I am a huge fan of Prosecco and am known to order it out often, so I was incredibly eager to try the Prosecco on tap that I had been reading about at Graffiato. It was a huge disappointment to learn that they were out of Prosecco on my first visit, so I settled for wine instead. But, I can say that was the only real disappointment of the night. The menu is simple and offers small plates in multiple categories including vegetables, salads, wood oven, cheese, meats, pastas and pizzas. Graffiato recommends about 4 dishes per person unless ordering a pizza which then knocks the total amount of plates down to a few less. They also offer a Chef’s Tasting for a very reasonable $45 a person that my friend Meg and I were tempted to try, but we figured for our first visit we’d go with the things on the menu that were jumping out at us and maybe on our second visit we’d leave it up to the trusted hands of Chef Mike Isabella.
My absolute favorite dish of the night was Isabella’s famous gnocchi which he cooked on the finale of Top Chef All-Star’s and is his grandmother’s recipe from his childhood. The potato gnocchi came with a hearty yet lightly plated gravy made with pork shank and burrata. The dish was perfect, and the burrata was fluffy and light adding a cold element to this otherwise homestyle dish. We also loved the sweet corn agnolotti with chanterelles and pine nuts that was highly recommended by our waiter. It was so creamy and smooth and was great to try two pastas that were different in texture and flavor profiles. The countryman pizza was pretty fantastic with black truffles, fontina, and a duck egg. The staff carefully cracked the duck egg as they delivered the pizza and smeared the egg on each slice to make sure it was evenly distributed. Great touch. The crust had blisters from the pizza oven but was still incredibly soft and fluffy at the same time.
We also sprang for a few other small dishes- the king crab legs, the shrimp, and the marinated broccoli. I enjoyed the shrimp with a proscuitto bread sauce and sea beans but I wasn’t thrilled with the broccoli which was served cold with a questionable green sauce that just didn’t really do it for me. The king crab legs were good, but I would say that the pastas and pizzas are really the things to stick to at Graffiato. You cannot go wrong.
Graffiato has the best of everything with an already loyal customer base of Washington natives who are thrilled to see what Mike Isabella has brought to town, an extensive reach into the tourist market for those who have been fans of Top Chef, and of course the built-in neighborhood dwellers who are sure to make it a regular place on their list. I love the casual nature of the restaurant and the food really exceeded expectations delivering everything I had been hoping for and more. Graffiato will become a Washington staple in no time, and I’m going back soon for the Chef’s Tasting Menu and hope that I can sample of the Prosecco at that time as well.
*UPDATE*
I went back to Graffiato again (yes, I went twice in one week… don’t judge me). And this time not only was the Prosecco on tap flowing, but I was able to try a few more dishes such as the white pizza, the penne with lamb, porcini, and pecorino, and the spaghetti pomodoro. Wow, were they fantastic.
Nothing but rave reviews for Graffiato so far. I haven’t spoken to a single person who wasn’t wowed by the food, and my two experiences have proven that this place is here to stay.
Graffiato
707 6th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
www.graffiatodc.com
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Summer Sweets
by Ilyssa on June 15, 2011
It wasn’t too long ago that you couldn’t find either a cupcake or frozen yogurt place on every block in Arlington. I know I kept on thinking to myself “how long is this craze going to last?” or “who possibly could be eating so many cupcakes?” And now I know…people like me. I’m finding that one of the dangers of living in such a great location is being able to walk every night to a different dessert place… here’s a few of my faves:
Buzz Bakery: I never thought I’d be one of those regulars at a cupcake place, but I find myself dreaming about those cupcakes. Unfortunately since I typically get there later in the evenings they are usually sold out of many of the flavors, but they never cease to amaze me with their creativity on any given day (flavors such as Katy Perry cupcakes). Also, I like that they mix up their cake batter and don’t just stick to the traditional chocolate or plain vanilla cakes; often times you’ll find pumpkin, oatmeal, and carrot options. They do also have hard ice cream and pints to go – while hard ice cream isn’t my favorite, they do offer a particularly delicious cereal flavored ice cream.
Sweetgreen: This is where I go when I pretend to be healthy. While I’m a dessert purist and try to stick to the sweets, my husband prefers the tart flavor made from real yogurt and variety of toppings– I like the coconut, blueberry, and raspberry.
Red Mango: This is where I go when I justify a larger portion because I walked farther to get it (ha!). This froyo chain offers a variety of sweet and fruity flavors (pomegrenate or madagascar vanilla are two faves) and toppings as well.
Northside Social: Hands down my favorite ice cream in Arlington. Many people don’t realize that this fun coffee house/wine bar even sells ice cream. I haven’t met a flavor that I didn’t regret not getting a larger size. Salted caramel, chocolate/peanut butter/banana combo, you name it, it won’t disappoint. While they usually only have two flavors a night, it’s always fun being surprised with what they have to offer.
Elevation Burger: I had to throw this in the list because their milkshakes are sinful and typically accompany a cheeseburger and who doesn’t love that combo?
I realize I’m leaving off a ton of places (Crumbs, Bayou Bakery, Bake Shop, just to name a few) but that’s primarily because even if when I start my nightly outing I intend to make it there, I typically can’t resist my urge to stop before then.
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