hmmboy Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 I, too, had an absolutely sensational lunch there on Thursday. Every dish was singing. Fabio has hit his stride and it is great to see one of our city's greatest chefs once again playing at the top of his game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Thank you, Fiola. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJ Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 First time to Fiola the other night. Nice to have small plates that don't disappear in one forkful. The half portions of pasta are great and are generous with the protein. Four of us and we didn't hit a clunker in the menu. I'll be back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jparrott Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 $5 Plymouth/Luxardo Bitter/Dolin rouge negronis 4-6 M-F. Just sayin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lekkerwijn Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I just finished having dinner at Fiola. We got in no problem without a reservation around 7:30 pm and were seated at a two top near the bar. The place was pretty packed. Sitting in the front you get to see who is coming and going, including Jennifer Aniston complete with a small entourage and paparazzi snapping photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Returned last night after our less than stellar experience in the summer. I think that we definitely had the B team on our firat visit, because last evening's experience was lovely. Sat at the bar, which makes for both great service and excellent people watching. I arrived just in time to take advantage of the $8 quartino happy hour deal, a fact that I happily flaunted to my partner who had to work till 6. she got her revenge shortly when the bartender topped off her wine so thst we both had similar amounts remaining when our starters arrived. Very thoughtful. I started with the octopus from the starter menu. I don't often order shellfish cuz partner is allergic and so we can't share to compare, but last night I couldn't resist. Oh, my. Perfectly grilled, tender tentacle sections over melty red peppers in a sauce that might have been tomato based. It was zesty, but did not overwhelm the fish. This ws a generous portion and would be perfect for a light dinner with a salad. But I had travelled yesterday, endured a turbulent flight with no beverage service, and I wanted pasta. So I got the half order of buccatini. I can't get the menu to load ao I can list the ingredients, but there were really flavorful tomatoes, a smoked meat of some sort, and a creamy cheese blended in. Just perfect comfort food, and a half order was very satisfying. My partner got the lasagna amd the miserly taste I wrangled from her was fabulous. She enjoyed it and was very pleased that her original order of the bolognese was not available. Seriously, she wouldn't give me a second bite, she loved it so much. I want to go back and order this for myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 After two incredible meals this week, Fiola is raised to bold in the Dining Guide (this was nothing but a formality). (Just ask Bob Costas if you don't believe me - yes, he had lunch there today.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetrain Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Nota Bene - Kitchen closed before 1:30 for lunch on a federal holiday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Nota Bene - Kitchen closed before 1:30 for lunch on a federal holiday. After two incredible meals this week, Fiola is raised to bold in the Dining Guide (this was nothing but a formality). (Just ask Bob Costas if you don't believe me - yes, he had lunch there today.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmmboy Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 After two incredible meals this week, Fiola is raised to bold in the Dining Guide (this was nothing but a formality). Could not agree more - the lunch I had here last week was simply extraordinary - even something as basic as the crab toast made me weak in the knees. During the startup phase, when it was taking some hits from the critics, I still thought it head and shoulders above any other Italian restaurant in the city. But now there is nothing even remotely competitive. Bravo to the great Chef Fabio, and to Maria and the wonderful Fiola staff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Given the kitchen's abilities and the rest of the lunch menu, you'd be a fool to order a burger. But you'd be a very happy fool indeed, as it's one of the very best I've had in the city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyjoan Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Can't believe I haven't written about our October visit to Fiola - it was the absolute, hands-down, no questions asked, highlight of our trip. Originally, we weren't even planning on eating anything of substance - we always sat with Jeff at the bar at Palena, so we wanted to say hello and have a few of his amazing cocktails, and maybe a small bite or two. However, the menu mesmerized us, and we ended up ordering burrata (fantastic), chestnut soup with scallop and foie (maybe the most decadent dish I've enjoyed all year), and two half-orders of pasta (I prefered mine, the pappardelle with some kind of game-meat ragu - so soul-satisfying). Of course, cocktails were fantastic, and getting to hang out at the bar with Jeff was as fun as ever. Chef's lovely wife even came around and chatted for a bit - she is such a trip! We cannot wait to return, possibly for our carbo-loading for the Rock & Roll USA half marathon in March. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 A few thoughts after another fine dinner at Fiola. First, it is pricey, but you can have an excellent meal here without going broke if you choose carefully. The salad I ordered for a first course was $14, but it was large and so filling that I could have stopped after the next course, which was the steak tartar with sunnyside up egg ($16), and left perfectly full and happy. As it was, four "small" courses for each of us, one glass of wine, and one cafe au lait came to about a hundred and forty bucks (before tip), which is one hell of a bargain for the quantity and quality of food. That steak tartar was the best I've ever had, very subtly flavored, the texture beautifully enhanced by the egg. For some reason the kitchen sent us an order of fried calamari with white bait. They were tender, grease-free, and absolutely delicious. Both MrP and I dove in for more and finished the plate, which is really surprising because we hate calamari. Or at least, we used to hate calamari... [Full disclosure: this course was a surprise from the kitchen, we weren't charged for it, and so yes ethical blogger issues etc... but I wouldn't have brought it up or even written this post if that calamari was anything less than extraordinary.] Even without the calamari, this was one of the nicest dinners out we've had all year. I really do love this restaurant, for much the same reason I love Palena Cafe: absolutely wonderful food in a pleasantly relaxed setting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Really funny (and a tad unfortunate ) that Porcupine's post precedes mine here given that she compared Fiola to Palena as I also do. Really, I'm quite certain that came to me first and I'm not even a blogger (kidding). Nevertheless, as I wrote on my smartphone well before Porcupine posted...sigh... OK, I'm officially now in the tank for Fiola and think it the best high-end (or maybe versatile is the better modifier) Italian in DC. G3--in its first few months of operation--rivaled it but that was too short for our world. And, I haven't yet tried Elisir but will soon. Looks promising. Love Fiola because of its consistent thoughtfulness, quality, accessibility and value. So what the hell does all that mean? Consistent Thoughtfulness I've now been 3 or 4 times. Once for dinner. Other times lunch. This week, I was in solo and had lunch at the bar for the first time. First off, I automatically smile when I come across seriously talented chef/owners who see fit to offer bar menus. Increasingly popular trend but nevertheless. Everything I had, detailed below, wasn't just great and delicious but also surprising and interesting with each course. Way more common--and disappointing--are all the times I go to restaurants where surprising/'creative' trump flavor and deliciousness. Not here. Like Palena, many things on Fiola's menu are on many other restaurant menus. Calamari? Really? But, the thing is, Fiola just underpromises (with ridiculously understated menu descriptions) and then overdelivers by doing them (much) better than most anyone else. Technique is hugely evident with every course. Whether a perfectly hot and crispy tempura, the use of the perfect, measured amount of a quality olive oil on a salad or the perfect combination of speck with the calamari starter, Fiola has never disappointed me or any with whom I've dined in the couple of dozen dishes tried across the 3-4 visits. The similarities in talent, technique and focus seem obvious to me between Frank Ruta and Fabio Trabocchi. Ruta is more Mediterranean focused than just Italian per se. And, of course, some might argue Ruta is more proven with a wonderful restaurant that has been firing on all cylinders for so very long. But, Trabocchi has a long and great resume as well. At the risk of jinxing a very good thing, I'll also observe that he seems to be a single-restaurant focused kind of chef/owner (please, no multi-location empires!!). Virtually nothing on the menu is to be believed as described. And, virtually everthing is really standout and, at least to some extent, pleasantly surprising. I didn't realize who Jeff was until after I'd left because I'm not a big mixed drink person and and I just hadn't read much about him. I know now he's one of the city's best mixologists. But I can personally vouch for the fact that he was an incredibly nice, humble, knowledgeable, and efficient professional who made my lunch near perfect with just water on the beverage front. Thanks Jeff! Quality It always starts and ends here with any restaurant; however short-lived or tenured that restaurant is. Everyone talks (and writes) about quality. A much smaller percentage actually do it. Every time. Every day. Every dish. Clearly Fiola has a very high ingredient quality bar. I love that Fiola really emphasizes local sourcing, which notably is more evident on plates and in casual discussion with staff than from aggressive marketing and PR. As Jeff at the bar said when I asked about the speck's origins relative to the imported prosciutto di parma they might have used, "it doesn't so much matter as long as it's great." Indeed--tough to argue with that. Fiola is more about great than they are about local. Often, that means local. How simple. And, sadly with respect to the state of restaurant marketing, how refreshing. And, to the degree local-sourcing decisions can also help boost check and business profitability, so much the better since that ensures long term survival and prosperity. As I'm prone to do, I ordered more courses than most probably would; three savory courses in this visit: - Venetian Style Fried Calamari w/ Calabrese Tomato Dip ($12 ): despite the fact that the restaurant was full at 1PM, this course, as with all, came out quickly (but not rushed) and at perfect temperature. It wasn't as expected. It was delicious. Two refrains that get boring with repetition. Big fresh rings and tentacle pieces of lightly crisped squid were augmented with 3 or 4 slices of deep red, marbled speck. Jeff told me the speck is sourced from a VA or PA farm which he named but which I can't recall. It also came with two, ultra lightly tempura fried green peppers....or so I thought. Guessing shishito, I asked and was surprised to learn that it was just tempura-fried basil. Very mildly flavored. The natural wilting brought on by frying created the illusion of body rather than the curled leaf it was. Most important, a super addition to update a 'classic' that disappoints much more often than not in other places. Also worth noting that the tempura fried basil leaves are exactly the kind of smart, customer-focused but also economically sensible element which, when characteristic of many dishes, make for a successful business. The "Calabrese Tomato Dip" was pretty clearly a rich, housemade sauce (I'm sure it's not called that for a reason) with bits of fresh basil visible. Whatever it's called, it was bright, complex, perfectly rich and acidic. I imagined it slow bubbling in the kitchen for hours for use with various dishes aside from the calamari. One of two very minor nits I'll make was with this dish. The salt level was maybe a bit high. But, I can't stop there without being hypocritical since, like Porcupine, I too loved the dish. Finished every bit of it and Jeff was ready with a water refill and a laugh - Romana Fiola chicken caesar salad + goat cheese ($12): this dish really reminded me of Palena in its philosophy. It was so ordinarily named on the menu as to make one wonder why it would even be there. But, as with Chef Ruta, this was all about superior ingredients, exceptional technique and, thirdly, reinvention only to the point of sparking interest with no sacrifice of flavor. A simple mix of colorful fresh greens with a rich but lightly applied housemade eggy caesar dressing. A few generous slices of juicy and flavorful white meat chicken with crispy brown skin evident by sight and taste bracketed each slice. Atop the salad was a half-dollar sized, maybe half-inch thick, medallion of tempura fried goat cheese from Pipe Dreams Farm in PA. Again, I asked. Jeff, of course knew. The goat cheese was lovely. Mild, fresh and just a tad of salt. I'm pretty sure I've had this cheese before elsewhere in the city but not sure. It had a visible green ring around the perimeter visible beneath the tempura batter. Jeff explained it was the vegetable washed rind. Just better than any other "chicken caesar" I've had anywhere else in a long time*. - Pappardelle + Chanterelle & Wild Mushrooms + Parmagiano ($13.50): I'd had this before so won't repeat a lot here. Just that this is a perfectly rich dish with wonderfully made--and perfectly cooked/al dente--pasta and loads of thickly sliced wild mushrooms. Medium bodied creamy sauce. Had it before. Loved it. Was the exact same as I remembered from a few months ago. Mmmmm. Accessibility By this I mean Fiola is the kind of place, like Palena, that eaisily meets the needs of the most demanding power lunchers and diners (or first couple and celebrities, for that matter) while also being totally comfortable for a regular Jane or Joe at the bar in jeans as I was this week. This has to do with the genuine affability of servers, the totally differentiating flexibility (my salad and pasta above were both half orders, which they were happy to do. Huge sigh that more places don't/won't do this. It also has to do with the value (see below) of everything on the menu. Fiola is a restaurant with amazing skill, dedication and thus confidence...but not arrogance. Love, love, love that. I'd never before looked in detail at the Fiola website but did today and found a 10 minute video (it's the first one at top: "Foodie & The Beast") the Chef did with local media that perfectly aligns with the humble yet wonderful philosophy, cuisine and service I've experienced. Value I continue to believe, as I do for Palena, that "expensive" is both a wrong and unfair adjective to describe restaurants like this. Rather, Fiola is another wonderful example of getting what you pay for...in spades. When I have lunch out, it often costs between $12 and $25 all in per person (usually without alcohol and pre tax/tip). A great food truck. A kickass hole in the wall serving ramen, sandwiches, pho, burgers or whatever. Or even at more proper, fine-dining, tablecloth places. This lunch came in at $39 pre tax/tip. More than I normally spend? Sure. But I was served three amazingly well-prepared, a la carte, delicious and memorable dishes for that $39. Had I gotten a more typical two dishes, I'd have spent 10-15 less. No matter how I think about it, a great deal. Of course, I could have also opted for two-course and three-course fixed price lunch options at $15 or $25, as I best recall. Long live Fiola and may more restaurants emulate her ways. * The point of any restaurant visit report should be specific to that restaurant. But inasmuch as I'm a huge Palena fan and growing Fiola fan, I will say that Palena's caesar salad would win against Fiola's chicken caesar for me. But Fiola's was great as described. If I had to be stranded on a desert isle with just a supply of one of these interpretations of caesar, it'd be a near impossible choice since they're not totally comparable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baczkowski Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 A few thoughts after another fine dinner at Fiola. First, it is pricey, but you can have an excellent meal here without going broke if you choose carefully. The salad I ordered for a first course was $14, but it was large and so filling that I could have stopped after the next course, which was the steak tartar with sunnyside up egg ($16), and left perfectly full and happy. As it was, four "small" courses for each of us, one glass of wine, and one cafe au lait came to about a hundred and forty bucks (before tip), which is one hell of a bargain for the quantity and quality of food. That steak tartar was the best I've ever had, very subtly flavored, the texture beautifully enhanced by the egg. For some reason the kitchen sent us an order of fried calamari with white bait. They were tender, grease-free, and absolutely delicious. Both MrP and I dove in for more and finished the plate, which is really surprising because we hate calamari. Or at least, we used to hate calamari... [Full disclosure: this course was a surprise from the kitchen, we weren't charged for it, and so yes ethical blogger issues etc... but I wouldn't have brought it up or even written this post if that calamari was anything less than extraordinary.] Even without the calamari, this was one of the nicest dinners out we've had all year. I really do love this restaurant, for much the same reason I love Palena Cafe: absolutely wonderful food in a pleasantly relaxed setting. We went to Fiola Saturday night and also had a wonderful meal with the ricotta cheese donuts being the highlight along with my wife's chatham cod dish. Really, this place has amazing ingredients with beautiful execution and gracious and patient service. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and would love to be able to afford to go back some day, but unless these talks of federal tax reform start to include restaurant flexible spending accounts, it's not going to happen. But unlike Porcupine, we consciously went the non-budget route b/c it was my birthday, and we racked up a bill of $260 for two ($170 for 2 four-course tastings + $30 for 2 alcoholic and 2 non-alcoholic drinks + $20 taxes + $40 for tip). That's a pretty significant tab for two and might be why some of the small misses are magnified in my memory to the point that I didn't come close to my "best dining experience of my life" dinner at Maestro (though, honestly, I knew it wouldn't b/c I knew Fiola is meant to be a very different restaurant). The 2 small misses: 1) a room temperature egg on a slightly chilled steak tartare that did not miss an iota on flavor but did not reach it's full potential b/c those two components both felt cooler than I expected them to be, and 2) a couple of small bones in my first bite of mullet (which the server had described as an annoying fish to remove all the bones) though none after that. I didn't mention either to our server b/c 1) he had been very helpful and patient with us as we vascilated on our orders, 2) the tartar temperature thing really felt like a personal preference but maybe my real hangup was that I was hoping to replicate the satisfaction that I had had with Trabocchi's steak tartar and carpaccio dish at Fiamma, which is one of my all-time favorite dishes, and 3) the bones were nonlethal and tiny, only in one bite, and it was my last course before a shared dessert and I wouldn't have wanted to eat a replacement. My sense, though, was that they would have made it right had I said something, which is important to me. I say that with confidence b/c during the night they did make two things right for me that originally weren't. The first was that we were originally seated up against the wall in the front of the restaurant within the bar. Having longingly noticed the more "special occassion" atmosphere of the main dining room off in the distance, I was immediately uneasy when we reached our table. I knew I wasn't going to be happy there. So after the hostess showed us to our seat, I never sat down, talked it over quickly with my wife, and then reapproached the hostess stand and inquired about being seated in the main dining room. We had a short conversation about the dining areas, but to Maria Trabocchi's credit, she was the one who jumped in and said they would make the switch. It meant a lot to me. Honestly, I doubt that I would have had a positive experience if I hadn't spoken up, and that was a lesson more to me than it should be for the restaurant. The other area where they made it right was when our waiter brought two substitutions for their scallop crudo--even though I had ordered the steak tartar for my first course, not the scallop crudo. After the waiter left, my wife was the one who picked up that the waiter must have thought we both ordered the scallop: Why else would he have given us both the sashimi? Figuring maybe it was a kind gesture to over-apologize for the switch, I wasn't convinced, so I flagged him down just in case, explained what she thought had happened, watched him go palid, heard him say that he would fix it immediately, and within 3 minutes I was enjoying my steak tartar after a delicous sashimi starter--gratis. He apologized at least 3 times after that, but I told him that I hoped he made more delicious mistakes. Though we went the splurge route, I think Porcupine is right though: if you plan wisely before ordering, you can make some economical decisions that expose you to top-of-the-line ingredients and cooking that leaves you with a strong feeling of value. That's what I expect our next meal at Fiola will be. Pax, Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 God bless you and your family, Fabio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Everything I had, detailed below, wasn't just great and delicious but also surprising and interesting with each course. Way more common--and disappointing--are all the times I go to restaurants where surprising/'creative' trump flavor and deliciousness.<snip> But, the thing is, Fiola just underpromises (with ridiculously understated menu descriptions) and then overdelivers by doing them (much) better than most anyone else. Technique is hugely evident with every course. Yep.. Very well said. The other area where they made it right was when our waiter brought two substitutions for their scallop crudo--even though I had ordered the steak tartar for my first course, not the scallop crudo. After the waiter left, my wife was the one who picked up that the waiter must have thought we both ordered the scallop: Why else would he have given us both the sashimi? Figuring maybe it was a kind gesture to over-apologize for the switch, I wasn't convinced, so I flagged him down just in case, explained what she thought had happened, watched him go palid, heard him say that he would fix it immediately, and within 3 minutes I was enjoying my steak tartar after a delicous sashimi starter--gratis. He apologized at least 3 times after that, but I told him that I hoped he made more delicious mistakes. I think we may have been sitting next to each other. Also, my steak tartar was at room temp and the egg just on the warm side, so I think you just got unlucky with yours. Or I got lucky with mine. ps if that was you, the waiter was Frank, who was our favorite waiter when he worked at Estadio. It had been at least four or five months since we last saw him, but he knew us immediately. It was good to see him land at another great restaurant. [Chef and Mrs. Trabbochi, if you're reading this: Frank is great.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Faile Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Consistent Thoughtfulness I've now been 3 or 4 times. Once for dinner. Other times lunch. This week, I was in solo and had lunch at the bar for the first time. First off, I automatically smile when I come across seriously talented chef/owners who see fit to offer bar menus. Increasingly popular trend but nevertheless. Everything I had, detailed below, wasn't just great and delicious but also surprising and interesting with each course. Way more common--and disappointing--are all the times I go to restaurants where surprising/'creative' trump flavor and deliciousness. Not here. Like Palena, many things on Fiola's menu are on many other restaurant menus. Calamari? Really? But, the thing is, Fiola just underpromises (with ridiculously understated menu descriptions) and then overdelivers by doing them (much) better than most anyone else. Technique is hugely evident with every course. Whether a perfectly hot and crispy tempura, the use of the perfect, measured amount of a quality olive oil on a salad or the perfect combination of speck with the calamari starter, Fiola has never disappointed me or any with whom I've dined in the couple of dozen dishes tried across the 3-4 visits. The similarities in talent, technique and focus seem obvious to me between Frank Ruta and Fabio Trabocchi. Ruta is more Mediterranean focused than just Italian per se. And, of course, some might argue Ruta is more proven with a wonderful restaurant that has been firing on all cylinders for so very long. But, Trabocchi has a long and great resume as well. At the risk of jinxing a very good thing, I'll also observe that he seems to be a single-restaurant focused kind of chef/owner (please, no multi-location empires!!). Virtually nothing on the menu is to be believed as described. And, virtually everthing is really standout and, at least to some extent, pleasantly surprising. I didn't realize who Jeff was until after I'd left because I'm not a big mixed drink person and and I just hadn't read much about him. I know now he's one of the city's best mixologists. But I can personally vouch for the fact that he was an incredibly nice, humble, knowledgeable, and efficient professional who made my lunch near perfect with just water on the beverage front. Thanks Jeff! Glad you enjoyed everything! I've been fortunate enough to work for both Ruta and Trabocchi, and if you get to eat at both spots, you're having some of the best meals in the city from two of the best Chefs. Look forward to seeing you again soon! Cheers, Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baczkowski Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 For some reason the kitchen sent us an order of fried calamari with white bait. They were tender, grease-free, and absolutely delicious. Both MrP and I dove in for more and finished the plate, which is really surprising because we hate calamari. Or at least, we used to hate calamari... [Full disclosure: this course was a surprise from the kitchen, we weren't charged for it, and so yes ethical blogger issues etc... but I wouldn't have brought it up or even written this post if that calamari was anything less than extraordinary.] I think we may have been sitting next to each other. Also, my steak tartar was at room temp and the egg just on the warm side, so I think you just got unlucky with yours. Or I got lucky with mine. you are absolutely right! I remember you saying to your husband, "This Is the only calamari I've ever liked." thanks for letting yous snoop at your food as it came out. Pax, Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmoomau Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Was at the bar, not this past Friday but the last with some girlfriends. We had some great cocktails. I had a milan mule and a cocktail with sparkling wine, I am not sure what it was. It was kind of bitter in a really interesting way. Between the sparkling wine and other flavors it was really well balanced I loved it. Looking on the menu I can't place it, but it is probably there, I felt like it perhaps had a blueberry in the bottom? They were out of calamari by 7:00 p.m., I so wanted it, but alas it wasn't meant to be. So we had a trio of fried goodness: fried mozzarella, rosemary fries and doughnuts. All were really exceptional. I don't know that I have ever had fries that compared to these in that they were so much more than just fries. The flavors and red sauce together just really worked to elevate what could have been a very ordinary dish. The fried mozzarella were disks that just oozed with goodness. The doughnuts were a perfect light snack. They weren't too heavy, too doughy and the jam with them was very tasty. All in all a very good snack. We were doing a bar crawl and this was a perfect first start to put the night off onto. The ambiance in the bar is so good, and the hostesses were so nice, they even found us a table in the bar area when we were looking. This might be my very favorite place in DC right now, it just has it all going for it, nice staff, great food and excellent drinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 12/24/11: Feast of the Seven Fishes Wow. Report to follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ericandblueboy Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 We made reservation for 3 (including our 20 month old) for Xmas eve not knowing it was prix fixe only (my own fault for not examining their website). The end result is we rushed the kitchen and rushed the dinner. I only tried the bacalao off the feast of the 7 fishes menu, my other 5 courses were tuna tartar, fried calamari, bucatini with sea urchin, papparadelle with hare ragu, and lobster ravioli. Annie only ordered 4 courses, but the kitchen thoughtfully sent out 6 courses for her as well. There were a number of things that I didn't like about dinner but I'm not sure anyone else is to blame because we had to eat and run. The service was super and we'll go back after I get over my own stupid and expensive mistake (just to be clear, they didn't charge for the baby - we just didn't get to enjoy a dinner that's pretty expensive by our standards). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmoomau Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 It was like coming home to my world for Christmas. We walked in the door and got a big smile and waive from Jeff, and Rocks was at the bar. We were ushered to a table over in the corner where we could have a peaceful meal, a nice conversation and a comforting meal. Tuna tartare came out in a little pot with toasted bread, when the bread on the board was finished another big basket was brought out. Then bowls of wild hare ragu and cacio e pepe came out. Both dishes were warm and comforting with expertly made pasta. My Cacio e Pepe was simple, but divine, the flavors were perfect. It was just rich enough, but not over the top, with a generous portion of sheep's cheese. Hubby's wild hare ragu was rich and robust, we both love rabbit and this had incredible rabbit flavor. It was the perfect homey meal before jetting off to different houses, being fed who knows what, when in the chaos that is our family Christmas, which we love, but is a chaos you can only have so much of. Service was perfect. The wine Hubby wanted was out, but they brought a substitute that was similar for him to try before they brought out a whole glass and assured him if he didn't like this they had others. After the hangover I had from the firm Christmas party the night before I stuck to iced tea, which matter of factly is the best non-sweet tea in DC, (from an Italian restaurant of all places) and water which were kept filled. After wishing Rocks a Merry Christmas and lots of smiles and waves from the restaurant we went out where they pulled the car up under the awning so we wouldn't be rained on. To me Fiola is the place you go when you want to just simply enjoy yourself without pomp, circumstance or pretense. The staff is friendly, the food is divine and the drinks when you are drinking, or even when you aren't, are spot on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 It was like coming home to my world for Christmas. We walked in the door and got a big smile and waive from Jeff, and Rocks was at the bar. It was a wonderful surprise seeing you two, Katelin. I had meant to write you and say, *great* haircut! My top four meals of 2011 were all in Arcachon, France (if someone wants to start a Best of 2011 thread, I'll chime in), but if I had to choose one single dish of the year? It might be this, and not just because it was so awesome, but because I could feel the soul and the presence of Fabio's father, resonating throughout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMVDining2 Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 The wife went to Fiola a few weeks ago with a few of her girlfriends and she has been raving about it since. She can't stop talking about how amazing the lobster ravioli was, let alone the dates stuffed with fois gras wrapped in prosciutto. Now I really want to go, badly. We wrote up more about it here: http://www.dmvdining.com/2011/12/fiola-shines-in-penn-quarter/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshW0615 Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 One of my (many) resolutions this New Year is to write more frequently on this site. I figured I’d start with Fiola since this was one of the best dining experiences I’ve had this year. The BF and I decided to have a night out to celebrate Christmas together (after the fact since both of us were in separate parts of the countries on the actual day). I’d originally made reservations at Central, but after remembering how loud the restaurant is, and after hearing some negative reviews from friends, I shifted the plans to Fiola. I’d read the great things about the restaurant on this forum and they also happened to have an open reservation at 7:30. We both ended up off work early, and I figured we could go try their happy hour. After wine and some cocktails (including a very well made Sazerac the bartender prepared after hearing my boyfriend complain about the awful one he had in Las Vegas), we decided just to move the reservation up to 6:30 and get started on dinner. We’d had some calamari at the bar (very lightly fried with tempura basil) but were hungry enough to consider going with the tasting menu. Our server must have been able to tell we were in the mood to try a lot of food, because he steered us towards ordering directly off the full menu (which contained all of the items on the tasting menu.) We also got a great recommendation on the wine (2004 Palladio—I had to look that up). We started with four of the Belon oysters (how could I not try $4 oysters), followed by the foie gras stuffed dates wrapped in prosciutto and the pork belly special, which the details escape me. Both dishes were delicious, but the stuffed dates were by far one of the better dishes I had last year and my favorite of the meal. We followed with the lasagna and short ribs. I was glad I was the one that ordered the lasagna because I’m pretty sure a shared bite wouldn’t have been enough. It was creamy, rich, and complex and I don’t think I ever let my fork hit the plate. The bite I got of the short ribs was also good. Although we were both full at this point, we felt compelled to order the Bombolini, which came with gelato and marmalade. I loved these as much as everything else—and the few I snuck home were surprisingly good later that night. While this is a special occasion type restaurant for me (the boyfriend won big in Vegas so we were able to splurge a bit), I have every intention of going back. I did see a burger on the bar menu that looked pretty tempting, especially when paired with a happy hour quartino of wine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmoomau Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 One of my (many) resolutions this New Year is to write more frequently on this site. I figured I’d start with Fiola since this was one of the best dining experiences I’ve had this year. The BF and I decided to have a night out to celebrate Christmas together (after the fact since both of us were in separate parts of the countries on the actual day). I’d originally made reservations at Central, but after remembering how loud the restaurant is, and after hearing some negative reviews from friends, I shifted the plans to Fiola. I’d read the great things about the restaurant on this forum and they also happened to have an open reservation at 7:30. We both ended up off work early, and I figured we could go try their happy hour. After wine and some cocktails (including a very well made Sazerac the bartender prepared after hearing my boyfriend complain about the awful one he had in Las Vegas), we decided just to move the reservation up to 6:30 and get started on dinner. We’d had some calamari at the bar (very lightly fried with tempura basil) but were hungry enough to consider going with the tasting menu. Our server must have been able to tell we were in the mood to try a lot of food, because he steered us towards ordering directly off the full menu (which contained all of the items on the tasting menu.) We also got a great recommendation on the wine (2004 Palladio—I had to look that up). We started with four of the Belon oysters (how could I not try $4 oysters), followed by the foie gras stuffed dates wrapped in prosciutto and the pork belly special, which the details escape me. Both dishes were delicious, but the stuffed dates were by far one of the better dishes I had last year and my favorite of the meal. We followed with the lasagna and short ribs. I was glad I was the one that ordered the lasagna because I’m pretty sure a shared bite wouldn’t have been enough. It was creamy, rich, and complex and I don’t think I ever let my fork hit the plate. The bite I got of the short ribs was also good. Although we were both full at this point, we felt compelled to order the Bombolini, which came with gelato and marmalade. I loved these as much as everything else—and the few I snuck home were surprisingly good later that night. While this is a special occasion type restaurant for me (the boyfriend won big in Vegas so we were able to splurge a bit), I have every intention of going back. I did see a burger on the bar menu that looked pretty tempting, especially when paired with a happy hour quartino of wine. And the fries would be well worth a trip back for burger and fries they are a game changer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshW0615 Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 And the fries would be well worth a trip back for burger and fries they are a game changer. Thanks for the mention of the fries! I made it back last night after only having a few bites of some truly awful food at a company event at the American History Museum. The fries were indeed a game changer (my BF commented that he wished there was more rosemary, but I was happy with the generous sprinkling of cheese), and the burger was cooked perfectly, topped with mozzerella (I think), bacon, roasted tomatoes, and lettuce. We also finished with a chocolate hazelnut dessert I can't find online that came with a salty ice cream that I absolutely loved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jandres374 Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Anyone know how hard it is to snag a couple seats at the bar around 6:15 or so on Saturday. Want to hit here tonight before a show at the National Theater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Faile Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Sorry. First time posting with the iPhone. At 6:15, there should be space for you. Stop by & say hi! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirite Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 We have reservations tomorrow evening and would be very grateful for some recommendations that don't include meat. As I look at the menu Crostini Ahi Tuna Tartar, Crostino, Cacio & Pepe Spaghetti, Vincisgrassi, Bucatini, and Ravioli resonate. We're celebrating a birthday. Thanks very much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcandohio Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 If the grilled octopus is on the appetizer menu, please get this. You will be very happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmoomau Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 the the Cacio E Pepe is very good, it has cheese, so not vegan though. And the much talked about calamari that keeps selling out before I arrive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will_5198 Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Unless it's changed significantly, the vincisgrassi has meat in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilrus Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I haven't been to Fiola but to this day the lobster ravioli at Maestro is probably my favorite restaurant dish of all time. I bet it is pretty good here too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I think the seafood main courses at Fiola outshine the meats. On my last visit, the brodetto was excellent, and the turbot has been consistently my favorite dish here. Among the pastas, the lobster ravioli is indeed a stand out. You may wish to order that, along with the bucatini, for contrast. The tuna tartar was interesting but not one of the best dishes on the menu. I enjoyed the raw scallops that were on special recently much more. I know the temptation at an Italian restaurant may be to concentrate on antipasti and pasta and forego a main, but to do so at Fiola -- where the seafood mains are so outstanding -- would be a crime. At least share one among two people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirite Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 A tour bus managed to block the GW Parkway in both directions this evening, and traffic was gridlocked for hours. We were driving on 123 from McLean so, dammit, we had to call and cancel our reservations and wound up at Cafe Oggi in McLean instead. From a potentially memorable meal to an instantly forgettable one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe H Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I must say that we live in Reston. We were both born here and when my wife worked near 19th and E we went out to dinner downtown a couple of times a week. For years. When her office moved to Ballston we fell down to once a week. I should also mention that in the '90's and early 2000's it rarely if ever took more than 45 mintues to drive from Reston to downtown in the evening rush hour. In the mid and late '200's it might have taken as long as an hour. But never more. Now, with the construction at Tyson's it is often one and one half hours + to drive from Reston to downtown in the PM rush hour. The result is that we only go downtown every two weeks or so and even then, usually on Saturday when traffic is lighter. (Somewhere in here I should also mention that I absolutely hate what Tysons Corner has become. And, Reston is on its way, too.) I love this city. I am as chauvinistic to D. C. as anyone who has ever posted on here. But at some point the traffic became so bad that it changed how I eat... Otherwise I would be eating at Fiola weekly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirite Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Yes, Tyson's has become a concrete jungle and Rt 7 looks like a 21st century 3rd Avenue EL. We rarely venture into DC on weeknights, but it was my wife's birthday, and I wanted to give her an exceptional dining experience. Our anniversary is in early March, so I will try to traverse the terrain to Fiola again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I love this city. I am as chauvinistic to D. C. as anyone who has ever posted on here. But at some point the traffic became so bad that it changed how I eat... Not just traffic; parking: I drove around H Street NE for TWENTY MINUTES this evening before finding a place. This, for a middling pork shank. Ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirite Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Parking is also horrible. Because we don't have easy access to the Metro, we have been reduced to dining at restaurants that have valet parking. And that means expensive. It really sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmoomau Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 And I am so happy Fiola has valet parking! I deeply appreciate valet in DC, especially when some garages close so early and I swear even when I pay my meter DC finds some way to ticket me. And the valet people at Fiola are really nice pulling your car up under the awning when it rains and etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 +1 on lobster ravioli ! + another 1 on the brodetto !! also tried a couple of the oysters Don had raved about recently when at Fiola for lunch earlier this week. truly excellent but not transformative, transcendant or whatever adjective was used. then again, I think the preparation was different from what Don had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilrus Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 +1 on lobster ravioli ! I'm curious - What is the preparation of the lobster ravioli? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 I'm curious - What is the preparation of the lobster ravioli? Others will do a better job answering this and filling in blanks. But I'll support my +1 with the following: - Larger sized raviolis (maybe about 2 or 2.5" square if you shaped them that way) with a very delicate and clearly housemade pasta wrapper. Thought I'd heard they use rice flour for these but I'm not sure about that. - 4 or 5 raviolis each stuffed with very fresh Maine lobster perfectly (maybe butter) poached or steamed to achieve the perfect balance of cooking, moisture, flavor and richness - 2 generous additional pieces of tail meat in the bowl - Finally, unifying all of it is a wonderfully light and flavorful broth which definitely includes some tomato but is more a broth than a sauce. Beyond the tomato, I'm struggling to recall the other likely ingredients, herbs, seasonings but maybe someone else can help. The dish isn't overly complicated. It's just wonderfully executed with exceptional ingredients and thus is memorably delicious. Not sure if that helps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoramargolis Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 We had lobster ravioli when we went for my birthday dinner last Friday. They were described as coming in a lobster broth, but the sauce we got was definitely enriched with cream--it was delicious. (Perhaps they do it differently at lunch and dinner?) The ravioli were not the flat kind you see in your mind's eye when you think "ravioli." These were more like dumplings, with four seams on the top. The pasta was thin and silken, and it was just a perfect dish. The food was wonderful- we especially loved my smoked pheasant breasts with huckleberry sauce, porcini cream and spinach. Wow--that dish knocked J's brodetto right off the table, though that was very delicious, too. A service screw-up at the beginning of our meal was dealt with in a very satisfactory way, which lifted the mood of an unhappy birthday girl, and instantly redeemed them in my eyes. I wish I could afford to eat there more often... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 We had lobster ravioli when we went for my birthday dinner last Friday. They were described as coming in a lobster broth, but the sauce we got was definitely enriched with cream--it was delicious. (Perhaps they do it differently at lunch and dinner?) The ravioli were not the flat kind you see in your mind's eye when you think "ravioli." These were more like dumplings, with four seams on the top. The pasta was thin and silken, and it was just a perfect dish. <snip> They must do different versions like the gnocchi and raw fish dishes at Palena--always changing. Zora's description of the ravioli aligns with what I had at lunch but the broth versus cream-enriched is a definite difference. No doubt-and more importantly-both are wonderful though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmoomau Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 We had lobster ravioli when we went for my birthday dinner last Friday. They were described as coming in a lobster broth, but the sauce we got was definitely enriched with cream--it was delicious. (Perhaps they do it differently at lunch and dinner?) The ravioli were not the flat kind you see in your mind's eye when you think "ravioli." These were more like dumplings, with four seams on the top. The pasta was thin and silken, and it was just a perfect dish. The food was wonderful- we especially loved my smoked pheasant breasts with huckleberry sauce, porcini cream and spinach. Wow--that dish knocked J's brodetto right off the table, though that was very delicious, too. A service screw-up at the beginning of our meal was dealt with in a very satisfactory way, which lifted the mood of an unhappy birthday girl, and instantly redeemed them in my eyes. I wish I could afford to eat there more often... When we went in the Summer, Hubby had the broth version, although I think he would have preferred one with cream added to the sauce, his loss was my gain! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popover Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Fabio used to have the lobster ravioli on the menu at Maestro's in Tysons also. For me, they are THE way to eat lobster. I sometimes wish he would take them off the menu because then I would be forced to try something else, but while he keeps serving them I will keep eating them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synaesthesia Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I find it almost criminal that no one has either (1) mentioned or (2) had the smoked potato gnocchi. It is so very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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