I'm Eddie Cano - Chef James Gee and Massimo Papetti's Family Italian near Politics and Prose in Chevy Chase, DC

[DaRiv18]

I first wanted to applaud this new establishment (now several months old) for opening in one of the riskiest spots in the city for restaurants, given how PizzaGate affected so many businesses near Comet Ping Pong.  We ate here several weeks ago, and I would describe it as a safe-choice venue with some interesting specials.  Prices are fair for the value.  Ambiance is come-as-you-are comfortable, I like it.  Service is a strong point, they are very friendly.  

It is hard to provide any strategies for this place, as WYSIWYG menu-wise.  We did order from the larger format menu, and got the $45 Grigliata Mista - filet of mackeral, two head-on fish, and octopus.  Simple and tasty.  Our child ordered spaghetti and meatballs $16, it was a modest portion which she easily finished.  I also ordered a tripe dish in a red sauce, from the special menu, it was good.

We will be back, it is a nice neighborhood amenity, and the bar is well-stocked.  It will be in my rotation with Buck's and Sfoglina for last-minute neighborhood walk-ins.  My interest is peaked in that it seems to be food-centric without being Instagrammy or outwardly pretentious.  But I don't think they will capture an AU crowd like Comet Ping Pong or Medium Rare seems to enjoy.  It is a bit of a strange bird and I will enjoy tracking it.  

[Lori Gardner]

I had a good meal at I'm Eddie Cano.   I loved the fried zucchini- thin crispy, salty, strips.  Couldn't stop eating them. The burrata was good too- I've had better- but this was decent. I had a pasta special with squid ink pasta and seafood.  The seafood was a tiny bit mushy but the pasta- made in-house- was good.  One of my favorite parts of the meal was dessert- salted caramel gelato.  Stellar. 

It's the kind of place that I will go back to if the opportunity arises and I'm in the neighborhood.  I'm not compelled to rush back, but I enjoyed the food and the retro Italian-American ambiance is fun.