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Sette Osteria Pizza, Pasta and Vino in North Dupont and 14UP


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Highs and Lows.

Highs - Charcuterie plate - Prosciutto, Mortadella, Capicola, and Salami. A moretti rosso and a glass of lacryma. Great company.

Lows - The pizzas. Quattro Stagioni and Quattro Formaggi. To say that I thought they sucked ventworm nut would be an insult to ventworms and their nuts. Right now I'm eating sunflower seeds and the dough was saltier than they are. Consistency was about that of a piece of cardboard. No char whatsoever. Think the oven was not nearly hot enough. The quattro formaggi had more than its desired allotment of parmesan which made it even saltier. Severe disappointment.

My rec would be to avoid the pizzas all together. sad.gif

Edit to add - And please train the busboys better. One of my companions nearly got a mouthful of elbow as the busboy reached clear across the table to refill a water glass.

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I've always had pretty good luck with the pizzas (the whole three times I've been) at Sette, although I know that is at odds with many of the reports I've read from others. The only complaint I've had is that the tips of the slices are a little flaccid. Again - probably the oven temp.

I'd add some of their pastas to the highs. Nothing very fancy, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Lately I've been thinking that inconsistency and a glimmer of potential are more disappointing than outright failure.

Edited by bilrus
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I think their pizzas are hit or miss and I would much rather hit up 2 Amy's for that. I have found Sette's salads and pastas to be pretty good. One funny thing is that if you order wine by the glass, you will notice that the glasses have a visible "pour to" line on them.

Edited by alan7147
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A word about the pizzas. I have generally enjoyed the pizzas here. I learned a valuable lesson there about this type of pizza: too many toppings make it suck. Simple is better. That said, they have a very satisfying pizza for brunch that covers all the bases: mozzarella, basil, tomato, sausage, ham and 2 eggs!

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A word about the pizzas. I have generally enjoyed the pizzas here. I learned a valuable lesson there about this type of pizza: too many toppings make it suck. Simple is better. That said, they have a very satisfying pizza for brunch that covers all the bases: mozzarella, basil, tomato, sausage, ham and 2 eggs!

This a "simple" pizza? Oh I get it -- no artichoke hearts :lol:

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A word about the pizzas. I have generally enjoyed the pizzas here. I learned a valuable lesson there about this type of pizza: too many toppings make it suck. Simple is better. That said, they have a very satisfying pizza for brunch that covers all the bases: mozzarella, basil, tomato, sausage, ham and 2 eggs!

My favorite has been the prosciutto and arugala pizza that works as a cross between salad, pizza and salumi platter.

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My favorite has been the prosciutto and arugala pizza that works as a cross between salad, pizza and salumi platter.

That's my favorite as well, but isn't it more of a prosciutto pizza with a pile of fresh arugala thrown on top at the last second?

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Had the Quattro Stagioni at Sette Saturday evening. It was an early dinner (6) and the pizza was good, but the service was less than competent. The waiter was either hovering around us (beginning of the meal) or missing in action (middle/end of meal). Were outdoor seating and metro accessibility not primary factors in making the dining decision, 2 Amy's would have been a much better choice. Oh well.

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Has anyone been recently? My family's having dinner tomorrow with out-of-towners who are staying at the Hilton, and this seems like the only moderately-priced place nearby for people whose tastes are VERY unadventurous.

I had a decent pizza here two years ago, but that's about it. Any other recommendations that are within walking distance would be appreciated as well.

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Has anyone been recently? My family's having dinner tomorrow with out-of-towners who are staying at the Hilton, and this seems like the only moderately-priced place nearby for people whose tastes are VERY unadventurous.

I had a decent pizza here two years ago, but that's about it. Any other recommendations that are within walking distance would be appreciated as well.

Pizzeria Paradiso, or I have taken out of town REALLY picky eater's to Mimi's before. Worked fine but the singing sideshow made me want to gag. Out of towners seem to love the novelty though. Either way I like Afterwords for after dinner dessert, coffee and discussion.

Scratch that after dinner crap, I almost forgot teaism. But it closes at 11 I think so you can't talk too late into the night.

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Has anyone been recently? My family's having dinner tomorrow with out-of-towners who are staying at the Hilton, and this seems like the only moderately-priced place nearby for people whose tastes are VERY unadventurous.

I had a decent pizza here two years ago, but that's about it. Any other recommendations that are within walking distance would be appreciated as well.

There's always Anna Maria's Italian, which makes Sette look like Mini Bar, in terms of it's staid-ness, and has been pleasing unadventurous diners for going on 50 years. 1730-ish Connecticut. Sure, the food is forgettable, but at least they don't play annoying Young People Music and serve frightening looking whole fish. And it has a cartain retro appeal.

And Ruth's Chris. And City Lights of China. Heck, steak frites at BdC, if you go unfashionably early -- before 7:30 -- isn't exactly avante garde.

I wouldn't bring out-of-towners to Paradiso, as it has all the ambience of a college dining hall.

Rather than Afterwards -- which has their desserts delivered on trucks -- why not Cashion's for dessert.

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Rather than Afterwards -- which has their desserts delivered on trucks -- why not Cashion's for dessert.

The people I have had in from out of town just always liked the atmosphere at Afterwords. I guess most of my "out of towners" have been from small suburbs though where the only bookstores are Barnes and Nobles.

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Rather than Afterwards -- which has their desserts delivered on trucks -- why not Cashion's for dessert.

Yeah, but they happen to be pretty good desserts delivered on trucks, but I'm not particularly a dessert person. I still think that they're pitcher + 3 apps deal ($20 I think? $24) is one of the great late night bargains in Dupont.

I'd second Sette; I've never had a bad meal there, nor a great one, and it fills a once-every-two-months or so niche when we only feel like walking a couple blocks for dinner. The pizzas and pastas are perfectly OK, especially for the unadventurous.

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Yeah, but they happen to be pretty good desserts delivered on trucks, but I'm not particularly a dessert person. I still think that they're pitcher + 3 apps deal ($20 I think? $24) is one of the great late night bargains in Dupont.

I'd second Sette; I've never had a bad meal there, nor a great one, and it fills a once-every-two-months or so niche when we only feel like walking a couple blocks for dinner. The pizzas and pastas are perfectly OK, especially for the unadventurous.

I like Sette (though for the staid it can be over-hip) and it is by far the better restaurant than A-M. I was just thowing out a more conservative option in case the visitors were like some of my relatives.

My experience at Kramerbooks -- the food, not the liquor or the literature -- has always been unfortunate, however, including a late-night dessert run with my daughter that left a lasting stain impression. But the atmosphere is fun and, you know, whatever people like. Plus, it is a little piece of American history to show the out-of-towners: the Place where Monica Lewinsky bought dirty books (Vox, I believe) and poetry for Bill (or did he give Whitman to her?).

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My experience at Kramerbooks -- the food, not the liquor or the literature -- has always been unfortunate, however, including a late-night dessert run with my daughter that left a lasting stain impression. But the atmosphere is fun and, you know, whatever people like. Plus, it is a little piece of American history to show the out-of-towners: the Place where Monica Lewinsky bought dirty books (Vox, I believe) and poetry for Bill (or did he give Whitman to her?).
Many out-of-towners see Kramerbooks and think it will be really good/fun. It usually isn't.
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I ate at Sette last night and just have to let you know that the pizza oven has been broken for at least two weeks. I know this because it was broken when I ate there two weeks ago and last night they said it is being fixed (but still broken).

That said, I think it is still sounds like what you are looking for. I particularly like the eggplant parmesan there. I am still trying to figure out how they prepare the eggplant, because it is neither breaded nor fried. I think they bake it like a lasagna with fresh mozzarella.

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I ate at Sette last night and just have to let you know that the pizza oven has been broken for at least two weeks. I know this because it was broken when I ate there two weeks ago and last night they said it is being fixed (but still broken).

Has the menu been expanded in any way to make up for the unavailability of pizza options? I don't think this is necessarily a deal-breaker for us, but just curious.

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I ate at Sette last night and just have to let you know that the pizza oven has been broken for at least two weeks. I know this because it was broken when I ate there two weeks ago and last night they said it is being fixed (but still broken).

That said, I think it is still sounds like what you are looking for. I particularly like the eggplant parmesan there. I am still trying to figure out how they prepare the eggplant, because it is neither breaded nor fried. I think they bake it like a lasagna with fresh mozzarella.

Has the menu been expanded in any way to make up for the unavailability of pizza options? I don't think this is necessarily a deal-breaker for us, but just curious.
So, they have not been offering pizza at all for the last two weeks? :)
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Well, that I don't know. All I know is that it was broken two weeks ago and it was broken on Wednesday night, so I assumed if it wasn't fixed and broken again in between. Not sure.

Nope, they haven't expanded the menu to make up for the lack of pizzas. Just the apps, pastas, salads and entrees on the menu.

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Oh well, our dinner was mediocre at best.

Best part of the meal was probably the ginormous plate of Italian meats (e.g., proscuitto, soppressata, mortadella) and tasty olives. I also liked the linguine with lobster special.

But my gnocchi was totally heavy and undersauced, while the veal chop was slightly overcooked and underseasoned.

Service was perfunctory and borderline inattentive at times. The out-of-towners thought the food was fine, but I doubt we'll be back anytime soon.

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After staying away for a while due to inconsistent hours, inconsisent service, and inconsistent food, I've been back twice in the last month and both times the pizzas have been close to perfect - cracker thin and crisp but still chewable with airy crusts. Unlike some past experiences, the toppings were evenly distributed and not overloaded to sogginess. Maybe I've just caught them on their peaks, but it's definitely enough to put them back into my regular rotation (despite having possibly the least enticing interior of any restaurant to open in DC this decade).

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Tuesday night. Two friends and I were supposed to gather for wine and cheese at Veritas, but it was packed. We ended up at Sette--not a favorite of any member of our group of three, but an OK option.

Our two pizzas (one margherita, one with prosciutto, artichokes and mushrooms) and one pasta (cavatelli with sausage and broccoli rabe) were reasonably good. My pasta was cooked a hair too long and generously salted, but it was fine. The service was well-intentioned and eager, but scatterbrained. At times, too rushed (especially when we said we needed more time to peruse the menu--he hovered), and then too slow (a cheese plate arrived before drinks; the server disappeared at check time).

Oddly, only two red wines by the glass were offered when we were there-at $9.50 and $15 per glass respectively. My friends opted for beer and I had a glass of prosecco ($11).

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I'm going to start calling this place Shutte Osteria - we walked in last night shortly after 10:30 (you guys didn't really think I'd stop at the wagyu tasting, did you?) and they immediately said, "pizza only!" 11 PM was last call. This isn't a big deal since they clearly say that on their website, but I just can't forget the days when they were open until 2 AM, seemingly every night.

Alert, alert: Don't ever get "hot chili pepper" as a topping on your pizza. The consensus of the table last night was that this was the single hottest pizza any of us had ever eaten. There's something about actually baking the chili flakes into the pizza that turbo-charges them - I'm not quite sure of the chemical reaction, but I can advise with the greatest of confidence not to do this unless you really enjoy pain.

Cheers,

Rocks.

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I'm going to start calling this place Shutte Osteria - we walked in last night shortly after 10:30 (you guys didn't really think I'd stop at the wagyu tasting, did you?) and they immediately said, "pizza only!" 11 PM was last call. This isn't a big deal since they clearly say that on their website, but I just can't forget the days when they were open until 2 AM, seemingly every night.

Alert, alert: Don't ever get "hot chili pepper" as a topping on your pizza. The consensus of the table last night was that this was the single hottest pizza any of us had ever eaten. There's something about actually baking the chili flakes into the pizza that turbo-charges them - I'm not quite sure of the chemical reaction, but I can advise with the greatest of confidence not to do this unless you really enjoy pain.

Cheers,

Rocks.

You are a wuss. I had that same pizza last night, added extra chili pepper, and it was delish. Nothing remotely painful and far from the hottest pizza I've eaten. Perhaps years of eating slices in NYC topped with loads of grated Parmigiano, chili flakes, and - sadly - garlic powder, have conditioned my palate.

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Ate here last weekend and we had two pizzas (one margherita and one veggie.) I thought the pizzas were well done and I am a fan of their dough. However, I think pizza is much like wine. It's all in your palette and preference.

However, the best part of the dessert. Their Tiramisu was delicious, though a tad bit too sweet and needed some alcohol added to it (not sure what my nana used to add to it but it was wonderful.)

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Even with the 90+ heat it was a fine day to sit outside and have an ice-cold beer and a pizza. We had the proscuitto & rucola, and the quattro stagioni. Fine tasting dough with just the right amount of cheese and char. I do wish they could slice the prosciutto a little thinner, but that's a minor quibble.

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This past Sunday a friend and I went for dinner. It was my first time and we thought we'd take advantage of outdoor seating while the weather lasted (plus I didn't realize until then how many places were closed on Sunday).

The food was good, especially for the price. A great neighborhood place.

We split the melon, prosciutto, mozzarella app. I'm not sure the mozzarella held up enough to the cured meat and melon but that could be my own bias toward the mix of melon and prosciutto unaccompanied by anything else. I had the grouper with veggies on the side and my friend had the half a lobster and pasta dish, which was a lot of lobster for the price. Both were off the specials list and tasty. We had an Inama Soave to go with it (replacing the slightly cheaper - I believe -- Soave on the list that they were out of, but gave us the replacement at the same price)

Food aside, I wanted to pay a special compliment to the staff that dealt with a very demanding, fidgety, possibly unbalanced customer who was seated a table over from us. She was clearly a drama queen, making demands just to get extra attention. It took several visits from various servers, hostesses, and managers to keep her satisfied, but they did so is a smooth manner. Despite the customer's apparent desire to make a scene, they kept the situation defused.

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The Quattro Stagioni was on point tonight, and my wife loved her pizza with the hot chili peppers that Don was bitching about above :lol: With this place close by it will be hard to justify heading anywhere else, as this might not be the best pie in the city, but it is certainly close enough.

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The Quattro Stagioni was on point tonight, and my wife loved her pizza with the hot chili peppers that Don was bitching about above :rolleyes: With this place close by it will be hard to justify heading anywhere else, as this might not be the best pie in the city, but it is certainly close enough.

If you're carbohydrate-loading, the meal I had the other evening at Sette Osteria is precisely what you want. On a Wednesday evening, there was a "line just to get in line" at the new Pizzeria Paradiso, so we walked a few blocks north to the old-standby, Sette Osteria, which was also full on the patio, but relatively empty inside.

We were immediately greeted with an attempt at an up-sell: "May I get you a bottle of water?" Thanks, but no thanks: Tap will be just fine.

And in the thrilling, chilling, feature film of "The Incredible Shrinking Wine Glass, The Sequel" the relatively chintzy pour I had the night before at Kora was relived at Sette Osteria, this time with a 2007 Aglianica "La Pietra" ($12), on the by-the-glass wine list which clearly stated "6 ounce glass." Absolutely not true. This glass of wine was 4-5 ounces maximum (understand this means they can pour 5 glasses per bottle rather than 4, lowering their cost by 20%). The wine itself was pleasant enough, and a bottle of Menebrea ($6.45) calmed my fears.

As for the carbohydrates: After we declined to order appetizers (we really just wanted pizza), Sette Bello then brought out a baked pizza crust, cut into six wedges and served with a good olive oil for dipping which benefitted from some salt and pepper (and now that I'm thinking about it, I should have asked for a bit of parmesan). I could tell from this crust that the pies were going to be good as well, and they were.

Like DPop, I had a good Quattro Stagioni ($15) with tomato, mozzerella, mushrooms, artichokes, Italian Sausage and ham. I've always enjoyed Sette's pizzas, and this was no exception.

Fettuccine alla Bolognese ($14) was home made fettuccine with meat ragu Bolognese style, and was a medium-sized bowl of fine, al dente home made noodles.

Both the pizza and pasta were very portion-controlled in terms of meats, and adding in the complimentary pizza crust, it turned out to be quite a starchy meal - some of this is because of how we ordered, but I'm pretty sure they're cutting costs with reducing proteins. That having been said, both were quite good, and prices for the wine aside, there was nothing about this meal that would prevent me from returning (although in the interest of full disclosure, I enjoyed the dinner more than my tablemates.)

Service was erratic and confused - servers were there when we didn't need them, absent when we did. Two different people asked us if we wanted parmesan, then showed up with it at the same time. And twice (since I finished a couple minutes before my fellow diners) they attempted to clear my plate within fifteen seconds of each other. I declined, because I think it is impolite (albeit very typical) to do so, putting needless pressure on your fellow diners to scarf down the rest of their food. Note to restaurants: Don't do this. It is not a sign of good service. Note to self: Leave at least one bite on your plate until your table-mates are about to finish.

Cheers,

Rocks.

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Like DPop, I had a good Quattro Stagioni ($15) with tomato, mozzerella, mushrooms, artichokes, Italian Sausage and ham. I've always enjoyed Sette's pizzas, and this was no exception.

Fettuccine alla Bolognese ($14) was home made fettuccine with meat ragu Bolognese style, and was a medium-sized bowl of fine, al dente home made noodles.

I recently had a sensational grilled sausage with cannelini beans that was very satisfying.

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decided to try sette on friday night after wandering the DuPont area with no intended restaurant target. perhaps we should have tried the pizza since our meals were disappointing. My husband had the Veal Scallopine special - when it came I commented that the potatoes looked perfectly and lightly roasted but he found them to have something of an offtaste, and said the veal was just ok, and somewhat mushy. I had gnocchi, which would have been ok but it was served lukewarm. Too indifferent to send anything back, so I probably should not be commenting. The most unusual part of the evening though, was that the tv screens over the bar were both showing an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match - just what one wants with a nice dinner - bloody men wrestling. We asked if maybe something else was on, like a Caps game, and were told only that the Caps had played the night before. Owners - if you are going to have TVs in a restaurant think about what is on the screen...

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