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Fiola, Penn Quarter in the old Le Paradou Space - Now with Several Locations Worldwide


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Hit up Fiola for the $28 business lunch and frankly didn't really come away with the enthusiasm that other diners have spilled across these pages. There were glimmers, and it's early but, y'know?

First, whoever disliked the uniforms, I agree with. Black ties (too wide for contemporary coolness -- you'd think Italians would get this stuff right -- but not 70s-used-car-dealer wide) on cranberry shirts. Ick. And those white cuffs with red buttons. This is not important but the whole thing reminded me of something you might push a 5-year-old into for Easter mass, maybe under a green suit. It's probably based on some traditional Ligurian server's uniform but still...More distressing was that when we asked for a recommendation from the wines by the glass the server went with Pinot Grigio -- whoo, I woulda never thought of that on my own! -- and when I suggested (not in these words) that I loathed Pinot Grigio, was unable to come up with a single other suggestion, despite the fact that the wine list was open on the table in front of him.

Did like the room, nice and bright, clean without being boring.

As happens with this sort of meal, the appetizers were meh -- the green salad which I has and the asparagus which is hard to avoid this month. The salad was fine.

There was a good selection of mains -- a coupe of different pastas (is whole wheat penne, you know, authentic?) and the inescapable hanger steak, which seems un-Italian, even when paired with arugula. We both opted for fish, the special, branzino, and the red snapper. Unfortunately, the kitchen seemed to have trouble with fish today. My friend sent her branzino back as being a little more sashimi-ish than was strictly kosher. I didn't get a good look but it appeared she had a decent case. The kitchen did replaced the fish rapidly and a woman in a nice suit and a position of authority suggested politely but quite firmly that my companion would not be permitted to to pay for the dish. My friend did enjoy the replacement, so that was kind of a standoff, evaluation-wise.

I quite enjoyed the fragola (similar to but not -- to my mind -- exactly the same as Israeli cous-cous) with a red pepper ragout that sat beneath my snapper. Rich, with a little zing, and microgreens flung promiscuously about to add a little chlorophyll to the mix. The snapper, despite the grill marks, seemed strangely listless, though. If not undercooked, at least lacking in that little crunch around the edges and faintly firmed flesh that bring an otherwise mushy dish home.

There was a strange delay before dessert -- when we inquired we were told that the pastry chef had just gotten back to his (her?) station and was punching out the Suppa Inglese now. A great little dish -- strawberries, and custard with lemon granite shaved on top. But how was the pastry chef not at her (his?) station at 1:15 on a Tuesday? There was a fairly delish-sounding tart listed as well, featuring nuts and chocolate and a smattering of other goodies, but I could not get my companion to bite.

All in all, it felt like a super good restaurant, only on a day when the A Team was away giving a demonstration and the B Team was in. High aspirations but surprisingly imperfect execution on an only modestly busy day.

Yep -- it's still new, I only ate one meal and maybe the snapper is supposed to be cooked that way, but given Fabio's rep and the unctuous outcries above, I was looking for a little more.

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Hit up Fiola for the $28 business lunch and frankly didn't really come away with the enthusiasm that other diners have spilled across these pages. There were glimmers, and it's early but, y'know?

First, whoever disliked the uniforms, I agree with. Black ties (too wide for contemporary coolness -- you'd think Italians would get this stuff right -- but not 70s-used-car-dealer wide) on cranberry shirts. Ick. And those white cuffs with red buttons. This is not important but the whole thing reminded me of something you might push a 5-year-old into for Easter mass, maybe under a green suit. It's probably based on some traditional Ligurian server's uniform but still...More distressing was that when we asked for a recommendation from the wines by the glass the server went with Pinot Grigio -- whoo, I woulda never thought of that on my own! -- and when I suggested (not in these words) that I loathed Pinot Grigio, was unable to come up with a single other suggestion, despite the fact that the wine list was open on the table in front of him.

Did like the room, nice and bright, clean without being boring.

As happens with this sort of meal, the appetizers were meh -- the green salad which I has and the asparagus which is hard to avoid this month. The salad was fine.

There was a good selection of mains -- a coupe of different pastas (is whole wheat penne, you know, authentic?) and the inescapable hanger steak, which seems un-Italian, even when paired with arugula. We both opted for fish, the special, branzino, and the red snapper. Unfortunately, the kitchen seemed to have trouble with fish today. My friend sent her branzino back as being a little more sashimi-ish than was strictly kosher. I didn't get a good look but it appeared she had a decent case. The kitchen did replaced the fish rapidly and a woman in a nice suit and a position of authority suggested politely but quite firmly that my companion would not be permitted to to pay for the dish. My friend did enjoy the replacement, so that was kind of a standoff, evaluation-wise.

I quite enjoyed the fragola (similar to but not -- to my mind -- exactly the same as Israeli cous-cous) with a red pepper ragout that sat beneath my snapper. Rich, with a little zing, and microgreens flung promiscuously about to add a little chlorophyll to the mix. The snapper, despite the grill marks, seemed strangely listless, though. If not undercooked, at least lacking in that little crunch around the edges and faintly firmed flesh that bring an otherwise mushy dish home.

There was a strange delay before dessert -- when we inquired we were told that the pastry chef had just gotten back to his (her?) station and was punching out the Suppa Inglese now. A great little dish -- strawberries, and custard with lemon granite shaved on top. But how was the pastry chef not at her (his?) station at 1:15 on a Tuesday? There was a fairly delish-sounding tart listed as well, featuring nuts and chocolate and a smattering of other goodies, but I could not get my companion to bite.

All in all, it felt like a super good restaurant, only on a day when the A Team was away giving a demonstration and the B Team was in. High aspirations but surprisingly imperfect execution on an only modestly busy day.

Yep -- it's still new, I only ate one meal and maybe the snapper is supposed to be cooked that way, but given Fabio's rep and the unctuous outcries above, I was looking for a little more.

Just goes to show that there are no sacred cows here, especially if you take the time to write a well written review... unlike what may or may not have been implied on a local food chat recently (Yes, I belong to all the DC food message boards and I know which one they meant).

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After my earlier post about Fiola, the Chef kindly invited my dining companions and myself back to Fiola as his guests. Our experience was very different the second time around. I recognize that the restaurant was trying its best, so our meal may not have been representative. (And just to disclose: the meal was comped). But the meal was very good, and I certainly would return.

First off, the service was almost the complete opposite of our last trip. (Full disclosure: it was crystal clear that our servers knew that we'd had a bad meal and were back as the chef's guests). We were seated immediately. Our waiter, Michael, was extremely helpful, charming, efficient, and competent. The other wait staff asked before taking away plates. Service was absolutely first rate.

Because we were there as the chef's guests, we were not quite sure about what or how much food to order. After a briefly awkward exchange, our waiter suggested that they just prepare a tasting menu for us. Perfect. As I later learned, this is an option that is generally available off menu (perhaps aimed at old Maestro diners who were used to the tasting menus over there). Before I describe the food, I need to flag the overarching theme of the meal: quantity. The sheer amount of food was mind boggling. So much so that some of my companions thought it became unpleasant. I don't know whether this is the normal format of a tasting menu or was the result of the kitchen trying very hard to impress us. But we all left stuffed and with enough leftovers from the final meat course to tide us over for meals to come. In total, three of us were served five appetizers to share, three entree sized pastas per person (three plates of the same pasta, times three courses), a large fish entree (full portion for each person). And then, for the pescavegetarian at the table, another fish entree. And for the meat eaters, a meat entree for two and another meat entree for four. (When they brought over these meats, the waiter served a small portion and then offered to pack the rest to go). They also poured several good wines and served a few desserts.

Interestingly, nothing we were served overlapped with anything we'd ordered on our previous visit. And virtually none of it had even been on the menu when we were first in. The conclusion: The food was very good. Probably not as good as Tosca or Bibiana's best (more complex food than Obelisk, so hard to compare). But it was quite enjoyable. We started off with a selection of appetizers. The highlight was a fried mozzarella served over eggplant. This was something of a refined version of mozzarella sticks. Certainly the best mozzarella sticks I've ever had. We also enjoyed a tuna tartare served with tomato and grilled bread. The flavor profile was very similar to the tuna carpaccio, which we enjoyed the first time. There was some kind of flatbread with prosciutto and a plate of prosciutto and buffalo quadrello blue cheese (the cheese was great). Less successful was a cod carpaccio. It was prepared in the same way as the sworfish carpaccio had been done: with oranges and capers. The flavors were fine, but we unanimously thought that the cod did not work well raw.

We then had three pastas in succession. One was a large tube pasta (something like a penne but bigger) served with assorted seafood. The dish was straightforward but very good. Next was a fettuccine with mushrooms. The pasta itself was great and the dish very savory. I thought it was a bit too heavy and would have worked better if less creamy. But it was good. And there was a carry over from Maestro: a lobster ravioli made in wonton skins with what I think tasted like ginger (I wish I'd taken notes after the meal; it's been about a week). The three of us all agreed that the dish was good but a bit of a one noter. The ginger and wonton skin gave it a slightly asian flavor that I've had in Venetian food before. Quite yummy but perhaps in need of one other flavor.

Moving on to meat/fish. First up, the kitchen roasted a whole fish (I think a dorade) and then served it over smokey, crushed potatoes. I'm a sucker for smokey flavors, and the potatoes were great. The fish was fine but I thought a bit underseasoned. Undersalting was a complaint I'd mentioned in my last review. For what it's worth, I'm not a salt addict, and I rarely think that food is underseasoned. So I don't think this is just a subjective love of salt. I'm fairly confident that much of the food in our first meal was undersalted, and this fish needed just a bit of salt to perk it up. Now we noticed when we sat down that there were two small dishes on the table -- one filled with purple specks and the other with white crystals. We had assumed these were salt and pepper, perhaps a response to our concern from the first meal that much of the food was undersalted and that it was a mistake to offer diners a salt/pepper mix. (No need to add pepper flavor just to add some seasoning). It appeared that ours was one of the few tables with these dishes. I went to sprinkle some salt over my fish, and noticed the crystals were surprisingly small. Then I tasted the fish and I still got no salt. Then I tasted the salt. Sure enough, it was sugar. I assume this was just a glitch; no reason to put a dish of sugar on the table, at least before anyone ordered coffee. As my tablemates and I briefly pondered this, our terrific waiter spotted our quizzical looks, realized what had happened, and ran over with salt. This is an understandable mistake, but I thought amusing.

For our next course, our pescavegetarian was served another fish, a black bass with meyer lemon and a seafood brodetto, over the same smokey potatoes. Although serving two courses with the same potato base may not have been a brilliant example of executing a tasting menu, the fish was very good. My only complaint about the fish was that the brodetto was arguably unnecessary. The fish was well seasoned and had pieces of meyer lemon on it. Without the chunky seafood broth, it would have been a great, light fish dish. The seafood broth was nice but may not have meshed perfectly with the lemon -- a light lemon flavor pulling in one direction and a heavier tomato/seafood flavor pulling in another. Two of us were served meat. And a lot of it. One of the meat dishes was a shortrib for two. The other was a loin of lamb, sliced to contain 6 medallions (and we were told ordinarily offered as a portion size for 4 people). These both got rave reviews.

Finally, we were served a selection of desserts. As before, they were fine but nothing amazing.

All in all, this was a very good meal. I see that many of the problems in our first meal were just new-restaurant hiccups. And after the kitchen has had a bit more time to settle in, I would certainly go back.

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A bit late in posting--Bob and I celebrated my birthday here this past Saturday evening (a day early) and had a lovely and (too) filling time. We immediately liked the lively setting and friendly staff (no comment on the uniforms); I think the decor should wear fairly well over time. We stuck to many of the recommendations from others on this board including mozzarella fritters for a starter (I loved the intense tomato sauce that accompanies them) and the vincisgrassi as a pasta course (we split it, and I thought that was perfect, given its richness). For first courses, Bob had the purple artichoke salad, which we agreed was an excellent, subtle blend of shredded vegetables, while I opted for that evening's carpaccio, which I believe that night was rockfish. This was perhaps my only real disappointment of the night, not because it was bad by any means, but none of the flavors really popped--the fish had little flavor, and the blood oranges and capers oddly didn't add any real zing; it was merely pleasant. For entrees, Bob had snapper with the smashed potatoes and brodetto, I the brasato. To be honest, I was a bit put off by the flavors of Bob's dish, but he liked it (I loved the brodetto on its own, however). The brasato is a generous portion of two Kobe beef ribs, extremely tender if not as succulent as I might have hoped. I'd almost prefer a slightly smaller portion for a lower price ($32), and maybe a starch added.

For drinks, Bob went for the house Manhattan, which he liked, and I had the Negroni Blanco--a real surprise, with all the flavor of a regular negroni, but clear. I'm embarrassed to say I can't recall the wine we had, but it was excellent, one of the best I've ordered in a restaurant. One of the underheralded aspects of the menu here is that the wine list has an exceptional number of affordable bottles. Others can comment on the quality of the list, but it was a real pleasure for us to see so many bottles priced under $50.

I don't know if this is a complaint as such, but one of Fiola's awkwardnesses is that it is not easy to order three or four courses here without finding out too late that you've gotten too much food. To their credit, if you ask, they will tell you that the pastas can be ordered in half-portions, which makes it a bit easier to order across the menu. On the one hand, that is a credit to the relative generosity of the portions, but for those who want to order "Italian style," with multiple courses, it's a problem.

I raise that issue because, when we were pretty full when it came for dessert, but decided to split their version of the Kit-Kat bar (again, excellent). When we made the reservation, we did mention it was a birthday celebration, not in hopes of comped dessert, but for perhaps a better table. So, when the pistachio and chocolate cake showed up with a candle in it alongside the other dessert, I was appreciative but afraid we would not be able to handle both. Well, we did, and while I loved them both, it really was too much, at least for me. A few tweaks to make multiple courses more attractive would be appreciated.

Some have asked if this is the best Italian restaurant in DC, which doesn't seem quite the right question to me. Maybe it is, but I don't think it's necessarily trying to be. Instead, it feels like it's aiming to be a semi-refined crowd-pleaser, maybe an Italian equivalent to Central or Rasika. That's a fine aspiration. Still early in its incarnation, it has some things to work out in the food department, but nothing fatal. I think this one's a keeper.

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To their credit, if you ask, they will tell you that the pastas can be ordered in half-portions, which makes it a bit easier to order across the menu.

Italian restaurants: stop being awkward. If this is your policy, put it on the menu. Yes, that means people will try to order a half-portion as a main. There are ways of stopping this. But stop making diners divine what the restaurant offers.

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I personally don't think the portions are too big. As mentioned above, my wife and I ate two apps, two full size pastas, and I had another full sized pasta while my wife had an entree. We then had dessert. My wife also ate two rolls. Sure I was full afterwards but that's how I like it. B)

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Some have asked if this is the best Italian restaurant in DC, which doesn't seem quite the right question to me. Maybe it is, but I don't think it's necessarily trying to be. Instead, it feels like it's aiming to be a semi-refined crowd-pleaser, maybe an Italian equivalent to Central or Rasika. That's a fine aspiration. Still early in its incarnation, it has some things to work out in the food department, but nothing fatal.

After eating at Fiola a few times, I've been trying and failing to write something interesting and useful. But Tujague's insightful statement above says it very well, so my contribution is: "what he said."

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I personally don't think the portions are too big. As mentioned above, my wife and I ate two apps, two full size pastas, and I had another full sized pasta while my wife had an entree. We then had dessert. My wife also ate two rolls. Sure I was full afterwards but that's how I like it. :D

We went last night, and I didn't think the portions were too big either. They were actually smaller than I expected. My husband got a Carciofi salad and the Vincisgrassi. I ordered lobster ravioli and the veal chop, and we shared the chop. We each had one of the buttery croissant-like rolls. We weren't full after all that, so we split a dessert--the Cioccolato--after which we were both full :).

The lobster ravioli was divine, picking a word I don't usually use, but this was unusually good. I'm not a big fan of froths/foams, but the one with that complemented the pasta and lobster beautifully. Once I'd finished the food, I went to work trying to eat the foam with a fork. That didn't work too well (to which the front of my shirt can attest B)). My husband suggested I needed a straw, while I jokingly said I was going to order another portion for dessert. The veal chop was well-seasoned and the meat was a perfect medium rare, but there was something about the texture of the stuffing--especially the chop on the hazelnuts--that didn't quite work for me.

I only had a small bite of the Vincisgrassi, since the (full) portion was rather small, and I didn't want to take too much. It didn't look like the photo ericandblueboy posted upthread. The pieces of pasta were round, almost as if the serving had been cut off the end of a portion. At the time, I thought maybe the chef had changed the way this was prepared and/or presented, but now I'm wondering if we should have said something. My husband enjoyed it, nonetheless, though he didn't rave about it the way he raved about his salad.

We enjoyed the pistachio and chocolate dessert we decided on. I had considered the Gianduja but figured I'd already had enough hazelnuts for the night. The Cioccolato was a small chocolate covered dome with layers of pistachio and chocolate moussses. The description included a raspberry layer, but we couldn't identify it.

Our server was excellent, answering all of our questions and getting everything right. Those uniforms are a little odd, but they do at least help visually identify the servers in the dining room. The uniforms the other dining room staff were wearing--the maroon Nehru jackets (?)--looked much classier than the servers' uniforms, I thought.

The room was loud but had really had the sound of energy rather than deafening noise.

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I only had a small bite of the Vincisgrassi, since the (full) portion was rather small, and I didn't want to take too much. It didn't look like the photo ericandblueboy posted upthread. The pieces of pasta were round, almost as if the serving had been cut off the end of a portion. At the time, I thought maybe the chef had changed the way this was prepared and/or presented, but now I'm wondering if we should have said something. My husband enjoyed it, nonetheless, though he didn't rave about it the way he raved about his salad.

That's my fault. The lasagna was round but I didn't take a photo until it was already cut in half.

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That's my fault. The lasagna was round but I didn't take a photo until it was already cut in half.

Thanks for the clarification. It's hard to gauge proportions on a close-up shot like that, but this still looked different. Maybe it's mostly that it didn't seem to have the browning/crusting on it either. I was looking at it from across the table, though, so maybe I just didn't get a good enough look. The flavors were good in the bite I had.

ETA: I looked back at the photo this morning before writing the post. I knew I'd seen a photo but didn't have a strong memory of it going into the meal. What I would have asked about had I asked at the time is whether we had accidentally ordered a half portion. We had asked our server about that early on, though we didn't bring it up again when we ordered.

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We went last night, and I didn't think the portions were too big either. They were actually smaller than I expected.

Dish by dish, I don't think the portions are too large, and I can see where some dishes might even seem a bit small. For a standard three-course meal, they're probably about right, particularly if you treat a pasta as either the starter or the entree. But if you want to have a pasta course between the first course and entree, plus a dessert, I think that would be a challenge for many diners (or even to throw in one of the small dish starters also, as we did!). Offering a tweaked menu with portions sized for people who want to do four or five courses (plus highlighting the half-portion pasta option) would be a welcome modification; as is, it's easy to over-order.

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Offering a tweaked menu with portions sized for people who want to do four or five courses (plus highlighting the half-portion pasta option) would be a welcome modification; as is, it's easy to over-order.

Our big concern last night was that we not over-order, since we were going to the 930 Club from there and didn't want to leave leftovers in our car for 4-5 hours (or abandon them in the restaurant). In the end, we got the right amount of food, but it was kind of a guessing game. The salad, for instance, was larger than I would have expected.

FWIW, when we asked our server pretty early on about half orders of pasta, he explained that they are more like 3/4 portions, somewhat smaller versions of the full-size. He also said that the half size is available for a few other things, including one of the meats.

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Sorry. We'll try to be quieter next time.

Ha! I should have known B). It was lovely running into your wife. I hope you also enjoyed your meal.

This reminds me: A flaw in the design of the well-appointed ladies' rooms is that the fancy tank-near-the-ceiling apparatus is rather hard to use if the chain has fallen off the handle and is lying on the floor.

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Theo Rutherford is heading to Fiola (I believe he starts this week) from Ripple to become Wine Director. Cleveland Park's loss is certainly Fiola's gain, congrats to Theo.

I was having dinner last week with one of the wholesalers that sells to Fiola, he told me that the original wine director was fired just before the restaurant opened. He was not sure why, but mentioned that the original guy made some really screwy buying decisions - like ordering 6 bottles of a wine he intended to serve by the glass.

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Once again I've had to perhaps understandably restrain myself from responding to Lotus 125's last post (his 4th ever on this board) about Fiola where he was given a $750 meal for three for free and then decided to trash it-again. His post just stokes too many thoughts for me and I'm sure evokes a reaction in a number of restauranteurs and chefs who feel they deserve better.

Again, best that I not post.

I'm lost.

What am I missing? Where's he trashing it? Why does it matter so much that the poster has only posted a couple of times in about 2 years - and the last three were a review, following up with someone who commented on his review, and a follow-up review thanks to the generosity of the restaurant?

I don't know lotus 125, but I don't see any agenda here from him. What are you trying to imply?

I'm being dead serious. If folks can't speak their mind, this site isn't useful. And if it's overwhelmed by folks who post spurious accusations, then it's also not useful. But someone posted a single review, the chef responded to other not-so-positive reviews, and the new (to posting) reviewer took advantage of the chef's offer and followed up. I think we should encourage such behavior - he spoke his mind, the chef had a chance to respond, and he responded with what I read as a fair response.

Why are you so angry at his response?

Actually, I have no clue why twice now you feel that you have to restrain yourself from posting regarding this. To be honest, it seems to me that the reviewer was trying to be balanced vs. fawning over a meal that was comped. In fact, I'm more likely to visit Fiola based on the reviews in this thread that mention some of its faults than those that are filled with hyperbole regarding its greatness...

Anyway, as I haven't seen this mentioned in the thread above, but while at Ripple's bar last week I was told that Theo Rutherford is heading to Fiola (I believe he starts this week) from Ripple to become Wine Director. Cleveland Park's loss is certainly Fiola's gain, congrats to Theo.

I think it's clear that anyone who disagrees with Joe H's completely unbiased opinion about the cooking of his bff Fabio must have some evil ulterior motive. Perhaps Lotus 125 is actually Peter Pastan or Ashok Bajaj in disguise!

I think it might be "put up or shut up" time, Mr. H.

1. The first review seems overly negative . The constant complaint about lacking salt in dishes (I've not had any dish that was undersalted at Fiola). 2. Comparing Fiola less favorably to Bibiana and Tosca. I've never been to Tosca, partly because its menu is boring to me, but I've been to Bibiana a couple of times and I vehemently disagree. 3. Too nit-picky, including complaining about the quantity of free food. Thus I can understand why Joe is retraining himself.

Possibly, but this shtick is nothing new for Mr. H and has been repeated over and over.. Don't agree violently with his opinions about certain chef's/restaurants that he believes are beyond any sort of criticism and he feels that he has to scold.

But that's Joe being Joe and he's restrained himself from starting a flame war. I personally still enjoy reading Joe's reviews and would likely follow his recommendations.

He hasn't restrained himself from starting a flame war, he's inciting one by being coy. He should either go public with his accusations or stfu. This is elementary school shit.

well said. the chef's offer was very generous and kind. however, i do not believe that taking advantage of such an offer contractually obligates you to become a relentless cheerleader of the place. If you go in there determined to hate the place and write a second horrible review, that's not fair. but if you go with an open mind, willing to be won over, and then aren't, that shouldn't be a problem. had he taken advantage of the offer and not posted about the dinner, i'm sure some on this board would have felt that he was taking advantage, that it would be unfair to have partaken and then left the prior, less favorable review as the only one, especially when he'd now had an opportunity to sample the restaurant at its best. and his review was detailed, balanced, and fair. he noted a lot of good things about the experience, but ultimately wasn't in love. That is completely legitimate. taking advantage of a comped meal should get the chef some goodwill, as it appears to have done, but it does not, and should not, obligate the recipient to post something that is not their actual opinion.

Honestly, i think that view cheapens the chef's kind gesture and demeans his excellent cooking, turning it from an act of generosity to a bribe offered by a hack who can't have a honest review posted.

As someone else noted, i found the review very helpful. it made me want to go to fiola much more than the partisan cheerleading, because it was far more detailed, and appeared to objectively note the highs and lows. It's definitely the type of review that should be encouraged, and jumping on someone who posts such a review merely because the meal was comped decreases the value and integrity of this board, and cheapens the chef's gift and talent.

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Enjoyed dinner with wife and friends on Saturday evening.

I was thoroughly impressed by the cooking. In particular, the quality of composition and the balance in each dish was a pleasant surprise for such a recent opening.

Perhaps because it was a Saturday night, the entry and bar area felt particularly loud and crowded. It is noteworthy that once we were at our table, we had no problem hearing one another. As with all restaurants, two-tops will be closer together and probably end up hearing more of others' conversations.

We arrived early and enjoyed a glass of wine at the bar. As was the case throughout the night, I found the reds to be every so slightly warmer than I would prefer. The wine temp was certainly within an acceptable range. This is more of a personal preference.

The decor is fine, but not as composed as the prior tenant. To my mind, it neither enhanced nor detraced from the meal. The leather menus felt floppy and out of place. At point point, I would prefer they transition to something more rigid.

FURTHER WINE

We made noise about ordering wine by the glass by course and asked if someone could over to help. Our waiter insisted he could help. We asked him to pair wine glasses to the food, focusing on food/wine, rather than our tastes. After a frustrating minute or two, we decided to go light on wine and went with a bottle of Dolcetto D'Alba. Next time, I will go at a less busy time and layer up the wines with a little more help.

Dinner was delicious.

APPS

I ordered risotto special as appetizer. Risotto special was gorgonzola with pistachios, drizzled with balsamic. This dish was fantastic and really hit the spot on a rainy evening. Each grain was firm to the bite, but engulfed in the creaminess of the gorgonzola and starch. The pistachios added a subtle sweetness and nutiness to the dish and the balsamic on top contrasted with the creaminess. The dish was well-conceived, well-balanced and perfectly executed. The portion was large and I enjoyed each bite.

My three dining compansions ordered one of two salads which they described as fine or good. I was too busy with the risotto to steal a taste from my wife. I generally refrain from ordering salad when so much else is available. To each their own.

After Apps, we were each presented a small bowl of creamy cheese (mozzarela?) with crushed tomato and pesto. The tomato flavor was strong and held its own against the creaminess of the cheese. The 4-5 bites were a thoughtful composition: bright tomato flavor, rich creamy cheese, salty richness of the pesto.

MAIN COURSE

I ordered the lasagna, remembering Maestro's fantastic lasagna. It was delicious, but did not quite meaure up to the memory. The accompanying foam was unnecessary and probably distracted from the dish. This dish is made with finely diced meat, rather than ground. This concentrates the meat flavor in the diced pieces to wonderful effect.

Wife ordered the dover sole special ($56!). Whole dover sole served table side, served with distinctive lemon butter sauce and some sort of vegetable garnish in a pot. Carefully cooked and delicious, particularly with the lemon butter sauce. The sauce highlighted, but did not overpower the fish.

Companions ordered a pasta dish and veal chop. I did not try either. Veal chop was represented to be delicious. Veal chops are big, so the portion was equally big.

Having doubled up on carbs at dinner. I enjoyed a very satisying espresso in lieu of dessert. I tasted the Suppa Inglese and Cioccolato, both of which were delicious.

Total meal: Under $200 before tip, would have been less without the dover sole. Service was very good, but yet polished.

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The leather menus felt floppy and out of place. At point point, I would prefer they transition to something more rigid.

I almost mentioned this in what I wrote. They looked beautiful and smelled like fine leather, but they were awkward to handle, as was the leather envelope that brought the check. My husband left the envelope open so it was obvious that our payment was inside, because how else would it be clear to the server that we were ready for him to take it? (I guess putting it way out at the edge of the table would also have worked, but we didn't think of that at the time.)

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The wine list is loaded with very reasonably priced bottles from every region of Italy. We ordered a bottle of Dolcetto d'Alba (Piemonte) a very pleasant, drinkable wine for $48.

After a frustrating minute or two, we decided to go light on wine and went with a bottle of Dolcetto D'Alba.

Come to think of it, this is the wine that our waiter directed us to also. It was quite good, but it must be sort of their "go-to" red wine to cover a variety of meals. I doubt it's just a coincidence that three of us named this as the wine we selected.

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I almost mentioned this in what I wrote. They looked beautiful and smelled like fine leather, but they were awkward to handle, as was the leather envelope that brought the check. My husband left the envelope open so it was obvious that our payment was inside, because how else would it be clear to the server that we were ready for him to take it? (I guess putting it way out at the edge of the table would also have worked, but we didn't think of that at the time.)

I confess that I felt a little picky complaining about the waiters' ties and cuffs, but now that we're complaining about the menu and check construction materials, I feel better about myself. B)

Next review: a thorough examination of the balance and pattern of the flatware!

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I confess that I felt a little picky complaining about the waiters' ties and cuffs, but now that we're complaining about the menu and check construction materials, I feel better about myself. :D

Next review: a thorough examination of the balance and pattern of the flatware!

The flatware seemed fine to me! B).

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Come to think of it, this is the wine that our waiter directed us to also. It was quite good, but it must be sort of their "go-to" red wine to cover a variety of meals. I doubt it's just a coincidence that three of us named this as the wine we selected.

Actually, we chose the Dolcetto ourselves, but our waiter gave it the stamp of approval. It is one of our moderately priced go-to wines, especially when we don't get help. (Gavi being the white go-to equivalent)

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I confess that I felt a little picky complaining about the waiters' ties and cuffs, but now that we're complaining about the menu and check construction materials, I feel better about myself. B)

Next review: a thorough examination of the balance and pattern of the flatware!

Now, if we were reviewing Mike Symon's flagship restaurant, Lola, in Cleveland, I would launch into a rant about the flatware. Imagine flatware that rolls in your hand so that you have to check the tines of the fork to see if they're oriented properly before putting the food in your mouth.

But add my vote to the call for new menu covers.

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Does the restaurant have any interesting beers on the menu? Or is it your typical Italian restaurant swill like Peroni, Moretti, etc...

As it stands now, we have Lagunitas Pilsner, Port City Wit, Founders Porter, Eliot Ness Lager, and Avery IPA all in bottles. We do offer up Peroni, Moretti, & Moretti Rossa for the Italian beers along with 375ml of Super Baladin as well as 750ml of Nora if you're looking for Italian craft beers. Hope this helps, and if you're looking for something in particular I'll do my best to get it in for you.

Cheers,

Jeff

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My wife and I were quite excited to try out Fiola, as we had heard it was aiming to be DC's next four-star Italian restaurant. We arrived at 7:45 for our 8:00 p.m. dinner reservation and checked in with the hostesses. No table was ready, so we sat at the bar approximately six feet from the hostess station. We proceeded to wait, and wait, and wait some more. At no point did any of the three hostesses working that night bother to apologize, check in, or explain why it was taking so long. Nor were we offered any appetizers (free or otherwise) to eat while we waited. At one point another party of two that didn't have reservations AND arrived after us got seated, while we were still waiting. (We know that they didn't have reservations and were seated before us because we were seated at the bar six feet from the hostess station, so we overheard every conversation.) Finally, at 8:48 (OVER ONE HOUR AFTER CHECK-IN), our table was ready. When the first ordered food finally arrived, at 9:30 p.m., it seemed quite tasty but who knows when you're that hungry.

Also, Fiola, if you're listening, we would have gladly paid for the five-course tasting menu had we been seated promptly. But given how long that can take, I just didn't have it in me given how late we were seated. You would have made more money off of us had you seated us promptly, and we might even have given you a better review and been more willing to consider going back.

At any rate, the total bill was $150 for two pasta appetizers (the spaghetti Bolognese special, and the lobster ravioli, both of which were very good but not great), one shared entrée (the braised beef short ribs, where were boneless and ridiculously tender) and one shared dessert (the ricotta donuts, easily the best part of the meal); at this price point, which doesn't include alcohol, I expect better treatment. The spaghetti's sauce was heavy and substantial, though I would have preferred a bit more meat (perhaps some wild boar ragu). The pasta itself was comparable to that of Galileo III. Lobster ravioli was full of lobster, but could have used a bit more other flavor to complement it, if you ask me. Short ribs were, as mentioned, quite tender and had a good flavor, plus excellent marbling. The ricotta donuts were fantastic, with great texture and just the right amount of sweetness and a hint of lemon.

In fairness, I should say that while the three hostesses (Why do you need three when none of them bother checking in with waiting patrons? Couldn't one person "not check in" just as easily as three?) did nothing about our wait, at least the bartenders checked in frequently and comped us with prosecco for our troubles. The bartenders seemed very friendly and apologized for the wait, which is more than can be said for anybody else.

Fiola, if you're really aiming to be a four-star destination, you could start by treating properly your customers who have reservations and want to pay you to eat nice food. The intake process is your first interaction with potential diners, and if that goes poorly you've created a bad first impression. As we all know, it's very difficult to overcome negative first impressions. Here's hoping others have better luck with Fiola.

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^^

Did you speak with a manager? It would have been nice to be offered a comped drink or dessert for being made to wait for an hour *and* watch a couple sans reservation get seated. I give you credit for hanging in there for an hour. I would have gone to Taco Bell to get the taste of bile out of my mouth.

That's just piss poor treatment.

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^^

Did you speak with a manager? It would have been nice to be offered a comped drink or dessert for being made to wait for an hour *and* watch a couple sans reservation get seated. I give you credit for hanging in there for an hour. I would have gone to Taco Bell to get the taste of bile out of my mouth.

That's just piss poor treatment.

I thought about speaking with a manager, but wanted to see how the restaurant would respond without being prompted. We told the waiter about our experience shortly after being seated, and I wanted to see whether he would be comping us anything. As I said, the bartenders were quite apologetic and did comp us prosecco (no help for the wife, as she's pregnant). And I did follow up with the hostesses right after seeing the no-reservation couple get a table. Their response was that five tables were occupied and they would be with us once one of them freed up (which apparently was another 25 minutes later).

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I thought about speaking with a manager, but wanted to see how the restaurant would respond without being prompted. We told the waiter about our experience shortly after being seated, and I wanted to see whether he would be comping us anything. As I said, the bartenders were quite apologetic and did comp us prosecco (no help for the wife, as she's pregnant). And I did follow up with the hostesses right after seeing the no-reservation couple get a table. Their response was that five tables were occupied and they would be with us once one of them freed up (which apparently was another 25 minutes later).

It has been my experience that restaurants usually respond pretty quickly once they realize they made a mistake. It sounds to me like the number of hostess' may have even hampered the situation, as they all may have thought your reservation had already been seated by one of the other two. You were forgotten, and that happens sometimes. But if the hostesses or managers don't know they have forgotten you, nothing will get resolved.

Rather than waiting to see how a restaurant would respond to a possibly unknown mistake, if patrons bring the issue directly to someones attention, it more often than not gets handled quickly.

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I thought about speaking with a manager, but wanted to see how the restaurant would respond without being prompted. We told the waiter about our experience shortly after being seated, and I wanted to see whether he would be comping us anything. As I said, the bartenders were quite apologetic and did comp us prosecco (no help for the wife, as she's pregnant). And I did follow up with the hostesses right after seeing the no-reservation couple get a table. Their response was that five tables were occupied and they would be with us once one of them freed up (which apparently was another 25 minutes later).

So, are you saying that you waited just over an hour without even once checking back in with a hostess and/or saying anything to a manager? So you could see how the restaurant would respond without being prompted and so you could see whether you'd be comped anything? Was that really more important than bringing the issue to the attention of someone who was perhaps in the position to do something about it and to help make sure you had an enjoyable evening out?

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So, are you saying that you waited just over an hour without even once checking back in with a hostess and/or saying anything to a manager? So you could see how the restaurant would respond without being prompted and so you could see whether you'd be comped anything? Was that really more important than bringing the issue to the attention of someone who was perhaps in the position to do something about it and to help make sure you had an enjoyable evening out?

I would have been checking in with the hostess, for sure. I think not honoring reservation times is a major fail, and I would rather leave and go to McDonald's than pay $$ when I'm already irritated and my bubble has been burst.

He did mention that he and his wife were sitting 6 feet away from the hostess, so how she could forget is beyond me. They were in plain view the whole time.

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So, are you saying that you waited just over an hour without even once checking back in with a hostess and/or saying anything to a manager? So you could see how the restaurant would respond without being prompted and so you could see whether you'd be comped anything? Was that really more important than bringing the issue to the attention of someone who was perhaps in the position to do something about it and to help make sure you had an enjoyable evening out?

If you reread his posts you will see he checked back in about a half hour after he first arrived once he saw people without reservations get seated ahead of him.

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If you reread his posts you will see he checked back in about a half hour after he first arrived once he saw people without reservations get seated ahead of him.

Thanks. Now that I reread the posts, I see that. I would have little tolerance for that kind of wait after a reservation; in fact, it's one of the reasons to this day that I'll not go back to Galileo, regardless of what number Roberto Donna puts after it. But it still seems to me that waiting for a manager or hostess to do something to see how they'll handle it and whether you get a comp does little other than to increase your risk of having a less than pleasant evening. Things get missed for all kinds of reasons.

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If you reread his posts you will see he checked back in about a half hour after he first arrived once he saw people without reservations get seated ahead of him.

I didn't see that mentioned in the original post, but do see itin the second. Mea culpa. B)

That being said, clearly the restaurant realized they erred when they eventually sat them. At that time, the restaurant could have addressed the error in a positive and gracious manner. But I would not have waited it out to "see" how Fiola would have handled it. I would have spoken up.

Hostesses should (but often don't) tell managers when they have screwed up. Same with waiters.

Edited by B.A.R.
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^^^

I thought about speaking with a manager, but wanted to see how the restaurant would respond without being prompted. We told the waiter about our experience shortly after being seated, and I wanted to see whether he would be comping us anything. As I said, the bartenders were quite apologetic and did comp us prosecco (no help for the wife, as she's pregnant). And I did follow up with the hostesses right after seeing the no-reservation couple get a table. Their response was that five tables were occupied and they would be with us once one of them freed up (which apparently was another 25 minutes later).

He was proactive. I would have escalated a bit and voiced my displeasure (in the nicest way, of course B) ). The onus is on Fiola, IMO. There were at least 3 employees that knew that this couple waited an entire hour, and 2 of them failed to take the opportunity to try to make things right and send away happy customers.

Kudos to the bartender.

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Sorry for any confusion. What I meant about seeing if Fiola would do anything to make it better is AFTER we were seated. Before we were seated, I checked in with the hostesses once, and made eye contact with them (which they acknowledged with nods and what-not) numerous times to make sure they hadn't forgotten about us. (Remember, we sat six feet from them, so they weren't forgetting us or seating people without us knowing about it.) There was another couple waiting for their 8:00 reservation as well, and IIRC they got seated maybe 10-15 minutes before us. So, it wasn't just us experiencing problems, but we certainly got the worst of it.

What I meant about seeing if Fiola would try to make it right, is that I told the waiter about our hour-long wait, and decided to see if he would escalate the issue to a manager or try to get us something comped. The answer was no. Thus, the issue wasn't whether I should be pro-active about getting seated (believe me, I tried), but rather whether I should be proactive about getting a free dessert. To me, that's a bit like extracting a forced apology, and at that point the $10-$15 meant little to me. I'd gladly trade $10-$15 for knowing whether a restaurant really wants to right its wrongs.

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Sorry for any confusion. What I meant about seeing if Fiola would do anything to make it better is AFTER we were seated. Before we were seated, I checked in with the hostesses once, and made eye contact with them (which they acknowledged with nods and what-not) numerous times to make sure they hadn't forgotten about us. (Remember, we sat six feet from them, so they weren't forgetting us or seating people without us knowing about it.) There was another couple waiting for their 8:00 reservation as well, and IIRC they got seated maybe 10-15 minutes before us. So, it wasn't just us experiencing problems, but we certainly got the worst of it.

What I meant about seeing if Fiola would try to make it right, is that I told the waiter about our hour-long wait, and decided to see if he would escalate the issue to a manager or try to get us something comped. The answer was no. Thus, the issue wasn't whether I should be pro-active about getting seated (believe me, I tried), but rather whether I should be proactive about getting a free dessert. To me, that's a bit like extracting a forced apology, and at that point the $10-$15 meant little to me. I'd gladly trade $10-$15 for knowing whether a restaurant really wants to right its wrongs.

Thanks for the clarifications. Sorry for the suggestion then that you weren't proactive in addressing the situation. I absolutely agree with you that that would be like extracting a forced apology. Sounds like the restaurant clearly should have done better by you, and I'm surprised they didn't. In contrast to some other even high- or higher-end restaurants, I've always found the service at Chef Trabocchi's restaurants very attentive and well polished and ready to jump to smartly fix something that might not be right.

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Reading the last string of comments makes me wonder why it is so rare for service personal in restaurants to proactively engage a manager on the part of the customer. I have never worked in a restaurant so I certainly do not understand the working dynamics of a dining room, but I know that when there is a problem and a manager comes over to my table without be asked for it really smoothes things over rather quickly.

A tale of two dinners: At a dinner at Tosca my mother had to send her steak back for being undercooked (it was bleu and she wanted medium), right after the steak was returned the manager came over and to find out what the problem was and offered to have the other dishes taken back to the kitchen to be kept warm while it was refired. While we did not take him up on the offer it was a kind gesture. On the flip side, at Clyde's Mark Center I had to send back a piece of prime rib four times because it was cold and never once was a manager made aware of the situation. In this case he might have been able to ensure that cold meat was not sent out of the kitchen or that they had not decided to grill the piece to ensure it was warm, instead I have sworn off that location (and Clyde's for anything other than wings and oysters).

Is it usual to have such a poor working relationship between restaurant management and workers that they are afraid to interact with them on the customer's behalf?

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Is it usual to have such a poor working relationship between restaurant management and workers that they are afraid to interact with them on the customer's behalf?

Is it possible to have a bad boss anywhere? Sure. Usual? Impossible to say. I waited tables at a big jazz/dinner club in NYC, and when I wouldn't "go out with" (ie. have sex with) the manager, I was always assigned the station furthest from the bar and kitchen--the tables that were seated long after people were already dining at the better tables, so I got fewer tips, and had to walk farther to complete each order, so sore feet by the end of the night guaranteed.
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Sthitch, it's often times because they think the guest is just a complaining SOB and the issue was "no big deal".

It is a too prevalent mis-perception in the service industry that people who complain are out to "get something." People are an all sorts of different moods when they go out to dinner (or check into a hotel) but very rare is the case that someone actually has it in their mind prior to going out that "Tonight, I am going to make some shit up."

99.0% of the populous have mostly reasonable expectations, and mostly reasonable demands. And .9% have unreasonable expectations and demands, but ARE NOT necessarily lying. They're just more difficult.

Even very good, seasoned professionals succumb to the "most people are lying', or "they were just miserable complainers" disease from time to time. My hotel is not immune to it, but we work and train on it constantly.

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Took the +1 to Fiola last night for a spur of the moment celebratory meal (for finishing year 1 of her masters, and for me just surviving another week at work :D ). Arrived about 30 min before our 815 reservation to a basically empty bar (the patio outside and restaurant below were full btw) so we ponied up for a few drinks: she had the negroni and I had the something mule (a riff on the moscow mule, but clearly I haven't had enough caffeine this morning to get he brain firing), both well executed.

Once we were seating (right at 8:15), Theo stopped by to ask if there were any specific wines and, as I had done previously when he was at Ripple I asked him to find me an interesting Italian red from the list that might be flexible enough to go through the tasting menu we were considering. He came back with a delicious sangiovese blend (I am cursing myself for not remembering the name) that in my opinion worked well with what we ended up ordering, particularly the short ribs.

For the tasting menu the lineup looked like this:

-Amuse - melon gaspacho with a duo of SF Bay oysters topped with some caviar

-Starter - Ahi tuna over tomato with meyer lemon

-Pasta - Lobster ravioli

-Seafood - Olive oil poached brodetto with peppers and red wine reduction

-Main - 72 hour braised short ribs

-Dessert - Chocolate / Cherry "bomb" with pistachio gelato

They also offered the option to swap things out, and I waffled on going with the crab pasta that was much discussed upthread, but decided against it and in all honesty, I was really pleased with the entire meal. I would say each course really hit a home run with the short ribs in particular being knee knockingly good (I could have eaten multiple orders of this). Also, as a pistachio gelato fiend, their version is particularly good. From a cost perspective the tasting menu was $85 and in all honesty, I think its a great deal considering the prices across the rest of the menu (clearly I had not yet wound down from the work week as I was running a "cost analysis" against the tasting menu vs. ordering a la carte in my head... B)).

All in all, an excellent meal, great wine, and solid service...we will certainly be back.

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How many times should someone have to call a restaurant to book a LARGE party before they give up? Once? Twice? THREE TIMES??? How about an in-person visit? And no response... nada, nein, zip, zilch, goose egg.

Thus is the tale of my experience at Fiola - the hot, hip new Italian eatery captained by Uber-chic Chef Fabio Trabocchi and his spouse, Maria.

I have been trying for two weeks now to book a dinner party at Fiola and cannot get as much as a return call to tell me to drop dead. My firm is getting ready to celebrate our ten year anniversary and I want to treat my staff to a fantastic evening of food, wine and fun to mark the occasion. I had dined there recently for a wine dinner and I was impressed with the service, food and ambiance, so I thought Fiola would be the perfect spot to host dinner for 30 people.

After leaving three messages - count 'em, three - for Maria Trabocchi (the chef/owner's wife and director of private dining), I decided to confront her directly. My wife and I went with another couple to Fiola for dinner last week to celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary. When we arrived, I asked the hostess to please send Maria over to the table so that I could give her a card and make the connection.

Overall, the evening was a solid 8. The food was very good and both our server (ask for Ashley) and the wine director (Theo) were attentive and charming. We noticed Maria flitting about the restaurant visiting most of the tables and giving everyone the standard kiss-kiss routine. But somehow, we escaped her attention and she never as much as looked in our direction. Must have been my cologne?!?

On the way out, I asked to speak to Maria. I explained who I was and that I was trying to book a dinner party for 30 - count 'em - 30 people. She feigned great surprise and promised (PROMISED) to give me a call on my cell phone the very next day. And I am still waiting.

Why am I taking the time to rant about this seemingly trivial experience? Because I have had my fill of restaurants (and other businesses) that just DON'T GET IT! It's like the scene in the movie Network when the news anchor stands up and delivers his famous "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" speech. It's that simple.

Citronelle (another story) and (BLT Steak) could take a lesson from Wolfgang Puck's The Source or any of Ashok Bajaj's eateries. Every single time I have been at any of these restaurants, they have made me feel welcomed and comfortable, like Norm at Cheers (you older readers will probably get that reference). So why didn't I start with The Source (or Bibiana) for the anniversary party? Good question. And now I will!

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Our experience Saturday was decidedly mixed. The space is gorgeous, and the noise level is perfect for quiet conversation. But I think the A team had left for vacation.

We were seated promptly for a 715 reservation, but we waited a while for menus. Then, after receiving menus, we waited a while for further service. Once got the menus, and began to negotiate our choices, we asked for the much discussed (on this board) sommelier. Our server said, "I can help you." My +1 said that she was eager to talk to the sommelier. I am not sure if the person who came over was a sommelier. He was dressed the same as the waiters. He did make suggestions and we took one, which was fine, But the same person took our order, delivered food, cleared our table...so I'm not entirely sure we were guided by a sommelier.

Then, after we ordered, the pacing was lightening fast. Our first course arrived mere nanoseconds after we ordered. Our second course arrived while we were still eating our first course. The server looked flummoxed at first, and we were stunned, but there was a whole fish sitting there and I just didn't know if sending it back would ruin it, or if it would be wasted...so we just accepted it. I know, you'll say we should have asked for a manager, or something, but our experience with the "sommelier" didn't encourage us, and it didn't seem as if other tables were having any more leisurely experiences.

After we ate, and perused the dessert menu, we politely turned down dessert, saying we were full. Then we waited, and waited, and waited, for the opportunity to ask for a check. We finished the wine, drank all the water, visited the loo, looked around expectantly...seriously, more time was required for procurement of the check than we spent arriving, ordering and eating.

The food was uneven. Starters, pasta and side trumped the main, the aforementioned whole sole. The sole was completely unseasoned. It was plain to the point of boring. The unseasonal special of pasta bolognese was delicious. Burrata and squash blossom/mozzarella fritters were both fine. The unexpected winner was the side dish of summer corn with tomatoes and basil.

I don't get the hype. it's possible we had an off night. But a place like that, under the spotlight can't really have too many bad nights. I really wanted to love it, and I couldn't find any reason to love it.

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Finally made it to Fiola and had a delicious, very rich dinner. By course:

Seared Hudson Valley foie gras with figs, port and Sicilian pistachios ($26) -- A medium sized lobe of foie, barely caramelized and sitting atop some sort of sponge cake (brioche?) soaked in a port sauce. Pistachios added a nice crunch; so did the pea shoots. A paste (mushroom?) came dabbed on the side, and was intensely flavorful. For the price, this is not the biggest piece of foie -- but it's been a long time since I've had seared foie, so perhaps I'm thinking of pre-recession portions in a nostalgic light. And the accoutrements made it a winner overall.

I Vincisgrassi ($27) -- I love lasagnas (making my own with Bolognese and bechamel is a favorite winter pastime) and passed on several excellent-sounding pastas (smoked gnocchi with summer truffles?ohmy.gif) to try this version. And there's really nothing *not* to like: the filling was decadent, the top layer was beautifully crisped with baked cheese, and the foam was an extra layer of richness that permeated every bite. That said, I think I would've enjoyed it a lot more if it was a colder month.

Bombolini ($10) -- Six or seven inconceivably light donut balls, dusted in sugar. Served with vanilla cream and compote (maybe blueberry) -- the latter is the best combination. Just the right hint of ricotta. Having recently been to Bayou Bakery and tasting their excellent beignets, these donuts -- despite being filled instead of hollow -- were just as light. I rarely get dessert, but this is a must order. The mignardises at the end of the meal were also impressive.

Unfortunately, this place is a little too expensive to put in my regular rotation (I know, I ordered a foie gras starter -- but scanning the menu, appetizers averaged around $19, pastas around $27, and entrees around $35). But I'll definitely be back, and I'm sure this restaurant will be even better in the coming months.

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Finally made it to Fiola and had a delicious...

Unfortunately, this place is a little too expensive to put in my regular rotation .

The perfect quote for me to use in a first review. Fiola is at the higher end of the price spectrum. Knowing that, I used my not-so-innovative approach of trying it for lunch first. The idea there being if it's really great for lunch then I'll feel more confident going for dinner, bringing some friends with me, spending more, etc. If it really disappoints for lunch, then I wait until reading/hearing much more before taking a bigger risk with dinner, if ever. Wish I had done this with Bourbon Steak a few months ago where four of us had dinner and felt like blooming idiots for doing so (separate post on that already on that thread).

So, with some different--but generally positive feedback about Fiola on record already, headed there today for lunch with a business contact (just two of us: minimize risk :mellow: ). Fiola has now been open 3 months, so I'll include both pros and cons.

HEADLINE

Expensive + very good (great at times) = Decent Value. Certainly saw enough to go back for dinner.

VENUE

- Minor nit: their address. Mostly my fault because I'd never been to Le Paradou and didn't map this online before going. The 601 Penn address makes no sense because it's not on Penn and Capital Grille has the same address. Doesn't seem like it's even the same building. But I guess that's a USPS issue. Sure hope it isn't the restaurant wanting the Penn address rather than Indiana for marketing. I'd think much more important, given who this is, that people can find it easily and not have to do a lap around the block asking when it isn't at 6th and Penn as one might expect. But, again, small ball stuff here.

- It's beautiful. While not surprising given the Chef and what Maestro was, still very nice. Today's weather allowed for outdoor dining on the patio. We didn't do that but noted it. The space is both elegant and comfortable.

FOOD

Always the most important category, count me as a Fiola fan eager to get to know it better. We got the more expensive ($26) of two lunch specials. Called the "Business Express," it offers a nice set of options that would be 50% higher or more if ordered a la carte. They also have a $19 special which, again, seemed to offer very nice options including a snapper main, house made spaghetti with chilis and artichokes and two interesting gelato options. BTW, menus are online for more detail at www.fioladc.com

So, we had:

- Misticanza salad with farm greens, radish, pickled red onion and ricotta crostini. Thought this good but not great. Lots of different greens--maybe even a bit too many and slightly underdressed. The ricotta crostini was delicious.

- Arctic char with some type of farro. Excellent. Perfectly cooked for us though I could see some saying it was even a bit undercooked. Given the quality of the fish, I loved it the way it was. The farro with seasonings was the perfect complement. Wish I could describe this more but failed to take notes as I sometimes do. We both agreed this was worth the price of the special alone.

- Half portion Papardelle with wild mushrooms and parmagiano ($15.50). I alone added this course, wanting to try a pasta. Delicious with generous portion of mushrooms and toothy satisfying pasta. Somewhat expensive given what it was but I really enjoyed it.

- For dessert, we both ordered the "Zuppa Inglese." I liked this. My lunch companion loved it. We both agreed it was fresh, light, refreshing for summer with nice berries, cream and a thin shortbready thing at the bottom of the glass in which it was served. To my taste, I'd have liked it even better if it didn't have as much (or any) shaved ice on top which just seemed to dilute and distract from the great ingredients. Also, I'd have liked the shortbread to be more integrated in the dish. As it was, it was a surprise to see it down there after getting through all the ice, cream and berries. But different people will have different views on that as we did.

SERVICE

Very attentive and professional as one would expect. I asked the waiter for his input as to which of two pasta half courses he'd recommend between the papardelle ($15.50) and the "Cacio i pepe" spaghetti at approximately $4 less. After first suggesting the most expensive option of a pasta with shrimp (I'd told him I simply wanted to try the pasta, had already ordered a seafood main...) he instantly suggested the papardelle over the spaghetti in a way that had me feeling a bit like he was partly comp'ed on ticket size. In retrospect, I loved what he suggested but might have been better off with the spaghetti given my objective and what else I'd ordered.

VALUE

Pretty good. Inasmuch as I think about "value" as simply 'what you get for what you pay,' Fiola seems to be a high-end restaurant putting out appropriately thoughtful, attractive, interesting and generally delicious food. It wouldn't be part of my "regular rotation" either but it is a place I'd go back to periodically assuming dinner is as I hope and expect it to be, .

Thumbs up on a first experience with Fiola. At $74 pre tax and tip without any drinks, it's an expensive place. But I experienced enough to go back for a full bore dinner and look forward to it.

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Wife's birthday dinner this Saturday at Fiola, then off to the Fringe Festival. I'm looking very much forward to trying this place, esp. in view of all the positive commentary here. Anything in particular I should not miss?

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Too busy today to type a long review, but the food was awesome. It was very loud though, but we still enjoyed it. Duck Duo very good, mushroom pasta I shouldn't have eaten was fantastic, as was the roll I shouldn't have eaten. And I could have taken a whole bag of the chocolate chip macarons. But will post a detailed report later!

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