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Da Domenico, White Tablecloth Italian - The Ramella Family in Tysons Corner Since 1980


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JoeH is right about da Domenico at Tysons.  IMHO, they serve the best veal chop in the metro area.

I'm a touch partial to their Osso Bucco as the veal chop seems to be getting a bit fatty lately. Had dinner there in November and the Osso Bucco was just like my mom would make if she were Italian... smile.gif

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I like Da Domenico. I think this is an excellent example of a number of very good restaurants that rarely, if ever, receive mention on this or other boards. At its best their veal chop is the equal of any in Northern VA but there is a lot more to recommend this restaurant which seems to have been around forever. Zefferelli, in Herndon and now Leesburg, was started by an alumnus (not sure of his exact position) of Da Domenico with a similar veal chop. Bonaroti which feels for all the world like North Jersey Italian with Tony Soprano having a regular table (serious-it really has that "feeling")) is a bit better than either in my opinion. Does this mean it's REALLY good? Well, no-if it were in, say, Hoboken or Newark it would be just another Soprano's kind of place. But for Vienna, it stands out just as Da Domenico does in Tysons. I would also note that Da Domenico has survived the opening of Maggiano's and Bonaroti similarly long ago survived the opening of That's Amore, neither of which are on any list.

Back in the early '70's I went to the first of the "Pines restaurants," the Pines of Rome on Montgomery Lane in Bethesda. At the time it was outstanding for basic Southern Italian at a cheap price-great shrimp parmigiana! Over time it gave rise to more "Pines of..." and also inspired similar restaurants (without the Pines name) in Montgomery county. Some of these are still around. Many are well worth a visit and should not be discounted. I'm putting Da Domenico in this class, i.e. a restaurant that in its time was among the city's best for what it did. Today it is still very good. No, it is not Maestro, the Lab, Tosca or Obelisk but it is not priced like any of them either. (And, yes, I realize that the Pines of Rome is very different from Da Domenico but I am only using it to note a restaurant that is very good for what it does and has survived to today.) I also wonder if there is or was a relationship between Bonaroti and Da Domenico?

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A restaurant from another era. My boss took me to Da Domenico the other day. I liked it.

He's been going there for years, probably a decade. Da Domenico's staff greeted him, upon spotting him with another semi-young chickie (aka me), with a grin and a wink. In any other establishment I might have been annoyed, but here I winked back.

I stuffed myself with their tasty bread and olive oil (it was a late lunch), mostly passed on the old school salad and then gorged on chicken parm with linguini. Enjoyable, old school food. Large portions at very reasonable prices.

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"DAAAAAAAA domenico!" We finally went last night. I was really surprised on how good it was. Yes it has the most cheesy advertising but the food was really solid. We may have been the only people there not celebrating a birthday or anniversary. It was a hilarious time. The staff seemed to be having as much fun as we were. It was very unpretentious. The clientele was about as colorful as the restaurant. Every patron there seemed to be of Italian descent straight from New Jersey. Previous posters did a fantastic job describing Da Domenico.

We went with the fettucine bolognese and the veal chop. The chop was good but we plan on going back for the veal bolognese. It was hearty, rich and exactly the comfort food we were craving. Good balance in the dish. I was glad to be sharing the dishes since I wouldn't have been able to finish the bowl on my own. We had hoped to try a dessert but it was more filling than expected. I look forward to another trip to try the lasagna and maybe make it to the desert menu or it least a coffee.

Today I walk around singing "DAAAAAAAA domenico!"

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"DAAAAAAAA domenico!" We finally went last night. I was really surprised on how good it was. Yes it has the most cheesy advertising but the food was really solid. We may have been the only people there not celebrating a birthday or anniversary. It was a hilarious time. The staff seemed to be having as much fun as we were. It was very unpretentious. The clientele was about as colorful as the restaurant. Every patron there seemed to be of Italian descent straight from New Jersey. Previous posters did a fantastic job describing Da Domenico.

We went with the fettucine bolognese and the veal chop. The chop was good but we plan on going back for the veal bolognese. It was hearty, rich and exactly the comfort food we were craving. Good balance in the dish. I was glad to be sharing the dishes since I wouldn't have been able to finish the bowl on my own. We had hoped to try a dessert but it was more filling than expected. I look forward to another trip to try the lasagna and maybe make it to the desert menu or it least a coffee.

Today I walk around singing "DAAAAAAAA domenico!"

Ah c'mon, people! Da Domenico was a great place for Italian cuisine over the past decade or so, very popular with the expense accounts of the IT industry. The veal chop was absolutely superb -- true man-food. But it merged with Zeffirelli's of Herndon a few years ago, and the chef went to Herndon. The veal chop and osso bucco at Zeffirelli's are to-die-for good. I ate the marrow out of the osso bucco and went to heaven.

Da Domenico's is still pretty good, but Zeffirelli's is its big brother now.

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Claudia and I were there on Friday night. The mussels were superb with a broth that provided a use for the baget, a special crab and avocado salad was really bad, the crab was not fresh, the "sauce" sweet and not well paired with the crab and the avacado was very small, the side lettuce had no dressing and was not very fresh, the eggplant parma was to die for and I would go back just for this dish, but the spicy seafood stew with tomato sauce was overcooked, not very spicy and pretty disappointing.

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Claudia and I were there on Friday night. The mussels were superb with a broth that provided a use for the baget, a special crab and avocado salad was really bad, the crab was not fresh, the "sauce" sweet and not well paired with the crab and the avacado was very small, the side lettuce had no dressing and was not very fresh, the eggplant parma was to die for and I would go back just for this dish, but the spicy seafood stew with tomato sauce was overcooked, not very spicy and pretty disappointing.

Sounds like they tried to do a cioppino, which is heavenly in San Francisco. There are ways to not screw it up. Remember, this place is a shadow of its former self, which was very good 10-20 years ago. Zeffirelli's in Herndon bought Da Domenico's a few years ago, and the chef from Da Domenico's now works at the Herndon flagship. I'll still do Da Domenico's when I'm in Tysons and need nice atmosphere and quality pasta, plus the occasional surprise like the eggplant parmesan.

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I was there not long ago.  veal chops still good...but my god... a leak in the roof.  that's ridiculous.

I used to go there periodically 15, 20 years ago.  A strong contender for wonderful veal chops....still doing a good job.

but FIX THE ROOF!!!!

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I really enoyed reading back through this thread.  Bonaroti, Zefferilli, Da Domenico:  all very good retaurants that receive little or no mention on here.  A shame.  We have really enjoyed them over the years.

A salute to veal chops and North Jersey Italian.  They are all still open and well worth a visit.

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I just hope they've hardened the metro tunnel that'll more or less be going right underneath the restaurant.  A mini earthquake every time it rolls through would certainly not be a good dining experience.

That statement startled me.  I don't believe that sites along Metro suffer from this at all.   Then I went to volumes of reviews for Da Dominico or the Clydes of Reston and scanned them.  There were no references to the sense of a mini earthquake from any review.  There are metro's running under buildings all over the region and especially downtown.  I don't believe there is an issue.

But in that search I saw the following reference for new high rise development on the Clyde's Tysons site and some nearby smaller properties.  Up to 2 million square feet of development and up to 36 stories high!!!!!    Zounds!!   This was just approved this past Autumn by Fairfax County.

Here is my little "connection" to that story.  Back around 2000 I left the commercial real estate business and didn't know how I was going to spend time.  I was recruited by a civil engineering group that was working on the Environmental Impact Analysis for the proposed metro extension to Tysons, Reston, National Airport, and beyond....and also worked on similar analyses for other proposed transit projects.

Part of the approval process hinged on the proposed volumes of ridership for these projects.  That in turn relied on traffic estimates based on density of development around the sites.  That is where I came in.   I was part of a group with planners from Fairfax County.  We looked at every parcel of ground in the proposed stops and estimated future development.   Then that information went to the transportation planners that used a formula to estimate ridership.  A lot of number crunching and usage of advanced tested formulas for estimating transit ridership.

Its all estimates.  Who knows how it will play out.    From my recollection though, when we looked at the Clydes' site and others near it we never assumed that much development density and heights of buildings.

Of course if and when this gets built is anyone's guess.  It depends on market conditions, financing, etc etc etc.  It could take decades.  The Clydes site is very close to one of the metro stops though, so it might get into the ground sooner than others that will change the skyline of Tysons, and probably take an already miserable traffic experience and make it far worse.

I don't know if Da Dominico is part of this proposed development or not...or will be part of some other planned super structure....but I doubt it will feel the effects of metro's rumbling underneath and nearby.

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My 'concern' is that the line between the Tyson's Corner/Galleria station passes directly (or almost directly) underneath the restaurant.  I doubt it'll be going very fast in that underground stretch, but any time you hollow out a space under or near an existing structure then run a 6-8 car train through it, with each car weighing roughly 80-90,000lbs...you're going to get some vibration.  I'm not an engineer, though.

But yes, in five years' time, Tyson's will be a city unto itself.  And I think they're trying to do too much with the Silver Line.  It's a *branch* line that terminates at West Falls Church, and potentially will 'serve' up to a half a million people.

Looking at this, it seems they purposefully 'bowed out' around the cluster of hotels, but I doubt that was out of concern for the businesses and *more* out of concern for the sort-of-but-not-really abandoned Site R relay station/tower.

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An outtanding website that someone has done a great deal of research and work to support: http://thetysonscorner.com/

FWIW:  Capitol One, as I type this, is going for Fairfax County approval for a 450' tall building (40 or so stories).  Another building in Tyson has been proposed for 45 floors.  A thirty story apartment building (next to the 22 story Tysons Tower) is under construction.  Across the street cranes are now up for a 27 story apartment building immediately adjacent to Lerner's 18 story office building which  now has a crane being erected for it.  A webcam for it:  http://oxblue.com/open/1775TysonsBoulevard and a webcam for Tysons Tower and the adjacent 30 story apartment building:  http://www.tysonstower.com/construction-camera/

Tysons already has more office space than downtown Baltimore or Richmond.  In a few years it will have more than both combined.

And, by the way, a 425' tall building may be built where Clyde's is today.

Joe:  that top website is very interesting.  The proposed height of buildings at what is called the greensboro station are truly stunning.  From my time working at this project and in conjunction with Fairfax County Planners, I don't recall that level of density, heights, etc.  That is extraordinarily urban!!!!

As much as all this is planned or approved who knows how long it could take for development.  Development over the very long term is very jagged.  It occurs in fits and stops.

Tysons has a lot of office space.  It has more office space than most known cities.  Its spread over a lot of acres though and a sizable amount is low rise.

But to bring it all back to Da Dominico and Clydes....I don't know if Da Dominico is part of the proposed Clydes site or not...but if not...its owners probably have a high rise in mind also.

One last old real estate reference.   In the early 80's I sold land across from Mazza Gallerie for development.  The Clydes team owned one of the parcels.  In retrospect it was fascinating to speak with them.  They had these parcels of land in various areas around the region.  It was way before they had restaurants in those areas.  Their partnership had the foresight and money to get involved in areas where they ultimately placed some restaurants.   Our clients built one of those projects but they didn't buy the small Clydes parcel.  It was too pricey.   ;)

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Da Dominico closed earlier this year, RIP, their sister restaurant in Herndon is still opened. While they say they might reopen at a new location, I would close this thread.

To our amazing friends and guests,After 39 great years we have come to the end of our lease at 1992 Chain Bridge Road. Given the pandemic and it's implications on our restaurant we are unfortunately unable to remain open at this time. We want to thank you so much for all of your patronage and support. It has been a pleasure serving you! We are in the process of seeking a fresh new location and hope to open again soon when the climate is more stable.

 

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.


WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL COME SEE US IN HERNDON AT OUR SISTER RESTAURANT, ZEFFIRELLI!

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