Fiola Mare, Washington Harbour, A 9,000 Square Foot Italian Seafood Concept by the Owners of Fiola

[Joe H]

Joe, I can say the same for you--your writing makes me want to eat at so many places, so even if I can't afford them, I can enjoy them vicariously through you. (And, BTW, I have more problem with the M St. strip than the Washington Harbor, which as you show, is more of a haven from the rest of what makes me crazy.)

Thank you, Tujague.  Love your avatar-looks like a best friend and a real character.  I'll bet he's opinionated, too!

[DonRocks]

Tujague, while we may disagree on the Washington harbor, I really enjoy your expressive writing. You have a great deal of talent and are a real pleasure to read.

Joe, I can say the same for you--your writing makes me want to eat at so many places, so even if I can't afford them, I can enjoy them vicariously through you. (And, BTW, I have more problem with the M St. strip than the Washington Harbor, which as you show, is more of a haven from the rest of what makes me crazy.)

Note also: people from Virginia can zip into Washington Harbour just as easily as they can Rosslyn, and can completely bypass the M Street corridor of Georgetown (I-66, Watergate, K Street - it can be less than five minutes from the Roosevelt Bridge).

Directions

[ScotteeM]

Note also: people from Virginia can zip into Washington Harbour just as easily as they can Rosslyn, and can completely bypass the M Street corridor of Georgetown (I-66, Watergate, K Street - it can be less than five minutes from the Roosevelt Bridge).

Directions

That's how we get there--it doesn't even seem like you're in Georgetown if you go that way. Usually quick, unless it's the night before the Nike Women's Half-Marathon, in which case it can take 15 minutes to get from the left turn onto K to the restaurant a few blocks away. It's still so much better than trying to navigate M Street.

[ScotteeM]

"Fruitti di Mare" is $55 for 1-3 and worth every penny. From the menu: East & West Coast Oysters / Middleneck Clams / Jordan River Mussels / Maine Lobster/Head-On Prawns / Tuna Tartare / Jumbo Lump Crab / Jellyfish Salad

We haven't tried that yet, but every time one passes our table we vow to try it soon. It should be noted that the price fluctuates with the market price of the ingredients, and may be more than $55 at times. The menu changes daily and is updated on the website ever few days, so best to check before you go, and understand that it may be a bit more expensive on any given night.

Personally, I'd rather the price fluctuate than be artificially inflated to cover the high end.

[Pool Boy]

[FWIW, I just read through this afternoon's entire conversation for the first time, and don't see anything at all to moderate or delete. Was Tujague's post snippy? Eh, maybe a little bit, but nobody lost an eye over it. Keep on respecting (or at least trying to understand) each other's opinions, and we're all good. Cheers, Rocks]

I also completely agree about the generational shift which has affected not just "neighborhoods," but also dining attitudes and habits as a whole. As to whether that's "better," "worse," or just "different," that's for each individual to decide. I'm also certain that I've witnessed remarkably rapid changes in DC's dining scene during the six years since the recession began (at the end of 2007). I can't think of any other six-year time slice in my lifetime that has displayed such dramatic change. I'm not old enough to remember the riots et al, but I suspect "not since WWII ended" is a phrase that applies somewhere, somehow.

You know, this makes me think of the trend of not being able to make reservations at places. Or that a lot of these new places do NOT take sound level in to account. Not everybody likes it to be loud as a harley in a garage. SRSLY. \endrant Carry on.

[TedE]

"Fruitti di Mare" is $55 for 1-3 and worth every penny. From the menu: East & West Coast Oysters / Middleneck Clams / Jordan River Mussels / Maine Lobster/Head-On Prawns / Tuna Tartare / Jumbo Lump Crab / Jellyfish Salad

OK, that sets the hook.  An interesting and varied seafood tower has great gravitational force.

[Joe H]

OK, that sets the hook.  An interesting and varied seafood tower has great gravitational force.

TedE, please seriously consider the "Fiola Mare Oysters and Caviar" in a prosecco zabaglione also.  An incredible compliment to the Fruitti di Mare.  An imaginative dish with texture and flavor that I have not had elsewhere.  A Great dish.

[Al the Pal]

We had a wonderful dinner last night at Fiola Mare. The service was very helpful and attentive although we sort of lost their attention a tiny bit once the restaurant filled up. No worries though we were happy. My husband had oysters (Wellfleet, I believe). He seem to enjoy them. Raw oysters make my skin crawl so I didn't try them. I had the jumbo lump crab salad. While somewhat expensive (for a salad--$24) it was worth it considering how much crab meat was there. The crab sits on roasted tomatoes with a cream topping. Really nice. My husband had a sword fish entree and ordered spinach on the side. He said it was good but not great. He thought the swordfish was a little tough. They offer the pastas in half portions so I had 1/2 portion of the smoked potato gnocchi and 1/2 portion of the gragnano spaghetti. I don't know if the chef was being especially generous last night, but the portions were huge. I ended up eating about 1/3 of my pastas. I really liked the gnocchi but realize it may not be everyone's liking as it smoked. Our server said it was slightly smoked, but I thought it had a strong smokey flavor (which I liked). The gragnano spaghetti was great. My husband ate half of it and loved it. Its like a very fresh clam sauce spaghetti.

For me, the highlight was dessert. We had the marchesi (spelling?). It was spectacular. Really the best dessert I've had in recent memory. It was a chocolate square topped with pistachios and fresh mint. Just enough mint to make the dessert refreshing but not overpowering. if you like chocolate, you'll love this. We had coffee which I thought was the weakest part of the meal. I just wasn't crazy about it. Sort of strong. I think it was Illy.

[astrid]

Went there recently to celebrate a special occasion and I agree with Al.  It's definitely expensive, but the portions are reasonably large and makes it easier to keep to a budget.  For relatively light eaters, the crab salad or a half order of pasta might be sufficient as entree.  The oyster and caviar dish is wonderful.

[Joe H]

Tom Sietsema's three star review in the upcoming Sunday Washington Post.  Confirmation that this is the hottest restaurant in the Washington area right now.

Extremely happy for Fabio, this is a great addition to D. C. with several dishes that would do justice to Senigallia let alone Georgetown.  I understand that for prime times on Saturday reservations are now three weeks out or more for the window tables.  For myself this is Maestro on the Potomac.

Bravo, Fabio!

[sheldman]

Wow, an excellent dinner tonight.  As the menu is said to change often, all I will say in particular is that if you are offered a pasta dish with sea urchin, get it.  Delicious.  ("Bucatini "¢ Maya Prawns, Catalina Island Sea Urchins, Espelette").  All fishes and shellfishes were of very high quality.  And the service (led by waiter "Antonio") was friendly, helpful and sophisticated.

[Pat]

We went all out and had my birthday dinner at Fiola Mare, and the restaurant certainly delivered.  My husband started with the burrata, while I had the lobster and crab salad.  The seafood salad came in a generous portion, some of which he ate as well.  My vocabulary for describing seafood isn't extensive, but I'll go with saying that the flavors were fresh and clean and paired well with looking out at water in the distance on a summer night. 

 

I went with the Spaghetti Chitarra and clams for my main course.  I had thought of getting a half portion of pasta and something else as well but decided instead on a full order of spaghetti.  As it was, I was pretty well stuffed after half of the full portion (which my husband happily stepped up to finish), so it's good I didn't order a third dish.  He had the oil-poached cod, which I stole a bite of (though I didn't get any of the accompanying caviar and oysters  ).  

 

I'll echo the rave above for the Marchesi dessert.  That (along with the strip of chocolate mousse birthday cake they brought out) brought the meal to a fine ending.

 

A word about the bread:  fantastic.  It had a crispy, slightly charred and smoky crust, and a soft crumb.  We each had two pieces, and I'm glad they didn't offer us more, or I wouldn't have made it through the rest of the food.

 

We mostly drank water, but I nursed a cocktail through the night as well:  the Amalfi Coast (Grey Goose vodka and limoncello).  I can't recall having limoncello in a cocktail before, but I don't drink cocktails that often.  It was a refreshing, bracing summer night's drink.

 

With the exception of a tiny glitch, service was excellent.  Our server and the other staff took very good care of us.  While my pool of experiences at the three restaurants the chef currently has is not vast, Fiola Mare is now my favorite.  I found the lighting a little too dim, and that combination Dyson faucet and hand dryer is weird, but, otherwise, I loved the space.

 

A dinner here is certainly a splurge, but it's a wonderful special occasion restaurant.  Any place with the location and view this has is going to be expensive, but this actually feels worth it.

[bettyjoan]

Jason and I celebrated 5 years of wedded bliss at Fiola Mare last night.  It is a HUGE space - I mean, Fiola in Penn Quarter is not a small restaurant, but it feels so much more intimate by comparison.  We got there early to have a cocktail at the (front) bar before our reservation; the drinks were lovely and service was great.  I felt bad for the folks behind the bar when I heard a patron a few seats down complaining about the menu not having anything besides seafood. 

We ended up at a table near the kitchen, and we had nice views of the activity there and the rest of the main dining room - the only downside was that it was quite warm.  When I made the reservation, I mentioned that we were celebrating an anniversary, and our server greeted us with a round of prosecco on the house.  Such a nice touch.  We started with a tempura-fried blowfish appetizer, and it was a really nice, light start to the meal.  We asked for a recommendation for a bottle of wine, and we really enjoyed what we got (an Italian white that I now cannot recall).  Next, we ordered half-portions of the smoked gnocchi and the bucatini - both were fantastic, and the delicious, crusty bread came in handy to sop up every last bit of the sauces.  We then split the Adriatic Grand mixed grill - so much variety (calamari, branzino, dorade, langoustines, prawns, tuna, the list goes on...) and so much food!  All of the items were cooked perfectly, and the simple preparation really allowed all of the individual flavors to come through.  Yummy.

For dessert, we decided to split the Tarta San Marcos, and Jason ordered the suggested Muscat pairing (I order a cappucino - I'm not normally a fan of dessert wines).  When dessert arrived, they added on a chocolate/hazelnut dessert (once again, to congratulate us on our anniversary) and a Moscato d'Asti - the server said it would be fun to compare the Muscat that Jason ordered with the d'Asti.  I'm so glad he brought it for us to try - I really enjoyed it!  It was much crisper and cleaner than most dessert wines, and I can see myself ordering it in the future.  Oh, and the Tarta?  So. Freaking. GOOD.  It was the perfect amount of sweetness, and it had wonderful textures.  It was the best dessert I have had in a loooooong time.

Clearly, Fiola Mare is spendy, but it is a wonderful place to celebrate a special occasion.  And for someone who loves seafood as much as I do, it's a chance to get really high-quality products prepared with respect.  We hope to return!

[DPop]

I see it's no longer on the menu, but if next time you visit Fiola Mare they have the Gnocchi (Foie Gras Reduction, Chanterelles, Shaved Black Truffles), ignore the preposterous price tag ($50!) and treat yourself to one of the better pasta dishes you will ever eat.  Based on the description I was worried that it was going to be a bit too much of a good thing(s), but Fabio pulls this dish off with finesse and grace.

[outsideshot]

We went on Feb 15 to celebrate a birthday and the Valentines Day menu was still offered.

 

That menu was 5 courses for $125. Also offered was 4 courses from a limited regular menu selection for $100. We opted for the 4 course and they allowed us to select items from the Valentines Day menu as options. Simply Incredible! Tuna carpaccio and Burrata apps were sublime.

 

Lobster ravioli and the Tagliatelle pastas were full of lobster and excellent second courses. An imaginative Dover Sole presentation and the seared scallops were the mains, and although relatively small portions, they were appropriate for a 4 course dinner. Finished with 2 of the classic desserts, the Marchesi (chocolate, mint, pistachios) and the Bombolini (basket of donuts with butterscoth dipping and ice cream). Drinks and wine were equal to the meal.

[lotus125]

Fiola Mare hasn't gotten a lot of attention on this Board, so I just wanted to put in a quick post.  I've had a number of recent dinners here that were very good.  Strong appetizers (e.g., prosciutto made with swordfish, and clever preparations of burrata).  Excellent pastas.  Very well done simple grilled fish.  Good desserts and cocktail program.  I also appreciate that they change their menu often.  It's certainly not cheap, but it is putting out very good food.  

[bettyjoan]

My folks were in town for the long weekend, and mom requested dinner at Fiola Mare - we dined at Fiola during one of their previous visits, and it was a spectacular experience all around.  So, since we are all seafood lovers, it seemed like the obvious choice.  Unfortunately, while the food was delicious, the service and the overall experience fell flat.

Highlights food-wise were the salmon crudo, the pastas (we had lobster ravioli, bucatini with prawn and sea urchin, and rigatoni with braised rabbit), and the grilled branzino.  The spring garden cocktail and the lentil salad side were also really good.  All of the fish, as usual, was cooked impeccably.

The service issues seemed to start right when we walked in.  We had barely sat down before one sommelier asked us if we had questions about the wine list, and then once we had ordered our first round of drinks, a different sommelier came over and asked again if we had any questions about the wine list.  It felt a bit smothering.  Then, the server must have heard my father incorrectly when he ordered his rigatoni, because the pastas came out and he was presented with the bucatini.  We let him know, and he said to enjoy the bucatini and an order of the rigatoni would be out shortly...but then everyone else at the table was done with their pastas, and there was no rigatoni to be found.  It really took an inordinately long time for the correct dish to appear - in fact, we were just about to tell the server not to bother.  It just seemed very clunky that a mistake like that wouldn't be corrected more quickly.  Of course, we did not pay for the incorrect pasta order, and the server gave us a gratis refill on our wine while we were waiting.  Very nice gestures, and appreciated, but it was uncomfortable for my dad to eat his pasta when we were all done and our plates were cleared.  The pacing overall seemed to fall on the slower side of leisurely.

We got a few desserts (some we ordered, and others were just brought), and my favorite was the milk chocolate panna cotta - delicious and rich-tasting, without being super heavy.  My cappucino was also lovely.

The other service issue that my parents brought up was that Chef and his wife were circulating through the restaurant throughout the night, but they weren't stopping at every table.  They noticed that a few tables seemed to get a lot of extra attention, and others got none.  I don't think my mom and dad particularly wanted a visit, but they definitely were turned off by the disparate treatment.

At the end of the meal, mom and dad said that they'd go back to Fiola over Fiola Mare - I tend to agree.

[Pat]

The other service issue that my parents brought up was that Chef and his wife were circulating through the restaurant throughout the night, but they weren't stopping at every table.  They noticed that a few tables seemed to get a lot of extra attention, and others got none.  I don't think my mom and dad particularly wanted a visit, but they definitely were turned off by the disparate treatment.

I'm sorry you had the service issues, but this particular thing I have encountered and I find it very off-putting.  It's not that hard to smile at the people at a table and say, "Thank you for dining with us tonight."  When you're stopping at tables and ignoring other ones you are passing by in their vicinity, it leaves a bad taste, so to speak.  Just an acknowledgment that you exist goes a long way to making things more pleasant.

[Josh]

We visited Fiola Mare for my wife's birthday a couple of weeks ago.  Work/home have been very busy, and I never got around to posting about it.

In a nutshell: It was very good, but not worth the price nor the top billing.

I have read a good number of folks extolling the virtues of Fiola Mare as a "special occasion" place, including Mr. Sietsema over and over again in his chats.  The prices at Fiola Mare certainly push it out of the regularly accessible category, so in that respect, I guess it fits the description.  But from the absolute first moment we walked into the restaurant, I could tell it was not what I envisioned.  The entry-way is tiny and crowded, and on that particular night was quite chaotic. After several rounds of evasive maneuvers to avoid patrons and employees coming and going, I had to flag down an employee just to try and check in.  After a brief check of the computer, we were told our table was not ready yet, and that he could not give a time estimate for when it might be.  Stellar.  This was not followed by a "Please allow me to bring you to our lounge where you can enjoy a cocktail while you wait," but rather a "I'll come find you when it's ready."  We pushed through a throng of folks also waiting for their tables to the chock-full bar and enjoyed 2 very nice cocktails (Vieux Carre for me, and a "Foreign Policy" for the wife).  I guess I was lucky in getting the sole bartender's attention early, because I heard 2 different groups loudly complaining that they had been waiting 15 minutes for their tab.

Happily, our table opened up in about 15 minutes, which wasn't so bad as we got some good "people watching" in while sipping our drinks.  Shockingly for a restaurant of this caliber, I was told my bar tab could not be transferred.  My wife graciously held our drinks (and her purse) as I flagged down the bartender and settled up.  The host stood by idly the entire time. No offer to carry the drinks to our table despite seeing the birthday lady trying to avoid being jostled while holding 2 drinks and a purse.  Stellar again.

Thankfully, once we got to our table, the service was absolutely impeccable.  The seafood tower for 1-3 was $80 (as opposed to earlier reports of $55), but was the most delicious thing we had...not to be missed.  The marinated octopus was a crowd favorite.  I had the oil poached halibut (though the fish was substituted with something else that I can't remember) with "Venetian spices" and kabocha squash espuma. Perhaps I should've put 2 and 2 together given the season, but I was not pleased to find that I essentially ordered the Pumpkin Spice Latte of seafood dishes.  The fish was perfectly cooked, but much too sweet for my tastes. Autumn is such a lovely time of year, but I wish the food industry didn't equate Fall with sweetly spiced dishes.  Anyway, as I said, my mistake in ordering.  My wife's pasta was nice, topped with a perfect red king prawn, though she and I both agreed that (apart from the prawn), the pasta and sauce were in the same league as Osteria Morini.  (That is not a knock at all, but there is a significant price differential between the two.)

Dessert was dessert (I'm not a sweets person), but my wife raved about the doughnuts.  She wisely asked the "Autumn Spice" gelato (ARGH!) be substituted out for vanilla.

So in the end: rough start ultimately offset by gracious service the rest of the evening.  Food was very good, but taken as a whole, I would not head back for a "special occasion."

If I'm going to throw down the gauntlet here, I suppose I should define places that I would refer to as "special occasion" worthy: Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernadin, Per Se (though that is more "special special occasion" worthy, and was more of a curiosity than anything else), Omakase at Sushi Taro, Komi, and Rogue 24.  We were treated well and made to feel comfortable from moment one at each of those places.

[hopsing]

Hmmm.  I was thinking of going their for my birthday in January since I saw in the Post Dining Guide they served sea bream (dorade).  I will now rethink my decision.

[Genevieve]

We're going for an occasion this weekend - had a lovely time there last year with very good service and food. Will report back.

[cocobinga]

I dined here late on a Sunday night recently and was treated like royalty. I was comped at least one dish and two glasses of wine. I would highly recommend the following dishes:

FIOLA MARE OYSTERS & CAVIAR - huge flavor in a champagne flute with an impossibly light prosecco froth adorning several briny oysters. The thin wafer with caviar was a pretty generous serving.

Annnnnnd I don't see anything else on the current menu that I had that night. The pasta dishes are always a standout especially anything with nduja in it. I had a truffled salmon tartare with matsutake mushrooms that was amazing as well.

[jm chen]

We've gone a few times for special occasions, and it is a knockout space with incredibly fresh seafood. I also find it breathtakingly expensive, and the service sometimes feels more condescending than welcoming. Other than the bar lunch special, which is an excellent deal, I'd honestly rather go to Blacksalt.

[Josh]

Hmmm. I was thinking of going their for my birthday in January since I saw in the Post Dining Guide they served sea bream (dorade). I will now rethink my decision.

I certainly wouldn't turn anyone away from the place! I just think I had the wrong impression of what sort of experience it was going to be.

I dined here late on a Sunday night recently and was treated like royalty. I was comped at least one dish and two glasses of wine. I would highly recommend the following dishes:

Goodness, I would've loved to have had one of our 1.5 bottles of wine for free...

[ScotteeM]

We have reservations at Fiola Mare for this Saturday at 5:30, after which I will write a report on that dinner and previous ones we've had there (we eat there about 10 times a year). But after reading JoshNE's comments carefully several times, I have concluded that he has some very legitimate concerns that deserve attention from management.  That entryway is a real bottleneck when things get busy, and I think that the hosts (there are usually 3-5 of them) could come up with a strategy to control it. Folks don't have the sense to move aside and let others pass, or to not block doorways, so they need polite direction to get out of the way. Maybe those who are waiting for tables could be guided or escorted to the back bar, which is usually less crowded than the one up front.  And certainly, I don't understand why a bar tab cannot be added to a table tab.

[JBag57]

I am sure that I am stating the obvious, but I have concluded, from the places I have been (but not Fiola Mare), that the non-availability of rolling over a bar tab to a table tab has to do with the establishment not figuring out a way to apportion tips between the pre-meal drink service and the meal service.  Like you guys, I feel they should figure this out, and not leave the problem in the hands of their patrons.

[The Hersch]

I dined here late on a Sunday night recently and was treated like royalty. I was comped at least one dish and two glasses of wine. I would highly recommend the following dishes:

FIOLA MARE OYSTERS & CAVIAR - huge flavor in a champagne flute with an impossibly light prosecco froth adorning several briny oysters. The thin wafer with caviar was a pretty generous serving.

Annnnnnd I don't see anything else on the current menu that I had that night. The pasta dishes are always a standout especially anything with nduja in it. I had a truffled salmon tartare with matsutake mushrooms that was amazing as well.

I had the oysters and caviar dish you mention, and though my party was hardly treated like royalty, the dish itself was the best thing I tasted there, and easily ranks as one of the best dishes I've had this year.

[B.A.R.]

 And certainly, I don't understand why a bar tab cannot be added to a table tab.

As someone who is  in the business, this is born of tunnel vision restaurant policy rather than practicality. A check can be transferred from server to server, even if they are working in different revenue centers (ie: BAR -> RESTAURANT). I hate this with a passion and should never occur at a restaurant of this caliber.

ETA - This may also be just one rogue bartender and not the policy of Fiola Mare as a whole.

[Josh]

As someone who is  in the business, this is born of tunnel vision restaurant policy rather than practicality. A check can be transferred from server to server, even if they are working in different revenue centers (ie: BAR -> RESTAURANT). I hate this with a passion and should never occur at a restaurant of this caliber.

ETA - This may also be just one rogue bartender and not the policy of Fiola Mare as a whole.

It was actually the host who refused the transfer. When he said the table was ready, we began to follow him and I asked the tab to be transferred.  He stopped and said we had to settle at the bar before going...

[DonRocks]

I find the list odd, especially for Todd.  He's always been a great advocated of ethnic and downscale, and deeply distrustful -- even disdainful -- of formality.  And suddenly Fiola Mare, a complete bastion of establishment eating is tops and Plume, which has historically been presented as underperforming in the kitchen and being a bit stiff on the floor is #6, (just a head of Bad Saint which is much more Klassic Kliman).  Speaking of establishment bastions, is it me, or did Bistro Bis kind of come out of nowhere?  And how about the return of the Inn at Little Washington?

Interesting that Fiola Mare and Casa Luca make the top 10, but Fiola is absent.

And, just to be cranky, I'd say that Little Serow and Central Michel Richard, both fine, seem vastly overrated to me based on recent experiences and Proof is more than a little tired.

This - above - is what puzzles me. I've eaten in the majority of the places in that list and my overwhelming sentiment after eating at Fiola Mara was - 'Why did I just spend that much money for that meal?'  Got off to a bad start when the sommelier tried to steer me to a $500 bottle on an ordinary Wednesday night.  Politely asked about a $70 bottle to steer her back.  She returned to a $450 bottle for her next recommendation. I inquired about another sub $100 bottle.  She came back immediately with a $600 bottle.  Sorry - that's not good service - that's running a racket.

Food was good, but not great.  At the end of the night, I shelled out as much for a meal there as at Le Bernadin.  I've never described anything at the latter as good, not great.  Ok - diatribe over - I'm one post closer to seeing Don's list.

zgast, am I reading this correctly?

1) You were offered a $500 bottle.

2) You asked about a $70 bottle to establish how much you wanted to spend.

3) You were directed to a $450 bottle.

4) You asked about a sub-$100 bottle to solidify how much you wanted to spend.

5) You were directed to a $600 bottle?

Can you give some more detail? This is as egregious of an upsell as anything I've heard about since I've been running this website. According to their website, Fiola Mare has fully four people who can wear the sommelier tastevin - was it one of these? Are there any other extenuating circumstances we should know about? This is something Fabio and Maria will probably want to know about, and I suspect it will get back to them, so as much detail as you can provide would be very useful to them.

Only once in my life have I been upsold on wine this ruthlessly (at Le Paradou, with their predatory sommelier Nicolas Rouet, and I have plenty of credible witnesses to back up my story on this one). I've always found that if you point to a wine at a certain price, that's an unwritten "code" to focus the conversation on wines at that price range, and no good sommelier would ever violate that protocol unless there was a reason for it. Is there anything else you can think of?

Fiola Mare's wine list is expensive as hell, but customers ordering bottles on a budget have numerous options in the sub-$60 range, and if Fiola Mare puts their seal of approval on these less-expensive wines by having them on their list, that should (by definition, and in theory) mean that they're decent bottles - yes, probably much more expensive than at the retail level, but still, screened by their wine professionals at least for drinkability if not quality.

FiolaMareWineList2016-Feb-17.pdf

[Ericandblueboy]

Once upon a time, Fiola Mare had the best brunch deal. 3 courses plus all you can drink brunch cocktails for $48. Now I see $48 only covers 3 courses, booze is sold separately.

[zgast]

 zgast, am I reading this correctly?

1) You were offered a $500 bottle.

2) You asked about a $70 bottle to establish how much you wanted to spend.

3) You were directed to a $450 bottle.

4) You asked about a sub-$100 bottle to solidify how much you wanted to spend.

5) You were directed to a $600 bottle?

Can you give some more detail? This is as egregious of an upsell as anything I've heard about since I've been running this website. According to their website, Fiola Mare has fully four people who can wear the sommelier tastevin - was it one of these? Are there any other extenuating circumstances we should know about? This is something Fabio and Maria will probably want to know about, and I suspect it will get back to them, so as much detail as you can provide would be very useful to them.

Only once in my life have I been upsold on wine this ruthlessly (at Le Paradou, with their predatory sommelier Nicolas Rouet, and I have plenty of credible witnesses to back up my story on this one). I've always found that if you point to a wine at a certain price, that's an unwritten "code" to focus the conversation on wines at that price range, and no good sommelier would ever violate that protocol unless there was a reason for it. Is there anything else you can think of?

Fiola Mare's wine list is expensive as hell, but customers ordering bottles on a budget have numerous options in the sub-$60 range, and if Fiola Mare puts their seal of approval on these less-expensive wines by having them on their list, that should (by definition, and in theory) mean that they're decent bottles - yes, probably much more expensive than at the retail level, but still, screened by their wine professionals at least for drinkability if not quality.

FiolaMareWineList2016-Feb-17.pdf

Yes - you got all those facts correct.  The sommelier was a woman, but beyond that I couldn't tell you much more - it was last year.  Unfortunately, my only witness was my wife.  We were just headed out for our weekly date night, which would make it a Wednesday.  I will say that the place was quite packed and most looked like expense account meals or big day celebrations.  Perhaps we were mistaken for one of those, but I truly felt like I was following standard protocol for signaling my price point.

[ScotteeM]

Zgast, I don't question the veracity of your description of your experience. It is certainly unfortunate and definitely off-putting.  This would have been a good time to get the name of the staff member who was doing this and comment to management--or better, ask for one of the managers to help you.

Did you say to the staff member who was taking your order that you wanted to spend up to $XX, or did you just point to a bottle and ask about it? Either way, there's a huge difference between $70 and $450.

My husband and I eat at Fiola Mare about 10 times per year, and we've never been upsold on wine. Not once. And we do not select expensive wines to drink there--we try to keep the price under $50-$60. I see that they have recently changed the wine list and the prices are higher than they used to be. That being said, this past Saturday, we ordered and were served a $35 bottle of wine. When we finished that asked for a second bottle, we were informed that they had no more of that wine, but could offer us one of the same style and price point, which we accepted. The wine they served us was $45. We don't consider that upselling.

[lotus125]

I'm a huge fan of Fiola Mare's food and beverage.  (Though I acknowledge that they occasionally fail.  The one time that I had to take an out-of-town foodie to dinner on a Monday, when most places are closed, I had my worst Fiola Mare meal).  But the place is extremely pricey and often tone deaf about that fact.

Egregious upselling is terrible wine service.  But what strikes me the most about this story is that even after zgast redirected the somm, she did it again!  Since I assume the wine list was open, and the price difference was obvious, the somm surely could not have been trying to pull one over.  It was just knuckleheaded, bad service.  At an early meal at Fiola (the original), I had a waiter take away the list and then upsell; much more annoying.  In some sense I'm more bothered when the somm drifts up by 30%; a bit hard to call it an error but leaves me wondering what the motive was.  The somm here drifted up 500%; that's almost funny.

  

I recently ordered a half-portion of a pasta at Fiola Mare that is $36 for a full portion.  When the check came, the half-order was $32.  I, and the waiter initially, assumed it was an error.  Half orders are marked up slightly, but not from $18 to $32.  The waiter returned and explained that the half order includes the full amount of langoustine that is normally served in the dish (only one langoustine--itself odd in an entrée), and it is therefore only $4 less.  This shows the tone problem.  Why allow a half order of that dish?  Why suggest so clearly that you value the rest of the dish at only around $8?  And once the customer (and waiter) flagged this as presumably a mistake, why not just write down the dish to $22 or $24 and know for next time?         

[zgast]

Zgast, I don't question the veracity of your description of your experience. It is certainly unfortunate and definitely off-putting.  This would have been a good time to get the name of the staff member who was doing this and comment to management--or better, ask for one of the managers to help you.

Did you say to the staff member who was taking your order that you wanted to spend up to $XX, or did you just point to a bottle and ask about it? Either way, there's a huge difference between $70 and $450.

My husband and I eat at Fiola Mare about 10 times per year, and we've never been upsold on wine. Not once. And we do not select expensive wines to drink there--we try to keep the price under $50-$60. I see that they have recently changed the wine list and the prices are higher than they used to be. That being said, this past Saturday, we ordered and were served a $35 bottle of wine. When we finished that asked for a second bottle, we were informed that they had no more of that wine, but could offer us one of the same style and price point, which we accepted. The wine they served us was $45. We don't consider that upselling.

I didn't say explicitly that I was only looking to spend $60-$80 on the wine. I've never had to do that - my understanding of the process is that the sommelier's responsibility is to read your cues on price - particularly when you are ordering for a table of guests.

I also don't want to seem like I'm here to bash Fiola Mare.  They made us a good meal with one glaring service error. Based on my experience, I probably would try other places again first as they're at a price point that isn't forgiving of errors, but that doesn't mean that Fiola Mare doesn't usually fire on all cylinders. It seems like others have had very good experiences there.

[genericeric]

7pm start times for shows at the Kennedy Center are convenient for getting home at a decent time on a weeknight, but less convenient for figuring out dinner.  I'm usually not in the mood for dinner at 5, so end up having a few cocktails prior and napping towards the end of the first act (and last night's show was nap-worthy, but that's off topic).

Fiola Mare met the requisite criteria for us last night (parking, location, open at 445, etc) so we wandered into the bar shortly before 5, not knowing they have a happy hour from 4-5:30.  Daily beer selection (Peroni last night) is $4, wines by the glass (one daily red and white) and select cocktails are $10, with 'nibbles' for $8.  We selected the happy hour cheese 'plate' which was a single selection of cheese but was a good portion, and then split an order of the lobster ravioli from the main menu (this is one of a selection of items available all day at the bar).  I'd not had this ravioli before, but splitting it was perfect - I have a pretty healthy appetite but not sure I could have taken an entire order of this on my own.  It was also a nice touch that they split this for us in the kitchen, which you don't often see when ordering from the bar.

Only quibble was that they didn't seem to crank up the a/c in the rest of the restaurant until they fully opened at 5.  I can see why, but with the glass ceiling and large windows in the bar area, it was very warm in there when we arrived.

Will definitely be adding this to the very short list for pre-theatre in the future.

[DonRocks]

3 hours ago, genericeric said:

7pm start times for shows at the Kennedy Center are convenient for getting home at a decent time on a weeknight, but less convenient for figuring out dinner.  I'm usually not in the mood for dinner at 5, so end up having a few cocktails prior and napping towards the end of the first act (and last night's show was nap-worthy, but that's off topic).

It isn't off-topic here.

[reedm]

On 2/23/2016 at 9:05 AM, Ericandblueboy said:

Once upon a time, Fiola Mare had the best brunch deal. 3 courses plus all you can drink brunch cocktails for $48. Now I see $48 only covers 3 courses, booze is sold separately.

We joined friends for brunch there yesterday, and the $45 brunch offer now includes one house cocktail/mocktail, a pastry basket, an antipasti, a main, and a dessert. We added tea and coffee following our meal, and the price for 6 (before tip) was about $330. Considering one could quite easily spend that amount on two people for dinner there, this must be one of the best values in the area.

The service, atmosphere, food, and drink were outstanding. I'll spare everyone a description of every dish, and I'll simply say the pasta dish I had featuring spaghetti, king crab, san marzano tomatoes, and controne chiles was one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had. Additionally, the bombolini were a huge hit, and there was not a drop left of the accompanying maple toffee sauce. 

We all left looking forward to a return visit.

[Ericandblueboy]

Venetian crudo - sounds fancy, but the kids almost threw up.  My fault for shoving raw seafood down their throats.

Shrimp Potacchio - Marche version of shrimp and grits, but the shrimps were perfectly cooked.  The kids gladly shoved these down their throats.

Rigatoni Carbonara - perfectly cooked pasta according to my 6 y.o. - she got that right. 

Sitting outside with a view of water and good food - can't ask for more in DC.  And the service was excellent.  Too bad I don't think they do reservation on Open Table anymore.  

[reedm]

10 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

Too bad I don't think they do reservation on Open Table anymore.  

They've switched to Reserve, but you can also call or email. FWIW, I've found that Fiola Mare and Fiola to be very responsive and accommodating when I I made reservations via email.

[Genevieve]

On 10/16/2016 at 9:02 AM, reedm said:

They've switched to Reserve, but you can also call or email. FWIW, I've found that Fiola Mare and Fiola to be very responsive and accommodating when I I made reservations via email.

What is Reserve? (It's hard to google a generic name like that.)  Thanks.

[Ericandblueboy]

1 hour ago, Genevieve said:

What is Reserve? (It's hard to google a generic name like that.)  Thanks.

It's on their website.  So you can make a reservation via their own website.

[Genevieve]

Oh! Thank you.

[reedm]

7 hours ago, Genevieve said:

What is Reserve? (It's hard to google a generic name like that.)  Thanks.

It's also a reservation system that offers a guaranteed reservation, but at a premium. I've never used that feature, and I don't imagine I ever will.

I recommend you email them--that may allow you to forego the need to hold a table with a credit card.

[Keithstg]

14 hours ago, reedm said:

It's also a reservation system that offers a guaranteed reservation, but at a premium. I've never used that feature, and I don't imagine I ever will.

I recommend you email them--that may allow you to forego the need to hold a table with a credit card.

Reserve gives you the option of paying a premium to secure a reservation, but it isn't required. I've used reserve in New York, Boston and Washington without paying a premium for any reservation. Did pay the meal through my card on file with reserve though. In that respect its not much different than OpenTable's pay service now.

[Bart]

What does "paying a premium" mean in dollars?

[reedm]

1 hour ago, Bart said:

What does "paying a premium" mean in dollars?

I had read restaurants could use a feature that would allow diners to "bid" for popular dates/times, but I'm not sure if it is being used here.  The linked article is several months old, but this quote is from Reserve's currently posted terms of service:

• Optional Bid. If a reservation you request is in high demand, you may be given the option to offer to pay the Restaurant a certain percentage (between 10% and 100%) over its standard menu prices in order to increase the chances of securing your requested reservation (an “Optional Bid”). If a Restaurant accepts your Optional Bid and confirms your reservation request, you agree to pay (through the Services) the percentage over the Restaurant’s standard menu prices that you selected as your Optional Bid at the end of your meal, which will be based on the subtotal amount of your bill at the Restaurant.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/why-your-next-hot-restaurant-reservation-may-come-with-a-price/2016/04/04/c7919d86-d5bb-11e5-9823-02b905009f99_story.html

[Keithstg]

45 minutes ago, reedm said:

I had read restaurants could use a feature that would allow diners to "bid" for popular dates/times, but I'm not sure if it is being used here.  The linked article is several months old, but this quote is from Reserve's currently posted terms of service:

• Optional Bid. If a reservation you request is in high demand, you may be given the option to offer to pay the Restaurant a certain percentage (between 10% and 100%) over its standard menu prices in order to increase the chances of securing your requested reservation (an “Optional Bid”). If a Restaurant accepts your Optional Bid and confirms your reservation request, you agree to pay (through the Services) the percentage over the Restaurant’s standard menu prices that you selected as your Optional Bid at the end of your meal, which will be based on the subtotal amount of your bill at the Restaurant.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/why-your-next-hot-restaurant-reservation-may-come-with-a-price/2016/04/04/c7919d86-d5bb-11e5-9823-02b905009f99_story.html

That is correct. There is a world of difference between having the option of paying a premium to obtain a reservation and needing to pay a premium for a reservation, however.

Having actually used the app in question I can confirm that there is no need to pay a premium. In fact, I was always a little fuzzy on how that would work. Currently you have the option of selecting a percentage above menu pricing that you are willing to pay.  What was unclear to me is how this works - just for food, or for wine as well? Who knows. Anyway, reserve operates as kind of a middle ground between open table and Resy. I'm a fan.

[Bart]

1 hour ago, reedm said:

Optional Bid. If a reservation you request is in high demand, you may be given the option to offer to pay the Restaurant a certain percentage (between 10% and 100%) over its standard menu prices in order to increase the chances of securing your requested reservation (an “Optional Bid”). If a Restaurant accepts your Optional Bid and confirms your reservation request, you agree to pay (through the Services) the percentage over the Restaurant’s standard menu prices that you selected as your Optional Bid at the end of your meal, which will be based on the subtotal amount of your bill at the Restaurant.

This really rubs me the wrong way on principle.  So for the privilege of eating here on a Saturday night, I only have to pay 100% more than the menu prices?!!?  I suppose I should feel lucky that they capped it at a 100% price increase, although I'm sure they'll bump it up to 200% or 300% for big events like the inauguration

[DonRocks]

1 hour ago, Keithstg said:

That is correct. There is a world of difference between having the option of paying a premium to obtain a reservation and needing to pay a premium for a reservation, however.

40 minutes ago, Bart said:

This really rubs me the wrong way on principle.  So for the privilege of eating here on a Saturday night, I only have to pay 100% more than the menu prices?!!?  I suppose I should feel lucky that they capped it at a 100% price increase, although I'm sure they'll bump it up to 200% or 300% for big events like the inauguration

Like it or not, unfortunately, this is capitalism at work, and is no different than someone getting a "Fast Pass" at Six Flags to avoid waiting in line for roller coasters, or using EZ-Pass to get on the Express Lanes, or paying triple the cost of coach to fly first class. 

These programs are met with criticism 100% of the time, and then the criticism dies down after awhile. I've never seen it not happen like this, and this appears to be no exception (at least for Part 1 of 2).

People with money will always be able to buy their way into luxury, and that's just the way things are around here. That's why wealthy people in particular *hate* the DMV/MVA - because you can't buy your way out of waiting in line! Or, at least, that's the way it used to be.