Savor Risotto of the Fisherman Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Three Cheeses or Risotto with Sausage, Beans, and Red Wine. Risotto and soup-what better choices can one have on a cold, wet evening? Whatever you're in the mood for-or have on hand-there's a risotto to fit the bill. Polenta and gnocchi are the quintessential Italian comfort foods and Biba's hearty recipes serve up satisfaction and surprising variety-Potato Gnocchi with Osso Buco Sauce Saffron Gnocchi with Mushrooms, Prosciutto, Asparagus, and Cream Sauce Polenta with Fontina, Butter, and Sage and Soft Polenta with Pancetta, Garlic, and Hot Pepper, to name only a few. If you like to keep it simple, Biba can feed your hunger with inspired but quick-to-the-table recipes like Spaghetti with Hot Anchovy Sauce or Pasta with Spicy Broccoli. Prefer your pasta stuffed? How about Eggplant-Goat Cheese Tortelli with Fresh Tomatoes and Black Olives or Spinach Cannelloni with Duck and Wild Mushroom Stuffing? Want to try a new spin on lasagne? Lasagne with Walnut Pesto and Ricotta might be just the thing. Simple, hearty, and filling, these dishes can satisfy any craving, any time.ĭo you like pasta? Biba gives you pasta-three chapters of pasta, eighty-seven recipes in all. It’s definitely a great neighborhood place, but unfortunately it just doesn’t happen to be in my neighborhood.Pasta, polenta, gnocchi, risotto, soup-these are the heart and soul of Italian cooking. To sum it up, I’m not finding Al Dente necessarily destination worthy. So perhaps the real problem is only having one dessert instead of two. I have to subtract a little for the totally unappealing dessert, although it’s not entirely fair since we only tried one dessert and may have missed something far better. On the plus side, it really is nice to know that Roberto Donna is back in DC cooking up some good Italian dishes. I’ve never been terribly good at math, but now it’s time to decide how I feel about the total experience. Another plus, I’ve avoided consuming a good deal more calories. Had I taken the time to consult the Post review, I would have known that tiramisu or zuppa inglese was the way to go. But when he delivers our check, he tells us that he has removed the dessert charge. The waiter comes by and asks what we think. We leave more than half of it on the plate. A total failure for all four of us who are sharing it. The pizza is completely soggy due to being weighed down by a jar of marmalade. Suffice it to say that this dessert has no pluses. Throughout the meal there have been pluses and minuses to everything. This is real neighborhood trattoria kind of food. We also enjoy meatballs La Forchetta style, polenta fries, and fried zucchini flower. On the minus side, it’s a good fifteen minute wait until we see the spread. The minus? The noise level is fairly painful.We’re eager to try some of the cichetti, including ricotta and herb spread to go with our bread. The black and white industrial decor is highlighted with lively pops of orange. It has an authentic Italian trattoria feel. So the question for me, is Al Dente worth the trip? I put the review aside, make a mental note that the pasta seems the way to go, while the pizza sounds less reliable.Īl Dente’s location on Foxhall Road is in a neighborhood that most people don’t just happen upon. I mostly avoid squid and mussels, so this isn’t going to be an option for me. The most glowing report is of the pasta with squid, shrimp, and mussels. The two star review is primarily positive, although nothing jumps out at me as a must have, other than the cichetti starters. Coincidentally, I have reservations at the same time Tom Sietsema’s review appears in the Washington Post Magazine. My curiosity is piqued enough to make dining at La Forchetta a priority. I meant to get to Galileo III, but it was gone before I made it there. I have to admit that I only ate at the original Galileo once. Now it’s back to the plus side as Roberta Donna has recently reemerged as a local chef at Al Dente (previously La Forchetta), while someone else takes the reigns as the restaurant owner. On the negative side, he gained notoriety for tax and other issues he had as a restaurant owner. His Galileo restaurants featuring regional Italian cuisine were highly praised. On the plus side, he is an award winning chef. The chef has attracted a fair amount of press in the local media. But I’m guessing that most people in the DC area recognize the name Roberto Donna. Not everyone pays attention to food news like I do.
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