catharine Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Dinner last night at Orso was in a word: Outstanding. We hadn't been here since the DR.com dinner here years ago and hadn't set out to go here last night. But when our intended destination turned out to be closed, I convinced the husband to indulge me (his very pregnant wife) by reminding him that Chef Will was now at the helm. Needless to say, no convincing will be necessary in the future, as every bite of the many dishes we tasted were truly fabulous. I know we will become regulars. We tried many of the small plates and can't really pick a favorite. We started with the calamari, which was as good as any calamari I've ever tried. It came with a basil aioli that was terrific. Definitely order this if you are a calamari fan. Another favorite was the BLT gnocchi, which was absolutely delicious. Chef Will shared that it had gotten a bad review from the Washingtonian when he served it at Evening Star and I just don't get it. I guess that's why I am not a critic - it was one of the best dishes of the night and I will have a hard time not ordering it next time I'm there. The gnocchi were light and fluffy and the sauce was the ideal creamy/smoky flavor to match. We tasted the mussels in a blue cheese broth (very good) with the wonderful house-made sourdough bread, as well as the grilled watermelon salad which was very surprising in how the flavors melded together. The grilled onion/watermelon combination was something I'd never had before but find myself craving as I type this. Then we tried Sophie's meatballs, which I think will be another "must order" for us on every future trip. I loved everything about this dish - the flavorful meatballs, the beautifully creamy polenta, the sauce. It was amazing! Next we tried the aforementioned scallop, Wow! It is as good as others have said. Pricey, yes. But worth it, in my opinion. Believe it or not, after all of this, we still had room left for pizza and so we got two: the Margherita DOC and a special that wasn't on the menu (the Toscana?) which a previous reviewer mentioned that had salami, green olives and Fresno peppers. Now, I am a huge Pupatella fan. Chef Will and I discussed the difference between his pizzas and theirs and explained that he uses a sourdough-based crust, whereas Pupatella uses a yeast-based crust. I definitely tasted the difference. I also noticed a difference between the sauces and cheese. Honestly, I can't say I like one more than the other - and I also feel that by this point in the meal I was a bit too full to assess the pizza fairly anyhow. I will say that it was excellent and that I look forward to trying it again. About the pizza with the salami and olives...my husband pretty much eats anything, but he is a self-professed olive hater. However, he had told the chef to pick a pizza for him and that he liked meat on his pizza. So I was a little worried when it came out with olives all over it. Well, wouldn't you know that he loved it. The olives aren't like your typical green olives. They were sliced into very thin slivers and were firm and juicy. We both really enjoyed it. Finally, for dessert we tried the whipped nutella-topped donuts. Oh my goodness. I've never tasted anything like that before but I hope to have it again very soon. The donut was not greasy at all. Just light and airy, just like the topping. It is right up there with my favorite restaurant desserts. We also tried the cannoli, but at this point I was probably too full to appreciate it. It was filled with a pistachio cream (I think) which is not what I think of when I think of cannoli. While it wasn't my favorite, I think I might need to give it another chance. I'm really excited to have such a gem so close to home, especially since Orso appears to be kid-friendly. That will be a big factor for us in just a few weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agm Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Last night's pizza special: the Notorious F.I.G. Figs, blue cheese, and slices of speck so thin you can read through it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cook&Bottlewasher Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Absolutely delicious dinner tonight at Pizzaria Orso. I had been trying to get there since Will Artley left Evening Star. Definitley following Will here! The small plates featuring fresh raviolis we amazing but I could watch the wood burning oven all night.It took 90 minutes to cook the pizzas from begining to end at 900 degrees. They were so blistery and thin I really did feel I could taste them with my eyes.It was exactly as I remember in Naples. It seemed to be loaded with kids considering how sophisticated the food was but they were well behaved after they received a ball of pizza dough from staff.Shut them right up! More about this as I taste the rest of the menu in the weeks to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrXmus Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 .It took 90 minutes to cook the pizzas from begining to end at 900 degrees. Mine took significantly less time last week...and the week before that. Orso 2.0 (3.0?) is fantastic. It's piling on, but most dishes are fantastic. A friend's daughter got a white pizza (I forgot the name) which was too heavy (for her) on the sliced garlic and there was dissention around our table on whether the gnocchi were too soft. The majority of us said they were great, but others preferred a denser, more rustic version. Otherwise, we haven't hit a clunker. We were even lucky enough to shoot the shit with Will as we left through the garage last week. Nice guy. Very personable. Very affable. Note to all: don't let him drive your car. He has a beat-up Jeep for a reason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirite Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Mine took significantly less time last week...and the week before that. Orso 2.0 (3.0?) is fantastic. It's piling on, but most dishes are fantastic. A friend's daughter got a white pizza (I forgot the name) which was too heavy (for her) on the sliced garlic and there was dissention around our table on whether the gnocchi were too soft. The majority of us said they were great, but others preferred a denser, more rustic version. Otherwise, we haven't hit a clunker. We were even lucky enough to shoot the shit with Will as we left through the garage last week. Nice guy. Very personable. Very affable. Note to all: don't let him drive your car. He has a beat-up Jeep for a reason We don't eat pizza, but his small plates are great, and you can snag a reservation on Savored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cook&Bottlewasher Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 .It took 90 minutes to cook the pizzas from begining to end at 900 degrees. Huge MISTYPE!!!! I meant it takes only 90 SECONDS from beginning to end to cook the pizza at 900 degrees. It was amazing to watch. Chatting with Will and the staff reminded me of what I like about working in restaurants. Haven't felt that in a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Johnston Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Chef Will posted on the ORSO Facebook page yesterday that they were particpating in RW. The deal is ridiculous, three small plates, 2 pizzas and 2 desserts for $35.12. Enough food for two, and plan on taking one of the pies home. The choices are limited to certain items (we had Gazpacho, BLT Gnocchi, and the Blue Cheese Mussels) two pies (margherita DOC and pepporoni) and dessert was whipped nutella-topped donuts. Wash it down with a double IPA or a glass of wine. This is a great week to check out the new ORSO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrXmus Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Chef Will posted on the ORSO Facebook page yesterday that they were particpating in RW. The deal is ridiculous, three small plates, 2 pizzas and 2 desserts for $35.12. Still stuffed after a huge meal. Seriously, take the extra pizza home (we did and I'm still full). Three smalls, 2 'zas and 2 desserts?? For $35 frikkin' dollars? Seriously, who does this? Here's a general RW question. Are servers happy about RW? It seems like they might be working as hard for smaller tabs and tips. We tipped 30% because for all the food he brought and running he did, 20% just didn't seem right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Radigan Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 To answer that question, although most servers complain due to the high volume, low check average= typically lower tips, this time of year unless you work at a food factory like cheesecake, clyde's and some of the other volume crushing establishments, this is a time where servers maintain a balance in their checking account, instead of the dip into savings routine come August. But that all goes back to what many talented restaurantuers have dished out in advice, if you maintain consistency with food and service ALL YEAR round, then you will not see the annual dip in August. Move thread accordingly Don. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotech Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 I just made reservations this evening. For some reason, there seems to be a lot of prime time availability on a Friday night at every restaurant I checked on Open Table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandynva Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Chef Will posted on the ORSO Facebook page yesterday that they were particpating in RW. The deal is ridiculous, three small plates, 2 pizzas and 2 desserts for $35.12. Enough food for two, and plan on taking one of the pies home. The choices are limited to certain items (we had Gazpacho, BLT Gnocchi, and the Blue Cheese Mussels) two pies (margherita DOC and pepporoni) and dessert was whipped nutella-topped donuts. Wash it down with a double IPA or a glass of wine. This is a great week to check out the new ORSO. Thank you for posting this. for whatever reason i hadn't been to orso in ages and kept meaning to return. this post gave me the needed push to do so, and i enjoyed it. I agree that the gnocchi are delicious--light yet substantial, with a subtle spinach taste and deliciously creamy sauce. I had a margharita pizza as well, which was very good. I'm a tomato lover and often think pizzas don't have enough sauce. not this one, it was loaded with delicious sauce, soupy in the middle when it was first served, which i always think is a good sign, and then firmed up nicely within a few minutes. For dessert i had the lemon/nutella donuts. delicious! they're small donuts infused with lemon rind and flavor, topped with a dollop of nutella mousse. the dominant flavor is lemon, which i wasn't expecting. but the donuts were wonderful, and even though i tend not to like lemon desserts, these we so good they made me wonder why more people aren't doing lemon rind in donuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayandstacey Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 So we went thanks to Dan Cole's recommendation. Really enjoyed it. Highlight for me was the side of curried cauliflower. Sublime, with baked cauliflower that had some char and a relatively mild curry sauce. The pizzas were of course awesome. The speck (see pic above) was nice on the two we tried (the "Orso" and an experiment Chef Will shared with us that had pumpkin, blue cheese plus the speck). Chef Will is going to be on Chopped next Sunday night, Nov 25 at 10pm. I think that's right. When filmed, he was at his prior employment. Excellent, fast, the kids loved it, nice prices. If only I didn't live in the upper reaches of MoCo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuneBacon Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Had a wonderful night at Orso last night with friends. I recommend the chefs "bar" situated around the pizza oven. The guys working the line are entertainment enough, but being right in the action is a fantastic way to enjoy an evening. I think the most underrated part of this restaurant is quality of product. Chef Will could easily produce this food with grain fed beef and sysco mozzerella and make a nice profit because of his giant fanbase, but instead he chooses products like top rated american wagyu and mozzarella straight from the homeland. This is really what makes his food special. We started with a green salad of arugla and duck proscuitto and smoked blue served with a foie gras mousse crem brule. Not pictured Then a poutine with braised wagyu short ribs and Im blanking on the cheese. Lamb belly over warm farro and hericot vert salad. The always popular WA gnocchi with crispy proscuitto and pumpkin. Braised Pork Belly over cheesy polenta and demi glace. And on to the pizza: And the deal was sealed with my heart with this light doughnut topped with whipped nutella. Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Will Artley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezy Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 My sister had matinee tickets to the Cauldron playhouse in the building next door today, so we went to Orso for lunch. We started by splitting an order of arancini (which she has never had before, but I had raved about) and it was great, stuffed with butternut squash, Vidalia onion jam and a cheese that I don't remember, on a celery root puree (if I'm remembering correctly), a couple of bites each of homey luxury. She's not as into food as me, but I noticed she scraped the plate clean. They've got a fabulous lunch special -- 2-topping pizza with mozzarella and a fountain drink for $8. She got pesto, mushrooms and roasted peppers, while I went old school and did marinara, sausage and onions. The pizzas were at the usual high standards, good leopard spotted tender chewy yeasty crust with high quality ingredients served lava hot from the oven. The sausage was nicely spicy, the marinara well balanced in flavor. My sister's was good, too, with the pesto actually fairly mild in basil flavor (this is a plus to me, as often I find pestos too licorice-y tasting from all the basil in them). The service was friendly and well-timed and made sure we were taken care of without being intrusive. On the way out the door I saw Will and waved and he came over and we had a nice chat. He was in the middle of trying his hand at making fudge for the first time. I hope it turns out for him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Bittner Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 I myself would love to have the time to eat here soon, will is a beast in the kitchen. We cooked together in New York and if that was any indication of his skill set I'm all over it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirite Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 My sister had matinee tickets to the Cauldron playhouse in the building next door today, so we went to Orso for lunch. We started by splitting an order of arancini (which she has never had before, but I had raved about) and it was great, stuffed with butternut squash, Vidalia onion jam and a cheese that I don't remember, on a celery root puree (if I'm remembering correctly), a couple of bites each of homey luxury. She's not as into food as me, but I noticed she scraped the plate clean. They've got a fabulous lunch special -- 2-topping pizza with mozzarella and a fountain drink for $8. She got pesto, mushrooms and roasted peppers, while I went old school and did marinara, sausage and onions. The pizzas were at the usual high standards, good leopard spotted tender chewy yeasty crust with high quality ingredients served lava hot from the oven. The sausage was nicely spicy, the marinara well balanced in flavor. My sister's was good, too, with the pesto actually fairly mild in basil flavor (this is a plus to me, as often I find pestos too licorice-y tasting from all the basil in them). The service was friendly and well-timed and made sure we were taken care of without being intrusive. On the way out the door I saw Will and waved and he came over and we had a nice chat. He was in the middle of trying his hand at making fudge for the first time. I hope it turns out for him! We went here tonight in the monsoon and had a great dinner. We ordered several small plates and the Greek Salad. The Greek Salad was huge with lots of goodies including oven roasted tomatoes, chick peas, diced olives, and an array of lettuces. The stewed mushrooms in a celery puree was unlike anything I've tasted, and I want to taste it again. When you go ask for Mitchell. He is a fabulous server. Attentive, knowledgeable, helpful, personable, professional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirite Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 We went here tonight in the monsoon and had a great dinner. We ordered several small plates and the Greek Salad. The Greek Salad was huge with lots of goodies including oven roasted tomatoes, chick peas, diced olives, and an array of lettuces. The stewed mushrooms in a celery puree was unlike anything I've tasted, and I want to taste it again. When you go ask for Mitchell. He is a fabulous server. Attentive, knowledgeable, helpful, personable, professional. I forgot to mention that Mitchell did not call my wife and me "you guys." What a delightful and rare surprise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirite Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Had dinner here tonight. We each ordered the fabulous Greek salad with lots of surprise ingredients and shared the marinara pizza sans chesse. A heathy and delicious meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mleese Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Pizzeria Orso was a good place for a late lunch while watching the Raven's playoff game. First, they now offer a lunch special of a two topping pizza and a non-alcoholic drink for $8 which is a complete steel. Second, the pork cheek ravioli is spectacular. One of the best stuffed pastas I've ever had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuneBacon Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Had dinner here tonight. We each ordered the fabulous Greek salad with lots of surprise ingredients and shared the marinara pizza sans chesse. A heathy and delicious meal. Margherita? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcs Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Margherita? Marinara DOC (no cheese) marinara, fresh oregano, garlic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuneBacon Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Why would kirite write "sans cheese" if it was a Marinara DOC? I didn't think Orso had a marinara pizza, but there are always instances where I am wrong :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizza man Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 STG.. DOC is for wine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcs Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 STG.. DOC is for wine Then they need to update their menu. But seriously, what is the rule? Plenty of pizza places use the DOC designation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Then they need to update their menu. But seriously, what is the rule? Plenty of pizza places use the DOC designation. I've always been a bit confused about this also. Here are three things that may clear up (or further muddy) the question. The first has the relevant content but is also good fun since wrapped in a wine/beer author's slam of Alan Richman. The second is a footnote to a book titled "The Heritage: UNESCO, World Heritage and Tourism" by Michael Giovini Finally, this is a fairly clear delineation of the various classifications. Sounds like, however widely used, DOC was the first/oldest classification and is indeed intended for wine (and perhaps olive oil as well) with the STG designator being newer and perhaps not widely used here in the US. Also seems that in the Italians' efforts to protect their products from fraud, some confusion has been introduced into the market and some (many?) fall afoul of that complexity here either because they're not sure how to label or because they have more nefarious aims. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuneBacon Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I swear I looked for a menu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcs Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Sounds like, however widely used, DOC was the first/oldest classification and is indeed intended for wine (and perhaps olive oil as well) with the STG designator being newer and perhaps not widely used here in the US. Also seems that in the Italians' efforts to protect their products from fraud, some confusion has been introduced into the market and some (many) take advantage of that here either because they're not sure how to label or because they have more nefarious aims. It seems like they are getting it from here, an organization that counts several leading local pizza places as members.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuneBacon Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 (Don't remind them that they're not certified) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Artley Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 VPN Americas is the American Delegation of the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana, an international non-profit organization founded in the mid 1980’s by a group of Neapolitan pizzaiolis (pizza makers) seeking to cultivate the culinary art of making Neapolitan pizza. On June 1984, the association was officially established as a denomination of control (DOC) by the Italian government, a designation that made the VPN a legal entity able to give special designation to pizzerias who meet strict requirements that respect the tradition of the art of Neapolitan pizza making.The President is Antonio Pace. OBJECTIVES:- cultivate the culinary discipline of the Neapolitan pizza, with its requisite, preparation, ingredients and manner of cooking.- defend the origin of the authentic pizza and the tradition of the pizza as it began in Naples, Italy- teach the art of making pizza, by any individual who would like to learn the way that, for more then 300 years, distinguish a product unique in the world.- designate by a certification those pizzerias which respect the culinary tradition of the Neapolitan pizza and where such a pizza may be enjoyed. Now June bacon is correct...Orso isn't certified yet.....but I am...By the VPN....we follow all the requirements to be certified. come by for a tour or chat with me at the"chefs table" ...I love talking pizza When i went through my training (with the president of VPN)He said the D.O.C was only for the "classic" pizzas: Marinara (tomato, garlic, oregano and olive oil) The Mastunicole(lard, cheese and basil) and the Margherita(Tomato, basil,cheese and olive oil)...I kinda gatta go with him on this one....but at the end of the day everyone has an opinion ....so tomato...tamoto...CVC...DOC....PVC....KRS1...PED..HPV...NBC...ABC.....it is what it is....Good Pizza done the right way... Hope this helped..... Will (i put the dots for Don) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuneBacon Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Tell me somethin' I didn't know.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Artley Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My favorite toy growing up was a Mr T cabbage patch doll......bet you didn't know that..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcs Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I like it when a plan comes together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheezepowder Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My favorite toy growing up was a Mr T cabbage patch doll......bet you didn't know that..... Ok, as long as you're here...I heard that one can order a tasting menu at Pizzeria Orso. True and is that any night? How much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Artley Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 yes that is true the price kinda changes...only because some people come in and do 4 courses...some have done 10...some like to finish with pizza..some don't...I find out likes/dislikes...and off we go...I've always tried to take good care of the DR family...and always will. come on in and we will chat courses and prices...cool? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted January 11, 2013 Author Share Posted January 11, 2013 yes that is true the price kinda changes...only because some people come in and do 4 courses...some have done 10...some like to finish with pizza..some don't...I find out likes/dislikes...and off we go...I've always tried to take good care of the DR family...and always will. come on in and we will chat courses and prices...cool? Will, is it fair to say, "the more information you get, the better?" Example: "We'd like to spend $35 each before tax, and the must-haves are the Napoli Pizza and the Carrot Soup; the rest is up to you. A $35 bottle of wine, preferably white, would be perfect." That's helpful, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Artley Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 perfect.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted January 11, 2013 Author Share Posted January 11, 2013 perfect.... Diners often don't realize it's best to get "the tawdry stuff," i.e., pricing, out of the way early on (it takes all of 15 seconds if communicated directly), and then they can simply sit back and enjoy the evening, with absolutely no surprises coming at the end. Chefs and Sommeliers *love it* when a diner speaks in specifics (pricing, style, do-want, don't-want, etc.) so they can eliminate having to try and guess. Diners: help them by being direct and honest from the git-go. Anyone else agree with this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkstar965 Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 LOVE Will's posts above. Wow! Missed him when I started going to Evening Star more regularly. And haven't made it out to Orso since he took over the....oven? the flipping? the pizza board? Whatever. Kind of like when you change the #15 to the #1 position in your Netflix queue, I'm doing that with Orso. Just to meet Will. And have some great pizza. And, all those acronyms we've now discussed pretty fully and noone mentioned DOP! Do the Italians realize what they've done here stateside?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanMike Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Anyone else agree with this? I love doing that, for exactly the reasons you list: it lets you sit back and enjoy without worrying about what you're going to see on the bill. The best experience I've had with that was at Tanuki in Portland, but that's because I haven't done hardly any (actually, now that I think about it, any at all) "tasting menus" in DC. But this sounds like a great chance for me to go to Orso with my brother and sister-in-law and try one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirite Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 LOVE Will's posts above. Wow! Missed him when I started going to Evening Star more regularly. And haven't made it out to Orso since he took over the....oven? the flipping? the pizza board? Whatever. Kind of like when you change the #15 to the #1 position in your Netflix queue, I'm doing that with Orso. Just to meet Will. And have some great pizza. And, all those acronyms we've now discussed pretty fully and noone mentioned DOP! Do the Italians realize what they've done here stateside?!?! Had a great dinner here tonight with the inventive Greek salad, the grilled scallop, and the butternut squash agnolotti. But we were perplexed by the presence of a guy doing close up photo shoots of the food with a video cam. I should have asked Will but he was busy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuneBacon Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 It was a shoot for PBS, not sure what show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Artley Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 PBS was shooting a series for best pizza....a number of great places are included. sorry about the lights:/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuneBacon Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 Long story short, Tuesday night we arrived at Orso, my wife 3 days past her due date. No signs of contractions. I ask Chef Will to create a baby buster chef's tasting menu. 5 beautiful courses, 4 perfect pizzas, and 10 hours later contractions had started. 20 hours after stepping foot into Orso, we were holding our new baby boy. Will Artley, ladies and gentlemen, fetus whisperer. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcs Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 Congratulations! Tonight I drink to you and yours. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catharine Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 Long story short, Tuesday night we arrived at Orso, my wife 3 days past her due date. No signs of contractions. I ask Chef Will to create a baby buster chef's tasting menu. 5 beautiful courses, 4 perfect pizzas, and 10 hours later contractions had started. 20 hours after stepping foot into Orso, we were holding our new baby boy. Will Artley, ladies and gentlemen, fetus whisperer. Well that is very interesting. On Sunday, August 5, we had dinner at Orso (with cucas87 and Scott Johnston). Monday morning of the 6th my water broke. (Unfortunately my little guy did arrive until the 8th, but that's another story.) Coincidence? Yeah, probably. But, hmmm... Chef Will, prepare....all of the very pregnant ladies in DC are going to start heading to Orso. As it happens, Orso was the first restaurant we took the little muffin to. The atmosphere is just right and we get a great meal. The staff is absolutely wonderful! (See also the Dining Out with Allergies thread.) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 No pretense, no formality, no pressure. Valentine's Day Soirée, Forty Bucks. (Couples are welcome. So are children!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ericandblueboy Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 I tend to order alot of seafood but today I had lunch with Steve and we didn't do any seafood, which was good because I thought the curry cauliflower was wonderful (cooked but still a little crunchy) and the veal ravioli was great and it came with lots of mushrooms. On the other hand, the meatball was a little dry. I've never been much of a meatball fan (even my mom's lion's head). The crudo pizza had a fantastic crust, but the arugula/cheese came in small pile in the center of the pizza. I love having a ton of arugula on the crudo.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezy Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Friends took me here for a belated birthday dinner and we did the Chef's table & tasting menu with pairings. so full, soooo good.Here's the menu:deep fried brussels sprouts leaves that were seasoned then topped with a bit of shave grana padano (I think) and served with proseccosalt cured roasted beets with goat cheese fondu, fried basil, carrot coulis and a drizzle of pomegranite molasses paired with pinot grigio (my least favorite course of the night; I didn't like it the sameway I don't like sweetened yogurt -- not that it tasted anything like that, but my reaction to the flavor combo was the same)salmon on dilled spinach with creme fraiche, backed with avocado puree and balsamic tar, served with a NZ lightly-oaked chardonnay.clams with cavatelli pasta in a wine-clam juice(?) -brown butter sauce and a big chunk of grilled bread and the first of the red wines that I don't recall the grape, but it was big with berries with a hint of licorice and herbbraised pork cheek ravioli on a sunchoke puree with roasted mushrooms and spinach with a Montapulciano, I think he saidThen more of the roasted mushrooms with parsnips and chard and more of the Montapulciano just b/c Chef Will decided to throw in an extra course b/c we enjoyed the ravioli so muchsunchoke ricotta angolotti on with a fresh sage emulsion topped with a parm that was probably nearly as old as me paired with .......... oh, geez, another big red. biting into the angolotti I started to black out from food nirvana, my absolute favorite dish of the night.Then two pizzas, one a Margherita and the other a cheese-less marinara sauce with house-made spic sausage served with a sparkling lambrusco, a savory soda pop of a wineAnd finally, a lemon donut with nutella whip and just water to drink.Then i exploded but I died happy. thanks, Chef! Also saw more Rockwellians there enjoying dinner and actually said Hi! to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmoomau Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 I forgot to post that we happened to be here for restaurant week. Sat at the bar, I had a gin and tonic, Hubby a beer. He had the BLT gnocchi, I had meatballs and polenta, which I thought were a good version of the dish flavorful, soft, but not soupy polenta with nice and tender meatballs, just good all around flavor in the dish. We had pizza- the crudo and another I can't recall now, but both pizzas were really good. Nice and crisp, good toppings, well balanced sauce, cheese, topping ratio. The other may have been the North Beach. We really liked them both. Had cannoli for dessert which was ok, a little crisp, but not near as good as the savory side of our meal. So eat more small plates, don't need to save room for dessert. Service was quick and efficient, even on RW got a seat at the bar easily and could have had a table, but it was bustling. This is a great neighborhood spot. And I like that you can order some interesting small plates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScotteeM Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 We lunched here for the first time today. I had been hesitant because of my gluten intolerance, but our server was extremely well-versed in safe options for me. I loved the Italian Salad, with lots of ingredients that could have been on a pizza. The salad was lightly dressed, and everything was cut small enough to eat with a fork! (one of my pet peeves about restaurant salads) Mr. ScotteeM really loved his pepperoni and garlic pizza. It looked so delicious that it took all of my willpower not to sneak a taste of the crust. I can't wait to go back and try more of the menu! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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