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Notti Bianche, near The Kennedy Center, in the Former Nectar Space - Closed


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Late of Aria and previously Equinox Tony Chittum will be helming the kitchen at the new restaurant. He's a very good chef and a great friend. He's putting together agreat Italian menu. The food will be great but the overall feel will not be like Nectar.

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I stopped by to look at the menu last Friday. Nothing on it that looked that exciting. Mains $ 18 - 29. I think Tony was at Galileo as well.

The manager or Maitre d' saw me looking at the menu and came out with a promotional peice and a chocolate coated biscotti for me. Don't know about the food, but the service seems to excel.

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Any recent visits to talk about?

I know the GM is a participant here which is cool, but I'm interested to hear how meals at Notti Bianchi have been. I expect I'll be checking it out because a friend is a server there.

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Tony is quite talented and passionate about his cooking, and it was always fun to visit Equinox on Sunday evenings (when they first began doing that, and it was a little bit slower) when he or Brendan were in charge, and they got to play with their friends a bit and get creative or try something new on us.

I didn't get to visit with him at Aria, but I'm excited about this new venture. I hope to get to visit with him there.

By the way, I understand that this is the same restaurant group or ownership as Dish.

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FYI...

while i am a big fan of our wine list, if you would like to bring in bottles, the corkage fee is waived for all rockwellians. when making your reservations please indicate that you will be bring bottles of wine and toasting "to rocks" so we know who you are.

regards,

danny boylen

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Tony is quite talented and passionate about his cooking, and it was always fun to visit Equinox on Sunday evenings (when they first began doing that, and it was a little bit slower) when he or Brendan were in charge, and they got to play with their friends a bit and get creative or try something new on us.

I didn't get to visit with him at Aria, but I'm excited about this new venture. I hope to get to visit with him there.

By the way, I understand that this is the same restaurant group or ownership as Dish.

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As part of my effort to overcome my grief over the closing of Nectar, I decided to pay a visit to Notti Bianche today. The lunch menu is standard for an Italian establishment. First course, pannini and insalata, pasta and carne and pollo. It's not extensive but offers a good variety with something for everyone. The wine list is also modest but covers the essentials -- they apparently inherited some of Nectar's cellar :P .

I had the tagliatelle prepared in squid ink with rock shrimp and crab meat. A couple of my companions had the canollini stuffed with Amish chicken, and the others had pannini. We all thought our dishes were most excellent. Danny (Starfish) brought out a bowl of roasted house-select olives as a starter which were greatly savored and appreciated. We didn't stay for dessert and I saved the dessert menu for another day.

I strongly recommend paying a visit. They are not too busy at lunch time, but I didn't ask how they are doing for dinner. The price point is moderate (pasta dishes ranged from $11-$15 with half portions available). Wine is available from $6 a glass. Anyway, it's the slow season and I know that Chef and Danny would appreciate some support if you're in the mood for some fine Italian dining. You might also keep Notti Bianche in mind when you plan an evening at the Kennedy Center.

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For any procrastinators who may have waited too late to book a table at other Restaurant Week locations, Notti Bianche still has some tables available on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday night. We are on OpenTable.

We are offering wine specials in addition to our RW menu.

A few of the offerings…

Turley White Coat, regular price $80/bottle, RW price $50

ZD Abacus, regular price $250/bottle, RW price $150

Chateu Yvonne Suamer Blanc, regular price $50/bottle, RW price $35

And more, might even be coaxed into breaking out some sine qua non as a RW Special.

If you want to bring your own, as always, the $15 corkage fee is waived for any rockwellians.

Edited by starfish
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thank you to all of the rockwellians that made it over to notti bianche during restaurant week. your presence was a particularly bright spot in our lunch and dinner service. every restaurant professional exists at the pleasure of her/his guests, but it is with added enthusiasm that we serve the guest that has a more keen appreciation for the work that we do, the food that we serve, and the wine that we pour.

thank you again and warm regards,

danny

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You might also keep Notti Bianche in mind when you plan an evening at the Kennedy Center.

Thanks for the reminder. I have two subscriptions this year, so I will defintely check out Notte Bianchi.

Is NB open late enough to stop by post-performance, say at 9:30-10?

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Thanks for the reminder.  I have two subscriptions this year, so I will defintely check out Notte Bianchi. 

Is NB open late enough to stop by post-performance, say at 9:30-10?

absolutely. currently our last seating is 9:45ish sunday through thursday, and 10:45ish friday and saturday. however, i am looking forward to extending each of those times by an hour once opera/symphony season starts in mid-september. i will, of course, announce the expanded hours here.

by the by, if your show runs a little long, just give a call (202.298.8085). if there are still people arriving we have been known to keep the kitchen open a little longer than posted times. i hate letting people go hungry.

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absolutely.  currently our last seating is 9:45ish sunday through thursday, and 10:45ish friday and saturday.  however, i am looking forward to extending each of those times by an hour once opera/symphony season starts in mid-september.  i will, of course, announce the expanded hours here. 

by the by, if your show runs a little long, just give a call (202.298.8085).  if there are still people arriving we have been known to keep the kitchen open a little longer than posted times.  i hate letting people go hungry.

Excellent, thanks! I'm assuming you have a bar - Mr Shorter doesn't do opera so I will be dining solo occasionally.

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What's the Notti Bianche lunch crowd like?  I work at the Watergate and want to come by and check it out.  And I'll leave my Hyundai at the office.

Let's just put it this way -- you won't have a problem getting a lunch time table, at least during this period. Hopefull this will change when GW comes back into session. No harm in calling Danny up for a reservation just to make sure, though.

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Wednesday at work:

Coworker: Hey Terri--you would know....my parents are coming downtown to the Kennedy Center and asked me to look for a place to have dinner?

Squids: I know just the place!

Coworker, to his Dad: Dad, you've got to go to this new place--you'll love it.

CWD: Great--what else you got?

CW: No, Dad, you don't understand. This is where you need to go.

CWD: But what about these coupons I've got...Madhatter? Is that any good?

CW: NOOOOOOO. You are going to go to Notti Bianche! The menu looks great, and it is reasonably priced.

The follow-up conversation, the parents LOVED it! Now just because they asked about Madhatter doesn't necessarily describe their tastes, just that they like to use coupons and give their son a hard time. :P But as I understand it, they can be difficult to please. They enjoyed it immensely, and I will get details to support of what they ordered, etc. and will post them as soon as said co-worker gets the scoop...

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Two of us had a pleasant meal here last night, and it felt like coming back to just about the same space we previously enjoyed as zuki moon and nectar. we miss the ersatz noodle house and the bowls of udon, even the hard school house-sized chairs that were too modern to always be comfortable, and i believe this is where we made our discovery of green tea and ginger ice cream. for us, nectar was more a missed opportunity. the inventiveness of the food was great, but the eccentricities a mixed bag. the bow-tied welcome starting things off on an intriguingly droll note, there would eventually come a service stumble that rang of satire verging on slapstick within the context of the restaurant's formal disposition. in other words, we had a few sniggers over stinginess with the bread, confusion with the tableware. what appeared on the plate was often amazing, but the portions here were deliberately perverse, conjuring the firbankian amusement of taking a knife and fork to a pea. we pretty much shunned this establishment, but there have been many times since it closed that we have wanted to return. the players have gone their separate ways, one of them ironically to a hungry man's beef nirvana.

notti bianche is more accommodating than its predecessors. the chef is training his talent, with an experienced hand, on food that nourishes and comforts rather than challenges the palate. littleneck clams circling a buttery sauce with cherry tomatoes and a hint of rapini's bitterness salute the sea, a few holding on to their grit. a cold tomato soup garnished with a basil cream and chopped shrimp contributing their texture more than anything else is a freshening antidote to the cloying smog-stained air that lingers outside at the end of a hot summer day. (with a slow spring and recent thermometer-popping weather, conditions have not been optimal for local tomatoes, which came in late and hopefully will continue to improve into the early autumn. heirloom varieties available at the farmers market at penn center two weeks ago were half stewed by the sun and greens were withering; only the corn seems to love the sun this much. fortunately, the dupont circle market opens when it's still relatively cool.) a soft shell crab salad with beans and small tartar-ish pools of tang is another starting option, the battering a bit thick but greaseless, though only a disappointment when compared with stellar entries from the likes of bucks and corduroy.

pastas are available in half sizes, providing the opportunity to structure a meal that samples more of the menu. amish chicken appears in a canneloni, not exactly in a starring role, but in a moist melange including hints of italian sausage. the shell is soft and crepe-like and seems to have had an easy time in the oven. (throughout dinner, we detected that the chef is kind to his ingredients, sometimes maybe too kind. is there any harm in coddling an amish chicken? i wouldn't know. the first time i ran into one was at poste. it was delectable, although i would credit the chef before an upbringing that excluded exposure to electric lights and limited transportation by horse and buggy.) there is a chicken entree here for truly discovering whether the fowl is more than fair; i suspect that it is. and there are more pastas available that would provide a better test of texture. a few tables away a diner was all business tucking into an orange mound of what looked like spaghetti -- just one glance and you would want what he was having, and maybe this was where to find the garlic that eluded our plates. you probably won't have bad breath when you leave from here to the kennedy center or the lisner auditorium, which are only a few blocks away.

steak done medium-rare was a beautiful display of pink, although the meat relied too heavily upon the sauce for its flavor. rounding out the plate, roasted fingerlings were done to perfection.

desserts here have already earned a local reputation. at the table next to us, a couple had come in for a meal of gelato trios and water. (a server tried twice to interest them in alcoholic beverages, nicely but unsuccessfully, so at least until the hordes of ravenous eaters materialize following the dregs of august, a date can visit this place at prime time for $20. the small dining room was mostly vacant at 7:00, but had almost filled up by 8:30. with the exception of a howling toddler who was quickly taken out, noise levels were subdued.) The fruit held its ground convincingly in our peach and blackberry crostini with pistachio gelato, and a sweet almond cake with diced apricots is a crowd pleaser.

martinis were strong and wines can be ordered by the glass in two amounts.

i am not entirely convinced that this is an italian restaurant at its core. whatever the chef's true convictions, this enterprise does provide him the opportunity to share an obvious love of food with his guests. this will definitely be on our wide circuit of dining destinations. Dinner for two was just under $150.

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What is everybody waiting for?! notti bianche is a gem of a place. It is evocative of some of the beloved little byobs in Philadelphia (and in fact, with corkage waived for donrockwellians, it does become a byob, although it has a select and reasonably priced wine list.) The pastas are worthy here, available in generous half portions, but certainly could be a meal in themselves. Go with the simple and elegant spaghetti with crushed roma tomatoes while summer is still here, and also try the fresh squid ink tagliatelle tossed with a generous mound of rock shrimp and crab meat. Only a grate of fresh cheese prevents this from being kicked into orbit. The Amish chicken is full of flavor and moist. It is well-paired with braised chopped kale with pancetta and a large disk of parmesean crusted risotto - fried to a golden crisp on the outside and oozing on the inside. No contest, eating one Amish chicken is even better than two Mennonite. :wub: Also the rack of lamb is well prepared and comes with the sweetest baby green and yellow string beans. The yogurt sauce on the beans doesn't work for me - but that is a personal preference thing. Save room for dessert. They come from pastry chef Heather Chittum. Yes, Chef Tony's wife. What a team! The fresh peach and berry galette - called something else, but a galette to me - was topped with an outstanding citrussy (lime?) and lavender ice cream that stood up well to the rich pastry crust and fresh fruit. Many thanks to the attentive and discreet staff, and to our own Starfish, GM Danny Boylen for the glass of house-made limoncello to end the evening. So go already!

and ohhh.... that limoncello - a blend of prosecco and the lemon-infused vodka - it would be great for a picnic! :P

Edited by crackers
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What is everybody waiting for?! notti bianche is a gem of a place.  It is evocative of some of the beloved little byobs in Philadelphia (and in fact, with corkage waived for donrockwellians, it does become a byob, although it has a select and reasonably priced wine list.) 

Do you have to inform the restaurant when you make reservations that you will bring your own wine?

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Do you have to inform the restaurant when you make reservations that you will bring your own wine?

if you would like the corkage fee to be waived, yes. when making your reservation please indicate that you will be bringing in wine and toasting "to rocks" to receive this discount.

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decided to ditch work and head over for a leisurely lunch today. spaghetti pomodoro registers the fruitiness of tomato with a somber garlic undertone and a fleeting powdering of cheese and is drizzled at the table with olive oil -- a split serving in two small white bowls of simple perfection. you could start and end your meal with this and leave in a state of total fulfillment.

however, tuscan chicken (bye-bye to your amish cousin) accompanied by vinegary kale flecked with panchetta and rice cake; a chocolate hazelnut torta and a gelato trio all provide compelling reasons to linger.

in the afternoon, at least, this place remains a relative secret -- although maybe not for long.

there are some square plates that are a bit awkward, and i would replace them with round dishes as they are broken, but that's just me. the dining room boasts some nice appointments, including deep orange-amber floral upholstery and light fixtures that if you use your imagination resemble space-age gooney birds with eyes far apart sitting below wide brows. i would guess they are either glass or plastic.

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we will be returning soon for the amish chicken and spaghetti. i have never had any problem with this space, although i do have a problem with what's left of foggy bottom.

Should Foggy Bottom just be renamed The George Washington University Holding Corporation LLC?

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We went to Notti Bianche for our second wedding anniversary last night. We were not disappointed.

I loved that you could do half-glasses of wine, which allowed me (a lightweight) to sample two different wines, instead of just getting the one glass. We both started with whites to go with the littleneck clams and the bruchetta. The bruchetta was excellent. I would have easily eaten two of each. I loved the chicken liver one; my husband's favorite was the one with the squid. We also enjoyed the littleneck clams, particularly the rapini.

For the entrees, my husband had the steak and I had the gnocchi. We were tempted by several of the other entrees, but unfortunately most that we eyed had pork (which we don't eat and generally don't think that asking for the dish to be made without it results in a good dish). My husband LOVED the steak, and I have to admit that I was eyeing the juicy red slices longingly. He ordered it medium-rare, and it definitely came out on the rare side---which is great for him (and me, when I managed to finagle 2 bites). The fingerlings that accompanied them were also excellent, he reported.

I enjoyed the gnocchi, although it is not quite like it is at Palena. I am no gnocchi expert, but the two were almost different foods. While at Palena, they are small and rich, the Notti Bianche gnocchi were larger and had a nice parmasean flavor to them. My husband thought they were excellent, whereas I think a small part of me was still thinking of the Palena gnocchi. The dish was paired with fingerling potatoes and string beans over a light pesto sauce. It was all in all, a very nice dish.

We split the trio of homemade gelatos, which came out is very tasty mini waffle-cones. The flavors were pistachio, nutella, and white chocolate.

The service was a bit rocky at first (two different people asked us what kind of water we wanted, olive oil was poured for us, but no bread forthcoming until we flagged someone down, water glasses not filled promptly, etc.), but everyone was very nice and friendly and by mid-way through the meal, everything was fine. Probably our own fault for coming the week after Tom S.'s review---the place was pretty full.

Overall, we had a very nice experience. The food was excellent, and reasonably priced. If you are on a tighter budget, the pastas and salads would make for an excellent meal. I also agree that it would be a good lunch place if you work in the area.

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Let me say first off: thank God for Notti Bianche. I've always found the immediate area around the KC to be a gastronomic wasteland at the middle price range, and since I work there in the evenings for a few weeks during the year I've been feeling pretty hopeless since Nectar's departure.

I came in for an early dinner at about 5:45 last night and was the only one there. To start, a very well made Negroni, garnished properly with an orange slice. A lot of bartenders still don't know how to make these, so such a well made one was a double surprise. The caprese was a beautifully executed classic, with deep purple and meaty-tasting heirloom tomatoes, along with cherry and golden pear tomatoes. The mozzarella had an absolutely beautiful, pillowy consistency. I also loved the crunchiness of the fleur-de-del sprinkled liberally on top.

My main was roast chicken with sage, sauced in what appeared to be a pan reduction with demi-glace, accompanied by braised kale and a parmesan-risotto cake. Everything was carefully and expertly done. The chicken (a breast with part of the wing left on in the French manner) had nicely seared, crisp skin, and was cooked to the perfect degree of juicy doneness. The crisp texture of the parmesan-risotto cake played well off the roast meat and braised vegetable. However, this entree should have been titled “roast chicken breast”, not "roast chicken" as it appears on the menu; the latter should include some dark meat from the bird as well.

Service was attentive and helpful (a recommended primitivo proved an excellent companion to the herbal and roasted flavors of the chicken). There is a little bar in back that looks like fun and where smoking is allowed.

No time last night for dessert, but I will definitely be returning to Notti again.

Edited by Banco
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Add three cheers for Notti.

We dined there last Saturday night, and I was happy to see them full and bustling. The space was made as cheerful as possible, and I say this knowing that they did not exactly start with a cheery space. Small but carefully thought out menu.

The best advice I want to give to uninitiated is this: Make Friends With Danny. He runs this dining room with an eagle eye and kid-gloved hand. He procured a wonderful deuce for us with no reservation on a Saturday night. Finally, in response to my typically clueless wine questions, he arranged for a very yummy bottle of pinot from his secret reserve cellar. Hint: it's a heirloom. If I say any more, they won't have my arse there again.

We both started with half orders of pasta. What is it with all the beautiful gnocchi plates in this town? I was next to licking my plate. You would think that potatoes next to gnocchi would be an overkill, but no, everything blended together beautifully. My friend gave similar raves for cannelloni.

There is something to be said for the "Small is Beautiful" entree selection. You feel like beef? Have beef. You feel like chicken? Have chicken. No idle wondering between three hundred courses.

I felt like beef and had hanger steak, which I adored. Tender, flavorful, just chewy enough, and a classic wine-based sauce was just a hint that let the meat shine. My only comment to this dish (and my friend's monkfish) was that salting was a bit too generous for my taste. As they say about oversalted food in my Mutterland with characteristic Russian gentleness, "Your cook must be in love." And hey, having met the chef, I am not surprised - Anthony was full of good cheer and hospitality on what was a rather busy night. A wonderful contrast to the typical chefly character.

Oh, we finished up with risotto fritters, which were so good with figs and port syrup. Have dessert. Always have dessert. It's worth it.

I will certainly be returning and look forward to more great food that's easy on the eye, on the brain and on the wallet.

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We went to Notte Bianchi before seeing Brian Stokes Mitchell at the Kennedy Center. Off topic, but if you love good Broadway singing, run to see him tonight before he closes.

The space is not much different than at Nectar. Simple, low ceiling. I found the music mix nice. We were in a rush so we just had a snack. Kay ordered the crostini and I had clams. The toppings were fine, especially the eggplant. The breads on the crostini were uneven, a flat bread under the squid a little tough and chewy, the bread under the eggplant a little more towards stale than crispy. The clams came in a buttery broth with rapini. The rapini was stellar, the broth very creamy. I thought the rapini overshadowed the clams.

For our next course, Kay had the grilled octopus. 5 baby octopi grilled and served with a mound each of frisee salad and cannellini beans. I had 2 half pastas- half moons of braised short ribs in a rich reduction and squid ink pasta with crab meat. The octopus was the highlight of the meal, nicely charred and a bit crispy. The frisee was a perfect accompaniment. The beans were a bit rich to my taste. The half moons were unctuous and decadent, but I would have found a whole order too much for me in terms of richness. The crab meat pasta was fine, very delicate.

For dessert I had summer berries with Zabaglione and Kay had gelato served in individual cookie cups. Quite fine indeed. Danny Boylen gave us a limoncello based dessert cocktail which I found a little on the dry side. Our wines were half glasses of Colosi Bianco from Sicily and Arneis Vietti for Kay, Montinore (?) Pinot Noir and 20 Rows zin syrah blend, a huge wine that was almost too big even for the meat pasta. The Colosi Bianco is superb, bone dry, earthy, funky, not a trace of fruit but all mineral and texture. The wine list was a little short, without enough range of choices in my opinion.

My quibble is the following. If Notte Bianchi were called a French restaurant, or even a Japanese Fusion style restaurant, the food would have fit just as well. It is all highly competent food of good ingredients put together with thought and imagination (if a little richer than I prefer to eat regularly). It just ain't particularly Italian. Notte Bianchi is a celebration held in Rome of outdoor revelry and feasting. Roman food is lusty and straightforward. Tony C's food is not that. It is refined, subtle and slick. So my quibble is with the marketing of the restaurant and not the food itself.

We were in and out in 1hour and 15 minutes (we had a 7pm curtain) and well taken care of. Danny was a great host. We are glad to have a place where we can eat well for about the same price as we would pay for the cafeteria crap offered at the KC Rooftop Dog Kennel, oooops I mean cafe. We will be back.

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Hey -- when are you going to start keeping Dino open late enough that I can get a bite after the concert? My season starts tomorrow night and, while I love Bistro and Old Ebbit, each in their own separate ways, a third option would be swell.

(I hear it's a neighborhood thing, true?)

Danny Boylen of Notti Bianche said before that he's planning to accommodate the post-opera and symphony crowds. Last seating at 10:45 on Friday and Saturday should late enough, depending on when the fat lady dies.

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Stopped in last night for an after-symphony bite or two with Waitman and Mrs B. We tried the charred baby octopus, clams with rapini, calamari, liver, and eggplant bruschetta, and insalata caprese. The caprese was perfect and the octopus...marinated, tender and smoky...next time I will order one just for me and NOT SHARE. I too thought the rapini overshadowed the clams and needed better bread to soak up the buttery broth. The chicken liver bruschetta was the standout, although the eggplant came in a close second.

Mains were two orders of agnolotti with short ribs and chick peas, and the garganelli with wild boar sausage and brussels sprouts. Agnolotti were tasty but the garganelli was delicious and sooo rich I could not finish a half order.

We drank prosecco to start, and then a Barolo that our server said they had just tasted. It was lovely but I cannot remember the name of it.

Service was enthusiastic and attentive.

I will definitely be back.

Edit: PM from Danny, the barolo was the 1998 Vietti. Thanks, and sorry we missed you last night.

Edited by Heather
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Enjoyed a most delicious pre-birthday meal with my parents at Notti Bianche. GM Danny (aka starfish) could not have been more pleasant and accommodating, even when the size of our party changed last minute.

After spending an hour or so in the back bar with some family friends, we moved into the dining room (oddly, it was only about 2/3 full at primetime on a Saturday night). Food-wise, there wasn't a clunker in the bunch. Our service, likewise, was friendly and informed.

I had a half portion of the garganelli as an appetizer. Like Heather said, it's delicious but rich and I can't imagine eating a full portion. My entree was the hangar steak, cooked to medium and served with black olive gnocchi. I LOVED this dish, but was so full from the starters and wine that I brought home the last two slices of beef home for later. Mom started with the salumi (I sampled - great stuff) which included, I believe, three meats, three cheese and olive tapenade with toasts. Her entree was a half portion of the butternut squash risotto which was, again, rich and perfect. Mom rarely orders risotto or pasta in restaurants so I was very surprised to hear her order it, but less surprised to see her clean her plate after I'd sampled a forkful. So good!

Dad started with the romaine salad, and followed up with salmon. He's not much for food discussion - he prefers to just chow down, and that he did.

Sadly we had no room for dessert (!!!!).

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Thank you to Danny for making a special occasion even more special.

[Edited by request of Rocks to add:] Today I received my official commission from the U.S. government. I was sworn in by Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick and am now an official U.S. foreign service officer. I am moving to Islamabad in late January. It was a big deal -- VIPs, and the parents/friends/siblings/partners/children of 96 of us, the latest round of U.S. diplomats.

Mom, Dad, and I had reason to raise a glass, and chose Notti Bianche as the venue. I was very keen on the half portions of pasta since Dad has restrictions on starch intake. This was the perfect choice.

We started with the eggplant panini and the bruschetta trio. I didn't have a chance to sample the pate bruschetta as my folks gobbled it up, but everything else was great. My personal fave was the eggplant bruschetta, which was not too salty or garlicky, just right for the occasion.

After our proseccos and apps, we ordered a bottle of "The Grappler," a Napa valley blend of Zin, Syrah, and Cab that is predominantly Zin. What a great wine! It looked intriguing and Danny was very complimentary of it, so we had to try. And it was worth it. The one extremely noteworthy aspect was the temperature -- not room temp, but a perfect 55ish degrees. The wine was big but not overwhelming, great with our entrees....

Dad had a half of Tagliatelle, Mom had the Garganelli, and I had the Hanger Steak. We all loved our dishes so much that there was no sharing, but lets just say my parents are high maintenance (as am I, frankly) and they LOVED their food. All caps people. The hanger steak was just at medium rare and very tender; the red wine reduction reduced me to grabbing for spare bread to mop it up. The frisee (I think it was frisee!) had bits of delicious pancetta as accents. There were no uncleaned plates returned to the back.

I made a run to the WC at some point and noticed Tony Chittum having a cig at the bar. I wanted to get up and give him a hug because today was one of the more important days of my life and this lunch at Notti Bianche is guaranteed to be a memory that lasts forever, intrinsically tied to the road I will be travelling. But I held back -- can't interrupt a man and his smoke. But I wanted to, folks. Very much.

K

Edited by Kanishka
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Am finally checking out Notti Bianche tonight--- so excited after reading all the reviews on this board! Looking at the menu and having trouble deciding between garganelli and risotto for my first course and then scallops or chicken for my entree, can anyone guide me one way or the other?

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Congrats, Kanishka!!

gnatharobed - Having tasted the risotto (butternut squash when I was there - amazing!) and the garganelli (rich and delicious), you present a really tough question. A half portion of either would make a great first course. I had the garganelli followed by hangar steak and would repeat the meal in a heartbeat.

Edited by JLK
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Today I received my official commission from the U.S. government. I was sworn in by Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick and am now an official U.S. foreign service officer. I am moving to Islamabad in late January.

CONGRATULATIONS, K!

Let us know when you're shipping out - we'll have to raise a toast beforehand!

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My dinner at Notti Bianche last night did not disappoint. I was still full this morning! Danny(starfish) was a warm and gracious host and so helpful with my wine selections.

I started with the butternut squash soup- it was a touch on the sweet side but a little pepper balanced it out well. My friend had the salad with pears and she found the greens a little salty. She had the spaghetti pomodoro for her next course and loved it! Simple food done well is sometimes all you need, no? I couldn't decide between the garganelli and the risotto so I had a half portion of each. Oops- I couldn't finish either portion but both were delicious!

The apple crostada with caramel gelato was the perfect fall dessert and not overly sweet which I find a lot of times with apple and caramel desserts. I think this place had big shoes to fill replacing Nectar but they are doing an amazing job!

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