of frying was the color tips of the delicate inner leaves. The artichokes themselves were slightly undercooked and in no way seasoned.


The other big miss was the Saffron Tortelli. We had to send this back because it was cold and the filling tasted uncooked. They replaced it with a freshly cooked portion which was better, however, still not a dish that I thought worked well. I did not pick up any saffron on the dish and the filling was pasty (we discovered that the filling in the first dish was indeed cooked, but when it turned cold it tasted undercooked and the thick seams of the pasta toughened to the point that they came across as undercooked). The highlight of the dish was the braised pork cheeks, but this could hardly save this dish.


The Venison Carpaccio could have been a very good dish; it just needed a shot of acid and a sprinkle of salt. Also several elements seemed to be missing or not as prevalent as the menu would make them seem. When I read a menu and see a list of elements I generally believe that they go from most pronounced to least but for this dish it was the opposite, the arugula which was listed last, was almost as strong as the venison, but the first two elements listed, porcini dust and blueberries, could have been missing from our plate as I did not notice either of them.


The Porchetta Tonnato suffered from the same lack of balance and seasoning and I suspect if it had been properly seasoned this would have been a brilliant dish.
Reading foodobsessed6’s description of the Linguini Clams it makes me wonder if inconsistency might be an issue with the cooking at Elisir as our clams were perfectly cooked and the broth certainly did not lack flavor, it was the most robustly flavored thing we had all night. Like the clams, the pasta was also perfectly cooked. This was in every way the equal of the squid.


The beverage service was hit and miss. The bartender was excellent and I had a great conversation with him while waiting for Eric and my wife to show up. I first ordered a very enjoyable Smoked Pear Mojito the smokiness was not overpowering and went quite nicely with the other flavors in the drink. I noticed a gin that I did not have in my collection and wanted to give it a try so after talking to him and seeing that he only had Canada Dry and a sweet tonic on tap I decided that a G&T was out, then not really liking the vermouth option I spotted Maraschino and asked for an Aviation, and was presented with a very well made version of it – the squeeze of lemon zest across the glass was a welcome addition that outside of a craft cocktail establishment too few bartenders take the time to do. The misses came when I ordered a couple of glasses or red wine, both were served was too warm, one was actually above room temperature.


Service was never an issue, neither too little nor too much attention and our waiter had no issues with our sharing each of the dishes. Also when the fresh dish of Tortelli and we were able to taste the dish the manager came over to apologize and check to make sure it was properly cooked – I thought that the delay in his arrival until we had tasted the dish was very well timed.


This is a restaurant that I really want to love and dearly hope that this was just an off night, but as I mentioned above I suspect that consistency is an issue. Just a few changes and everything could have been brilliant, but most of them just fell flat. It certainly was not a bad meal; I have tasted the chef’s brilliance in the past and it was not on display Friday night and that was the most disappointing thing of all.

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I am sad to say that I left rather disappointed in our meal. I was not expecting the same sort of dishes that we had when it first opened, but I did expect the same attention to detail – not how it appears on the plate, but how well the dish appears on your palate. There were cooking issues with two of our dishes, and most of the rest lacked balance that a simple shot of acid would have cured.

...

This is a restaurant that I really want to love and dearly hope that this was just an off night, but as I mentioned above I suspect that consistency is an issue. Just a few changes and everything could have been brilliant, but most of them just fell flat. It certainly was not a bad meal; I have tasted the chef’s brilliance in the past and it was not on display Friday night and that was the most disappointing thing of all.

We had a very similar first visit here recently. I wish I'd been before the changes as our experience watching the Chef cook at his former restaurant was one of our all time favorites.

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We had a very similar first visit here recently. I wish I'd been before the changes as our experience watching the Chef cook at his former restaurant was one of our all time favorites.

I'm afraid I also must join in this collective "meh." I hadn't been to the higher-end predecessor, but this version struck me as a textbook example of what reverse-snobs think of when they deride "fancy restaurants." Charcuterie, no matter how good, is in the end a simple thing and should be treated as such. Here it is portioned fastidiously and with an almost comical fuss of plates and tableware. It made we want to see the whole charcuterie fad just die right now. My experience with the Tortelli was similar to Sthitch's, though I didn't send mine back. I don't normally pay a great deal of attention to decor in restaurants, but some of the things here are Cracker Barrel weird: sawn-off barrel bottoms mounted on the walls with steel brackets, garden implements seemingly fresh out of Smith and Hawken hanging here and there--an entirely failed attempt at "Italian country." I think perhaps all the way around that Elisir needs to more fully embrace its Osteria identity with more attention to simplicity and authenticity.

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We enjoyed wine and pasta at the bar yesterday. This is a perfect spot for bar dining. The bartender was attentive and gracious, the seats are comfortable for lingering and the bar is quiet enough for conversation. I slipped in just before happy hour ended and ordered the meat and cheese sampler ($11), which wasn't an inspired choice but I wanted something that would still be good for my partner, who was about 20 minutes behind me. I saw all the lucious crostini orders around me, and was jealous, but didn't know how well they would fare sitting out for 20 minutes. The sampler was pretty small...not a great value. I say that because the dinner menu crostini, which looked and sounded great, were all $11 or below.

When my partner arrived, I tried to sell the notion of sharing some crostini as dinner, but she had a bad day and craved a homey comfort food experience...therefore she ordered the saffron fettuccini with bolognese ($19). I never got a taste and she finished the entire generous serving, pronouncing it "perfect." I had the linguine soft shell crab ($25), also a generous serving. The bartender tried to steer me toward the tempura style soft shell crabs instead, saying it was a better CRAB dish if I was serious about soft shells. But I, too, developed a hankering for pasta and thought the linguine would offer the best of both. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, the tomatoes were bursting with summer flavor, the crab pieces (probably one whole small crab, chopped into sections) were mild and sweet and the entire preparation was light enough to let the pasta shine. Overall, though, a pretty simple dish which really didn't demonstrate the abilities of the kitchen, I suspect. A shared side of grilled asparagus was $8, for 7 spears. Not delicious enough to warrant over $1 per spear.

There seemed to be an overall imbalance in the value proposition...the pastas were very large for the price, and easily shareable, but the starter and side were quite small for the price. I bet that a careful, educated regular could eat very well here for a small price, especially by beginning with some happy hour small plates.

The space and the menu make me want to return, to try some of the more complex dishes and to enjoy the dining room.

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Dcandohio,

Thanks for your post and for the nice words

Glad you enjoyed the food and concept

The happy hour bar menu was designed for those who either want to taste a variety of different foods at modest prices or for those who like to jump- start their appetites right before dinner

Obviously, there is so much to chose from the bar menu to tantalize almost everyone.

Pastas tend to be the comfort food of choice: they're abundant, filling and they come in various forms with different sauces while taking advantage of the season

In your case the Linguine with soft shell crabs. Soft shells availability and quality is slowing down as the season has taken a turn for the worst this year much earlier then anticipated.

It does happen that at times a soft shell can be softer or tougher others. Unfortunately we have no control over it, but I assure you we strive to dedicate the same amount of love , professionalism and care to each and every dish we prepare regardless of occasional hick ups related to the quality of the main ingredients.

I would suggest for you to come back and to try that dish again in a near future to properly compare the quality difference.

There are also many more options for you to choose from:

Spinach Tortelli filled with Eggplant Parmigiana and served over a creamy Mascarpone cheese sauce

Basil Spaghettini in a sauce of marinated yellow tomatoes with roasted Maine Lobster

Paccheri with a traditional Roman Amatriciana Sauce with pork jowl, tomato and Pecorino cheese

Try the Garganelli with a rich, but very delicate duck ragu` with porcini mushrooms or if you come with the family indulge in the Lasagne Stuffed to share: they are always a sure winner

Whole in whole we want to make sure that next time you come you'll be 100% satisfied and mostly happy!!

Thanks for your constructive criticism and come and see us for Restaurant Week from August 19 to 25

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Check out the link....

Want to know the secrets of the culinary trips with fellows celebrity chefs? Want to know how food critics really grade a restaurant and how Washington has changed gastronomically from the past 25 years?

About all of those who are interested in opening a restaurant : do you really know what it takes to do it? what happens behind the curtains? The sacrifices people go through in order to make a living?

And what about all the practical jokes played on co workers, customers and bosses? The sex, the fights, the alcohol abuse, the drugs and the theft that make the restaurant business a love or die industry?

VISUAL EATS A behind the scenes look at modern Italian cooking......and of course mouth water recipes and pics.

http://dc.eater.com/archives/2013/07/11/check-out-the-cover-of-enzo-fargiones-cookbook.php

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Dcandohio,Thanks for your post and for the nice wordsGlad you enjoyed the food and conceptThe happy hour bar menu was designed for those who either want to taste a variety of different foods at modest prices or for those who like to jump- start their appetites right before dinnerObviously, there is so much to chose from the bar menu to tantalize almost everyone.Pastas tend to be the comfort food of choice: they're abundant, filling and they come in various forms with different sauces while taking advantage of the seasonIn your case the Linguine with soft shell crabs. Soft shells availability and quality is slowing down as the season has taken a turn for the worst this year much earlier then anticipated.It does happen that at times a soft shell can be softer or tougher others. Unfortunately we have no control over it, but I assure you we strive to dedicate the same amount of love , professionalism and care to each and every dish we prepare regardless of occasional hick ups related to the quality of the main ingredients.

Dear Chef,

The crab in the pasta was fine! My description of "mild and sweet" was a compliment. I enjoyed my evening, and look forward to returning to try more of the menu.

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Sadly, this past winter I had to cancel a reservation at Elisir, and not long after the concept changed to Osteria Elisir. Having enjoyed a couple of amazing meals when Chef Fargione was at Teatro Goldoni, I held back from visiting, wondering whether the more casual atmosphere and gentler prices would hold him back.

Oops.

Dinner tonight was outstanding - one of the best Restaurant Week meals I have ever had. I rarely go out for RW - most of the time, you're getting the equivalent of a free dessert, and it's often not worth dealing with the crowds. Since Osteria Elisir's lower prices meant the savings was maybe $10/diner, I'm already looking at my calendar for when I can get back.

Though the restaurant was not completely full, the carpeting, soft edges, and separated dining rooms means that the sound will always be reasonable levels - no need to shout to speak to your dining companion. Service was friendly though very professional, and a request to sit in front of the expansive open (and quiet, calm) kitchen was immediately granted.

Started with Smoked Pear Balsamic Mojito (Appleton Dark Rum Estate, Fresh Mint Leaves, Balsamic, Lime Nectar, Smoked Pear Sweet Water, Soda Water) - $13. I'm still not down with paying $13 for a regular sized cocktail, but did enjoy this drink. We elected to pair the excellent bread with the Ricotta Condita spread (garlic confit, lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil) - $6. I might have put a slightly larger splash of olive oil on top, but after demolishing the bread basket (on which we declined a quickly offered refill, to save room for dinner), we scooped the rest of the spread out with our forks...

For our appetizers we shared the Italian Style Sushi Rolls (wrapped with San Daniele prosciutto, goat cheese, asparagus, mushrooms, balsamic dip) and the Charred Octopus (grilled over broccoli puree, pancetta leeks ragu and Limoncello vinegar.) The "sushi" rolls were served with a light microgreen salad and some vinegary carrot pickles - and this contrast is what made the dish sing, along with a crispy potato chip on each roll for textural contrast. But the octopus was the clear winner of the round, the accompaniments merely emphasizing the smokiness of the tower of tender octopus.

Since we were sharing, picking a pasta as one of the mains was an easy way to build a multi-course meal. We bypassed a tempting spinach tortelloni with eggplant and burrata stuffing for the Cavatelli Ragu' di Anatra (duck"Œ ragu, rosemary, porcini mushrooms, Grana). This almost worked against us - it was so rich that I couldn't imagine eating an entire portion, but having just a few bites before our other main, and coming back to it after did the trick. This was important because we didn't leave a bite of the Fried Chicken Milanese Napoleon (arugula salad, marinated cherry tomato confit, balsamic caramel) on the plate. This dish was exactly what you would picture - layers of a thinly pounded perfectly fried chicken filet, with arugula and cherry tomatoes so sweet that they couldn't have been picked more than hours previously. And, though we had been provided sharing plates at every course, that didn't stop us from dipping the chicken back into the ribbons of balsamic "caramel" that painted the dish. The wine list isn't on the website, but a glass of a Super Tuscan went fine with both dishes.

 
For dessert, we got a very decent pot of french press (beans from Nicaragua from Gaithersburg roaster Santa Lucia) along with one each of the two RW dessert selections, Deep Chocolate Pannacotta (lemon curd, hazelnut brittle, Gianduja ganache) and Apple and Ricotta Millefoglie (puff pastry, lemon zest, peach Prosecco gel, pistachio Zabaglione). Like the previous courses, it was the perfect combinations of tastes and textures that made these dishes work, not that we couldn't have eaten the panna cotta and millefoglie on their own!

I'm sorry I waited so long to get there, and while I might have missed out on a Chef's Table opportunity at Elisir, I don't feel at all disappointed that I can afford to get to Osteria Elisir more often.

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Sad to announce we had a few cancellations for this weekend!

For those who still have no plans and would like to spend a couple of hours with us at Osteria Elisir make your reservation now for Friday and Saturday

OOOPPPPPSSSS!! almost forgot : we are also open on Sunday for dinner this year!!

202 546 0088

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It was after 9:00 on a weekday night, and Mr P and I were feeling peckish after a lecture and not ready to head home yet, and we hadn't been to Central in ages, so we headed there only to find that Central was closed for a private event.  But there was Osteria Elisir just down the block, and we'd never been, and didn't know if it's the kind of place where you can just settle in for some snacks, but we went anyway.  And the menu is full of snacks, what with the La Salumeria, To Accompany Your Bread Basket, and Crostoni sections.  Our delightful waitress didn't seem to mind at all that we were just grazing.  I have no idea how OE is for a full meal, but it's now at the top of my list for places to graze after a show or lecture.  And also at the top of my list for places to go for dinner.  If the zuppe and insalate and pasta and secondi are as good as the little dishes, OE will be at the top of my list of favorite restaurants.

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Following the great article on the Washington Post by Tim Carman about Cured Guanciale  http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/guanciale-made-at-home-a-cure-for-the-winter-blues/2013/09/30/ef500768-2244-11e3-b73c-aab60bf735d0_story.html

Osteria Elisir will offer FREE tastings of Cavatelli with Lamb Ragu` all week for Lunch or Dinner complimentary with your reservation upon request by mentioning the article from Wednesday October 2nd 2013

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/going-out-guide/wp/2013/10/01/guanciale-extra-osteria-elisir-to-offer-free-tastings-of-lamb-ragu/

Now......who's craving braised Lamb Ragu` dear Donrockwell.com afficionados? Also available for home use in take home sizes of 12 Oz (feeds 3-4 diners) and 24 Oz (feeds 6-8 diners) for $12 and $24

Hope to see many of you soon at Osteria Elisir

Enzo

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After more then 2 years we decided to call it quits!

Elisir and Osteria Elisir have made many people happy and will continue to live in the hearts of those who had supported us and appreciated us

Thank you to all of you Washingtonians.

Our restaurant is now officially closed for good.

I'll see you soon.........

Enzo Fargione

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After more then 2 years we decided to call it quits!

Elisir and Osteria Elisir have made many people happy and will continue to live in the hearts of those who had supported us and appreciated us

Thank you to all of you Washingtonians.

Our restaurant is now officially closed for good.

I'll see you soon.........

Enzo Fargione

Enzo, I am deeply upset to hear of your closing. They say the happiest two days of a restaurateur's life are the day the restaurant opens, and the day the restaurant closes - I hope that is the case here, but knowing your determination and grit, I suspect it's not. Furthermore, I'm quite certain that this isn't going to be the last we'll hear from you. I remember dining at Teatro Goldini with Eric Ziebold, and you served us the smoked bronzino in cigar boxes. Eric's comment in the middle of that dish: 'No matter what else Enzo does, for the rest of this meal, or for the rest of his career, he has earned my respect and admiration with this one stroke of genius.' And it's true - that dish became your "signature," and I suspect it will be imitated for decades and centuries to come. The closing of Osteria Elisir means nothing, other than that Osteria Elisir has closed - I cannot think of one great artist who hasn't had a setback - often a big setback - at some point in his or her career. This may indeed be one in yours, but it's imperative that you look at the big picture now: you are a gifted artist, and you will be back, presenting your art (or craftsmanship, for those who prefer that term) in another form, another phase. Although we've never socialized, I consider you to be a close friend, and I will stand by your side, always.

For now, buy a swimming suit, a plane ticket, and take a vacation somewhere warm. Clear your mind, and I already know that probably on "day two" of you lying beside a pool, your brain will begin spinning like a slot machine. You won't be gone for long - it's not in your blood. You're a fantastic person as well as a gifted chef, and your inner drive will take control of you whether you want it to or not. I know that right now, I'm supposed to say, "I'm sorry," and I am sorry, but there's nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal, and I'm almost happy for you because I know that you're going to come back with a vengeance, doing something you love even more. These are not empty words - they are spoken from my heart, and are being chosen thoughtfully.

You can count on me, and you can count on your friends here on dr.com, to rally around you, no matter what you do. Get some rest, and then go out there and kick a little ass - it's in your nature.

Kind regards,

Don

PS - Retired in Italic and as the #1 restaurant in Federal Triangle.

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Enzo, we shared a fantastic experience at your restaurant.  We left with the passionate belief that D. C. was incredibly fortunate that you are here:  you are a gift to us.  You have introduced extraordinary tastes and textures to this city.

To be honest, I am not sure of the ability of the core of downtown Washington to support a restaurant today (i.e. Bloomingdale, Barracks Row, 14th street are pulling people away).  I honestly believe that if Elisir had been in one of these neighborhoods or Clarendon, Bethesda or Reston that your book would be filled with reservations for this weekend.  I wish you the absolute best and look forward to eating at your table again...soon.

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unfortunately my wife and I dined there in what now appears to be their last weekend. As a result my credit card has had to be cancelled due to fraudulent double billing (once as "Osteria" and again the next day for the same exact amount as "Elisir") If anyone has been there recently I would advise them to check their credit card charges. 

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Theakston

I am very sorry to hear that. This is indeed news, bad news to me and I am indeed very sorry.

I can assure you that, if what happened to you is correct it must have been a simple merchant problem and is very possible (I hope) something we can still fix

Please contact me here in private message and give me the opportunity to look into it and correct the problem if we still can

I have no idea what has happend, but my guess is it was a technical problem with the merchant company.

However and whatever this is I would like to know and learn about it  as I have worked very hard 30 years in DC and across the US and built a reputation of honest and respectable professional to have anything like this to stain my name.

I thank you for bringing this to my attention

Chef Enzo Fargione

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