[Rhone1998]

Tonight was exactly two weeks to the day (according to the delightful hostess who seated us) since Bibiana's opening. If this is a restaurant that's still ironing out early kinks though, it really doesn't show it. Service was clicking, the food was--with two minor quibbles--excellent, and in general Bibiana feels like a place that's aiming high.

Service deserves a call out...the meal was well paced, and there was always someone around when we needed something. At one point we stopped another waiter on his way back to the kitchen, who graciously and knowledgeably walked us through the wine list. Two different managers came over to ask about our meal. Overall I really got a sense of genuine, shared enthusiasm for the new venture.

Highlights of our dinner included a wonderful little plate of saffron arancini, a creamy, earthy risotto encased in a perfect little crunchy shell. Great stuff. A squid ink spaghetti with blue crab was wonderful, each component intensely flavorful on its own but even better in combination. My entree of whole grilled branzino, filleted tableside and served with a lemon and dill sauce spooned on top, was fresh and well cooked and would really have been a winner if it had been served skin side up to preserve the skin's crispiness. That was minor quibble #1. When I mentioned this to one of the managers who had come over to ask how things were, they apologized and brought over a glass of wine on the house. Completely unnecessary, and I really don't think I gave the impression I was unhappy, but a nice touch. Earlier in the meal I was a bit unnerved by how quickly the grilled sardines came out of the kitchen...sure enough they were warm, but hardly seemed like they'd been grilled - no char, no crispy skin. Not sure what went on there...too bad, too, since they were really very tasty little fish. That was minor quibble #2. Desserts were delicious.

Overall we were really pleased with our first meal here, and I wouldn't be surprised at all, just given the energy and enthusiasm of the place, if it gets even better over time.

[DonRocks]

I'm not sure why Bibiana isn't getting more feedback relative to several other newly opened restaurants. I had a wonderful meal here last night, and Nick Stefanelli's considerable talents seem to be on full display right now.

I feel like I've "penalized" Tosca over the years by emphasizing what terrific values their half-orders of pastas are - often to the exclusion of their other wonderful dishes which happen to be fully priced. But I have to do the same with Bibiana, whose half-orders of pasta should entice everyone to come in here and order with reckless abandon.

Right now, the crowds are out in force, especially in the main dining areas, but the bar was wide open at 7:30 PM last night.

While looking through the main wine list, I was shaking my head at what I thought was a fatal flaw: virtually nothing by the bottle under $40, which would be enough to kill mid-week crowds here. However, I happened to miss page one, which lists a nice selection of value-priced wines offered by the glass, quartino, half-bottle, and full bottle, most of which are in the $30s, and some of which are in the $20s. If you want to drink here and not spend a lot of money, turn straight to this page.

One dish in particular I'd like to highlight is the most-expensive pasta dish on the menu: Spaghetti Al Nero Di Seppia ($10.50 for a half-order), black spaghetti with blue crab, in a classic aglio, olio e peperoncino sauce. The spaghetti itself glistens with pan-emulsified oilve oil and pasta starch, and the occasional peperoncino cuts through everything, keeping this rich dish light on its feet. The white lumps of crab provide a beautiful visual contrast to the black spaghetti, and this half-order is nearly enough for a full meal; I followed it with an appetizer, Trippa alla Parmigiana ($10), a hearty portion of slow-braised beef tripe, bathing in a rich tomato sauce, covered with Parmigiano-Reggiano, finished in a hot oven, and served in an untouchably hot vessel with grilled bread for dunking. As much as I liked this dish, I could not finish it, and took the second half to go.

I patted myself on the back for nailing the wine pairings: an Arneis with the spaghetti and crab, and a Primitivo with the baked tripe.

Bibiana has been very successful early on, and deservedly so. It's a tough reservation right now, but you won't regret having dinner at the bar. I suspect the bar may be crowded during happy hour, but if you wait until 7:30 or later, you should be fine.

Congratulations to Chef Nick Stefanelli, GM Christian Pendleton, Pastry Chef Douglas Hernandez, Wine Director Francesco Amodeo, and Owner Ashok Bajaj for their early success with Bibiana, which is shaping up to be one of the most important openings of 2009. Ashok, in particular, has been defying the recession, paying attention to all of his restaurants, hiring and retaining superior talent (Conte, Stefanelli, Sunderam, etc.), and providing jobs for people who otherwise might not have them. When I first saw his national-level James Beard nomination for "Restaurateur of the Year" a couple years ago, I was left scratching my head, but if you think about what he has done with his flagships (Bibiana, The Oval Room, Rasika), not to mention his controlled, steady renovations and upgrades of his other restaurants (Bombay Club, 701, Ardeo), all of which have a unique character as opposed to a "corporate sameness," I have to ask myself ... why NOT Ashok?

Cheers,
Rocks.

[The Hersch]

DonRocks, on 13 November 2009 - 12:39 PM, said:

I followed it with an appetizer, Trippa alla Parmigiana ($10), a hearty portion of slow-braised beef tripe, bathing in a rich tomato sauce, covered with Parmigiano-Reggiano, finished in a hot oven, and served in an untouchably hot vessel with grilled bread for dunking. As much as I liked this dish, I could not finish it, and took the second half to go.

This is listed as an antipasto on the menu at Bibiana's website. Your description makes it sound more like a secondo, which for ten dollars would be most people's idea of a bargain (given that it's good). Are other antipasti similarly hefty?

[DaRiv18]

I have enjoyed Bibiana several times and always sit at the bar. I have enjoyed the pastas and pizzas, the risotto and a grilled fish. Tom Street is one of my favorite bartenders in the city, he really has all the fundamentals down and puts out a distinctive cocktail list.

At the risk of sounding like a glutton, though, I don't find their portions particularly hefty. I've had the tripe several times, and it's wonderful (almost like a penne in a red sauce) but we're talking about a 5 or 7oz serving of tripe and sauce. The smoked gnocchi ($16) is also very nice, but a full order may be 10 or 11 ounces.

EDIT: The pizzas however ($10 -$15) are plenty.

This post has been edited by DaRiv18: 13 November 2009 - 01:32 PM

[DonRocks]

The Hersch, on 13 November 2009 - 12:52 PM, said:

This is listed as an antipasto on the menu at Bibiana's website. Your description makes it sound more like a secondo, which for ten dollars would be most people's idea of a bargain (given that it's good). Are other antipasti similarly hefty?

If you look at their menu, there's a Piatti Piccoli (small plates) section, then Antipasti, Le Salumi, Pasta, and onto the main courses. There are some pretty rich dishes listed under antipasti - cuttlefish stew, sweetbreads, egg pizza with fonduta and lardo - and this tripe dish is heavy by nature, especially when you start dunking the grilled bread into the sauce. The ramekin itself was medium-big but not huge (perhaps enough for two to share, clumsy as that may be sitting across from each other). The reason I took half of it home is because it was a rich dish, I had finished every single bite of my black spaghetti and crab, I wasn't that hungry when I walked into the restaurant, and I just didn't feel like being stuffed when I left. I guess to directly address your question: Tripe dishes tend to be relatively inexpensive (a decade ago, tripe was literally a throwaway item at many restaurants), so ten dollars can get you a pretty hearty portion. To nitpick, I actually thought the sauce could have been just a bit more zesty in order to cut through the melted cheese and the wonderfully decadent grilled bread.

Cheers,
Rocks.

DaRiv18, on 13 November 2009 - 01:04 PM, said:

I have enjoyed Bibiana several times and always sit at the bar. I have enjoyed the pastas and pizzas
...
EDIT: The pizzas however ($10 -$15) are plenty.

P.S. One of my biggest complaints about Luigino was their pizza oven, which was gas-burning, and resulted in fairly mediocre pizzas relative to the rest of their fine menu (Luigino was a very underrated restaurant). The transformation into Bibiana is so extensive that the space is almost unrecognizable, but the pizza oven itself looks similar to the old one, and I wonder if it was unable to be upgraded because of architectural constraints, building codes, etc. Does anyone know?

[dcandohio]

DaRiv18, on 13 November 2009 - 01:04 PM, said:

I have enjoyed Bibiana several times and always sit at the bar. I have enjoyed the pastas and pizzas, the risotto and a grilled fish. Tom Street is one of my favorite bartenders in the city, he really has all the fundamentals down and puts out a distinctive cocktail list.

At the risk of sounding like a glutton, though, I don't find their portions particularly hefty. I've had the tripe several times, and it's wonderful (almost like a penne in a red sauce) but we're talking about a 5 or 7oz serving of tripe and sauce. The smoked gnocchi ($16) is also very nice, but a full order may be 10 or 11 ounces.

I thought the portion size of the smoked gnocci was small, and my perception was exacerbated by the mammoth size of the white bowl in which it was served. The size of the bowl accentuated the petite nature of the serving. After I had a few bites, though, I was pretty bored with the dish. I wouldn't have wanted more. I also think my serving wasn't properly cooked - the outer part of the gnocci was kind of tough, while the inside part was kind of flabby. I'm not a gnocchi expert, so perhaps they were perfect and I'm a dunce. But while I had the highest of hopes for Bibiana, and it is oh so close to SO's place of work, I don't think I'll rush back.

[Lola007]

dcandohio, on 13 November 2009 - 02:09 PM, said:

I thought the portion size of the smoked gnocci was small, and my perception was exacerbated by the mammoth size of the white bowl in which it was served. The size of the bowl accentuated the petite nature of the serving. After I had a few bites, though, I was pretty bored with the dish. I wouldn't have wanted more. I also think my serving wasn't properly cooked - the outer part of the gnocci was kind of tough, while the inside part was kind of flabby. I'm not a gnocchi expert, so perhaps they were perfect and I'm a dunce. But while I had the highest of hopes for Bibiana, and it is oh so close to SO's place of work, I don't think I'll rush back.

As a gnocchi lover, I appreciate this information. It certainly sounds like the gnocchi weren't made very well. They should be light, but not mushy. Certainly not tough. If I go to Bibiana (and so far, the majority of recent reviews and expceriences I've heard about from friends aren't all that positive), I won't be getting the gnocchi. Btw, IMHO and in the opinions of a couple of Italian friends who are accomplished cooks, Al Tiramisu has the best gnocchi in the city. I will say that the service there can be lacking at times, but the gnocchi has consistently been excellent.

[DaRiv18]

DonRocks, on 13 November 2009 - 12:39 PM, said:

Spaghetti Al Nero Di Seppia ($10.50 for a half-order), black spaghetti with blue crab, in a classic aglio, olio e peperoncino sauce. The spaghetti itself glistens with pan-emulsified oilve oil and pasta starch, and the occasional peperoncino cuts through everything, keeping this rich dish light on its feet. . . I followed it with an appetizer, Trippa alla Parmigiana ($10), a hearty portion of slow-braised beef tripe, bathing in a rich tomato sauce, covered with Parmigiano-Reggiano,

DonRocks, on 13 November 2009 - 01:19 PM, said:

The reason I took half of it home is because it was a rich dish, I had finished every single bite of my black spaghetti and crab

Just had lunch there and ordered the black spaghetti. Oh my! No wonder you couldn't finish the tripe. I'd find Corn Chex to be hefty if it had to follow this dish. Rich and "light on its feet" is spot on.

DonRocks, on 13 November 2009 - 01:19 PM, said:

The transformation into Bibiana is so extensive that the space is almost unrecognizable, but the pizza oven itself looks similar to the old one, and I wonder if it was unable to be upgraded because of architectural constraints, building codes, etc. Does anyone know?

I was told 1) it is a new oven and 2) it is a very expensive new oven.

Lola007, thanks for the Al Tiramisu tip, I'll have to try their gnocchi. I did try Proof's lunch crush gnocchi ($12, including a glass of white wine!) and that was killer. Oyster mushrooms, grilled green onions, green beans in a nice sauce. I liked Bibiana's gnocchi but I am no guru.

[jparrott]

I'll echo Don's sentiment about the wine program. Bibiana is one of the very few restaurants where the by-the-glass offerings are more interesting to me than the vast majority of the bottle-only selections.

[jparrott]

Who knew anchovies and garlic were flammable? "Ignite" rears its ugly head again. But a good review, and one that matches my experiences.

[NolaCaine]

I've lunched at Bibiana twice with Tuesday being the second time.

First time was a couple of weeks ago and I had the chestnut soup (rich, really rich, good, didn't finish) followed by the lamb (generous) and 3 flavors of gelati to end. I thought it was good, but not great. I think it was fine, but maybe not for the price-tag.

Second time changed my mind. I started with a very interesting sorrel and arugula salad. I won't order it again but that's because the bitter parts were too bitter for me but I understand how the contrast could be quite likable. Also, the dressing was perfect in terms of amount and flavor.

I ordered the crab and pasta and as others have attested, it is perfect. I didn't finish the huge pasta pile, but did fish out every sliver of crab. Where did that crab come from? I would guess that it was from the Gulf. Perfect, yummy, and I wanted more. My dining companions both had other dishes, finished way before me, and seemed hungry after. So maybe the serving sizes are fine for us small-people but the larger people might not feel satisfied. (they did have starters).

I had the chocolate mouse to finish. PERFECT. Heaven. OMG, I want it now, but with port. It looked so rich yet was light.

A note on service. The service here is still perfect.
A note on atmosphere: quite enough to talk during lunch. One of the people I dine with regularly doesn't hear well so I am particularly sensitive to this point.

I will be back.

[Sthitch]

NolaCaine, on 17 December 2009 - 02:08 PM, said:

I ordered the crab and pasta and as others have attested, it is perfect. I didn't finish the huge pasta pile, but did fish out every sliver of crab. Where did that crab come from? I would guess that it was from the Gulf. Perfect, yummy, and I wanted more.

I went a few weeks ago, and have to disagree with the assessment of the crab spaghetti, there was not much about this dish that I cared for (granted it very well could have been an off version of the dish). I found that the pasta lacked much in the way of texture, just too light without a hint of chew. Also the crab was visible to the eye, but absent on the palette (I had a similar issue with the salt cod). I did enjoy the tripe, but found that the Parmesan took on a less than pleasing gamey flavor. For me the brightest light of that dinner was the appearance of lardo on a menu in DC, and was delighted by the flavor and texture.

[DPop]

I'm going to second what Sthitch said about the crab spaghetti. My wife and I found it lacking in flavor and overpriced. Copious amounts of chili peppers were added (by her) to give the dish some life, but ultimately it is definitely not something we would order again.

I'm not in agreement with a lot of the praise being heaped onto this restaurant right now, as everything we had outside of the service (which was excellent) was between 'mediocre' and 'good'. I'll have to make a return trip to see if it was an off night.

[NolaCaine]

DPop, on 18 December 2009 - 10:59 AM, said:

I'm going to second what Sthitch said about the crab spaghetti. My wife and I found it lacking in flavor and overpriced. Copious amounts of chili peppers were added (by her) to give the dish some life, but ultimately it is definitely not something we would order again.

I'm not in agreement with a lot of the praise being heaped onto this restaurant right now, as everything we had outside of the service (which was excellent) was between 'mediocre' and 'good'. I'll have to make a return trip to see if it was an off night.

Hum...I really liked the crab. I'm from Louisiana and Gulf seafood has a flavor, a sweetness, that I don't often encounter here. I found the flavor of the pasta delicate, to be sure, which complemented the crab nicely. Maybe it wasn't from the gulf, but it was very sweet and nice.

As for the praise, truth to tell, I would rather go to Tosca.

[Sthitch]

NolaCaine, on 18 December 2009 - 03:06 PM, said:

Hum...I really liked the crab. I'm from Louisiana and Gulf seafood has a flavor, a sweetness, that I don't often encounter here. I found the flavor of the pasta delicate, to be sure, which complemented the crab nicely.

It could be that they do not have a consistent source for their crab, my dish had nothing, no sweetness, no flavor. The main issue I had with the pasta is that the texture was too delicate, I generally find this to be an issue with fresh extruded pasta as opposed to high quality dried pasta that has been worked enough to develop sufficient gluten and extruded through bronze dies to give it some surface texture.

[ema]

I liked my squid ink pasta. The texture was more like ramen than anything else and the crab meat was good quality. Perhaps it was just inconsistency that made some bland. I had a small bite of agnolotti, it was tender and buttery with a nice lemony flavor that cuts through the rich sauce. I liked two of the three salumi (speck and sopressata), and didn't like the oyster one bit. It was served room temperature with an all too sour lemon sauce that completely covered up the natural briny goodness of fresh oysters. The 2 person tables were way too small for comfort. Its only about as wide as most people's shoulder and if you order one of the chauterie board, then you will barely have room for appetizer plates.

[Tweaked]

A Restaurant Week success for lunch. The menu had around 7 options per course for entree and main and 4 or 5 desserts. Very minimal upcharges on only a couple dishes.

we started with

Sheeps milk ricotta agnolotti with lemon, marjoram and spinach. Pillowly soft pasta, rich with a bite of lemon.
Veal Meatball, with polenta...fantastic. I would highly recommend this dish.

Entree
Skate with a bean ragu and herb salad...didn't get around to having a bite but looked and reported as good.
Bucatini with guanciale, red onion, red chili, pecorino for a very spare plate of pasta had a lot of flavor, perfectly cooked pasta...I enjoyed.

Dessert was a mixed bag
I liked the lemon curd tart (very rich hit you over the head, but I like that kind of thing)
The salty caramel gelato was not very exciting.

The dining room to the left of the bar is kind of drabe, the room to the right definitely more dressed up.

For $20 definitely a good deal.

[dcs]

Sthitch, on 17 December 2009 - 04:09 PM, said:

I went a few weeks ago, and have to disagree with the assessment of the crab spaghetti, there was not much about this dish that I cared for (granted it very well could have been an off version of the dish). I found that the pasta lacked much in the way of texture, just too light without a hint of chew. Also the crab was visible to the eye, but absent on the palette (I had a similar issue with the salt cod).

I had a half order as an appetizer for lunch this week. I liked the dish, but agree that the crab was somewhat overpowered by the oil, garlic, and peperoncino sauce, which was quite good and had a subtle heat that lingered well on my taste buds even after I had eaten every bite. It did, however, shift the focus of the plate away from the crab. I followed it with the Razza - a plancha seared skate served on a bed of borlotti and cannellini bean ragu. The beans were perfectly cooked and the thin skate was crispy and flavorful on the outside yet still moist on the inside. This was a dish that could have been easily overcooked, so I appreciated the effort that went into it.

[Waitman]

First, I'm still a little pissed that they give their address as 1100 New York Avenue (the old Greyhound station) when they are in fact in a completely different building that was stapled to the Greyhound station and face H Street.

But, the food was pretty good. Sometimes great. The service was very wonderful. And I quite liked the wine, though the only Italian white wine names I can remember is Pinot Grigio (their sommeliere hates it too) and Gavi, and this wasn't either of those, so I won't comment. The Montepulciano d'Abruzzo was perfect.

Highlights were spectacularly fresh oysters, wonderful grilled sardines and veal meatballs on polenta. Bacalao (or, however the spell it in Italy) was meh, but salt cod always makes me happy. I was almost so annoyed by the menu terming the rabbit dish a "study" that I didn't order it but, like salt cod, there's not enough bunny in my life and what I got was resting in a pool of polenta -- eensy little ribs, a somewhat dry -- as rabbit breast will be -- bit of breast, loin wrapped in a little fat and, my favorite, bunny scrapple -- innards ground, formed, coated with crumbs and fried up crisp. A lovely little nosh.

All in all, a fine little meal, at an unridiculous -- though not cheap -- price.

I vote yes.

[Sthitch]

Waitman, on 10 May 2010 - 07:36 PM, said:

I was almost so annoyed by the menu terming the rabbit dish a "study" ...

I actually miss the concept of the tasting menu as a study, it seemed a lot more creative than all of the crap that is being passed off as fine dining these days. At a long since closed restaurant in San Francisco's Financial District I enjoyed "A Study in Stilton" that still ranks amongst the best and most innovative meals I have ever had, in each dish the cheese played enough of a role that it was never lost, and showed a new component and flavor with each course (Bouley's "Fall Apple Tasting Menu" was another perfect example).

[goodeats]

Waitman, on 10 May 2010 - 07:36 PM, said:

First, I'm still a little pissed that they give their address as 1100 New York Avenue (the old Greyhound station) when they are in fact in a completely different building that was stapled to the Greyhound station and face H Street.

Actually, it's the same building. I think something with the zoning or historical landmark had them keep the front art deco part and the newer high-rise was permitted to be built behind it. So all the restaurants in that separate building is part of "1100 New York Avenue."

I never posted about my lunch, but the service was nice and the food was great is the super-short summary of it. There is a little side room to accommodate parties, but our table of 7 to the side was really nice too. Decor reminds me of The Oval Room interior -- I really want one of those metallic chandeliers, though.

[Ericandblueboy]

The chicken liver was quite nice but the burnt toast kind of ruined this dish. The oysters crudo didn't do much for me, I couldn't taste the lemon emulsion so it tasted like I was just downing raw oysters with no accompaniment. What was good tonight was the squid ink pasta with crab meat. The crab meat was chunky and fresh, the pasta was firm, and the touch of spiciness made me wish I had double portions. (I almost didn't order this because the first time I had it the pasta was bland and overcooked).

[Rhone1998]

A quick, early dinner (and last-minute reservation) last night before a movie at E-Street Cinema. The seared soft-shell crab is unbreaded, and adorned by an artichoke puree that didn't add much to the dish, and a spicy saffron sauce that was a much more welcome accompaniment. The crab was very fresh and tasty, but the preparation didn't provide much crispiness. I had two half-portions of pasta for an entree, the rigatoni with cauliflower, raisins, and pine nuts (fantastic, the cauliflower achieving a rich caramelization and playing perfectly against the sweet raisins and the toasted pine nuts) and my standby, the black spaghetti with crab. The portion of spaghetti was served inedibly salty, but was quickly replaced. No time for dessert.

[Lydia R]

This week, the New York Times posted a quick review by Erica Cerulo.

New York Times, on 25 June 2010, said:

The kitchen, run by Nicholas Stefanelli, a 29-year-old chef who honed his skills at the local establishments Laboratorio del Galileo and the now-defunct Maestro, turns out temptingly original starchy concoctions, like an earthy smoked potato gnocchi with goat ragù and a surprisingly rich squid-ink spaghetti that features Maryland blue crabs when they are in season.
<snip>
Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca, 1100 New York Avenue (entrance on 12th and H Streets); (202) 216-9550; bibianadc.com. Dinner for two, without drinks or tip, is about $80.

[The Hersch]

Isn't Laboratorio del Galileo just as defunct as Maestro?

[thetrain]

Impulsively went to Bibiana over Proof for lunch and was very glad I did. The Bucatini pasta was delicious and perfectly cooked, although not as spicy as one might think a dish with red chili would be. Greco wine hit the spot on a hot day. The Lunch deal is a fantastic value - Wine, Bread Service, Pasta, Gelato for $15.