Vidalia or Al Dente - My Friends Are Treating Me To A Dinner At One Of Them

[weezy]

Friends are treating me to dinner out, my choice between Al Dente and Vidalia.  Both sound wonderful and I haven't been to either.  Would love to hear arguments for or against one or the other.  Thanks!

[DonRocks]

Friends are treating me to dinner out, my choice between Al Dente and Vidalia.  Both sound wonderful and I haven't been to either.  Would love to hear arguments for or against one or the other.  Thanks!

They're both so totally different, it all depends on what you're in the mood for.

Al Dente: Classic Italian, old school, homemade pasta, Roberto Donna possibly in the kitchen (he's helping out temporarily at Alba Osteria so be aware of this possibility), more simplicity in preps, warm service, less formal, diner can control the pricing, garage parking free with validation, refined but slightly more festive if you're with an outgoing crowd.

Vidalia: Southern American, old school with modern twists, good bread basket, Hamilton Johnson will be there, very complex - perhaps "busy" - preps, attentive formal service, expensive no matter what you do, reasonable valet parking, more of a restrained fine-dining atmosphere, a classic DC institution that has delivered at a high level for many years.

I've had wonderful things at both, and I've had decent things at both; I've had poor things at neither but I didn't love the pizza I had at Al Dente, surprisingly.

I can hear Joe H. extolling the praises of "Roberto's 4," but I don't think that's being asked for here - if it's an option, it will be the best bet, food-wise, but I suspect it won't apply to your group's needs.

You won't make a mistake either way, and the answer depends on your group, and what they're in the mood for - these are two very nice restaurants to choose from. Are there any other parameters from you, weezy, or any other opinions from our readers?

 

PS - Don't forget about Restaurant Week.

[Joe H]

At Alba you have the serious posibility of arranging a Laboratorio style menu with a half dozen or more of his dishes.  Either he or Amy will personal oversee everyone but at the end of the day, for a fraction of the cost, you can come very close to what Roberto introduced D. C. to at Galileo in his Lab.  That was my point above:  on at one level Alba can be a very good pizza parlor with its wood burning oven.  Alba, also has the rare capability of turning out a truly authentic dinner that you would find in Alba, which is Roberto's home town.  D. C. has never been exposed to a memu like this before but we tried a half dozen or more of their dishes and fell in love with them.  Adventurous, almost romantic to pursue them-but a real indulgence to sample a number of these which have not been available in the D. C. area before.

Some of these we found that neighbors at other tables would swoon over-what did we have?  Can we have that?  Is it on the menu?  Why You?  Cant we have it, too?  Serious, Can't we also have it?  Please?

We heard this three or four times with the finanziera sauced pasta, agnolotti, even the amazing chicken soup which flies under the radar yet is one of their legitiamate best dishes.  Any risotto that is available tomorrow; if there's none, ASK:  can you make a risotto tonight for us?  Gorgonzola dolce with toasted pitstachios?  Could we be so lucky, please?  Pretty please??

Finanziera sauced pasta, agnolotti, gorgonzola dolce risotto with toasted pistachios-Alba literally can deliver an authentic, first in America, Alba sourced meal from where Roberto grew up.  An area known for some of the finest Italian food on earth.