Restaurant Review: Fiola Da Fabio Trabocchi

Over the course of one's life, there are maybe a handful of memorable meals. Mostly, they're memorable for the company you shared or for the occasion surrounding the meal, and sometimes these factors can color your perception of the food. Other times meals are memorable simply because the food was so outstanding. That's where Fiola comes in. The dishes speak for themselves here. 

Before I get to the food, let me say that the cocktails at Fiola are top-notch. My fellow drinks editor from We Love DC, Jenn Larsen, and I met at the bar for dinner, and while perusing the menu, cocktails were in order. Jeff Faile is the bartender of your dreams--name a flavor and he can make a drink for you, pair it with a dish on the menu and even crack a joke at the end of it all. Alright, I know, Jenn had already befriended him so it's not like he wasn't going to pay attention to a friend at his bar. But Jeff can pretty much whip up any concoction to your liking. The cocktails at Fiola are artistic and thoughtful. The Alexandra, a vodka-based cocktail, strikes a perfect balance between the citrus of the lime and the subtle sweetness of the Rothman Pear liqueur. For something even lighter, I also tried the Jolanda, a drink with "maraschino liqueur, lemon juice, liqueur de violettes and prosecco"--delicious and refreshing.

I'll start out with a bold, sweeping statement: dinner at Fiola was one of the best meals I've had in DC. That's not an exaggeration in the least. When I went, the creamy burrata was served on a bed of arugula and other greens with the lightest citrus-flavored vinaigrette. Normally, I let the burrata take over my taste buds and be the sole focus of the dish. But in this version, the salad was not your typical after-thought or garnish--it was dressed perfectly with a vinaigrette that contrasted the creamy burrata perfectly.

There are two other antipasti that you cannot pass up at Fiola. Do not sign your bill and walk out that door without trying the crab crostino. Thick, hearty and crusty slices of bread carry a dungeness crab dip. It's incredibly rich, creamy and with a little briny flavor of the ocean. To make the dish even richer, it's topped with a slice of a black truffle. I repeat, do not leave Fiola without trying the crab crostino. The other antipasti you can't pass up is the steak tartar. At other restaurants, steak tartar can be a cop out--charge a high price for little, thinly pounded, practically translucent slices of beef. Not the case here. The minced steak tartar at Fiola comes with a parmesan crema, a soft, poached quail egg and little crispy wisps of bacon. I want to say that there were capers in the tartar, but I was too busy enjoying the dish and forgot to ask. The dish's presentation is enough to get any steak-lover's mouth watering--that ruby red beef with the silky, runny egg yolk and the salty parmesan sauce make this dish memorable. The bacon is a nice touch as well.

After all of that, I had to remember that I still had pasta on the way. For this one, I relied on Jeff's advice for which pasta dish to pick. I went with the tortellini of baby lamb, which as Jeff described, "made him giggle" the first time he tried it. The man was right. The tender lamb and salty prosciutto are complimented by the sage flavor in the creamy sauce. If you feel the urge to giggle gleefully after the first bite, you're not alone; go ahead and let that giggle fly. The strips of prosciutto add a salty kick to the plate and a little something extra to round out the flavors of the lamb and the sage.

If you dare to have room for dessert, go with the bomboloni. These sugar-dusted ricotta donuts are airy and sweet, and the ice cream paired with it is like eating the pure essence of cinnamon. Those hot donuts are just the right thing for dessert on a cold night in winter.

Fiola is elegant and creative Italian food that incorporates traditional flavors or pairings, but takes those dishes to the next level. If you've got an occasion where you're aiming to impress your dinner companions but remain in a completely approachable and unpretentious atmosphere, Fiola is the right pick. Stay tuned to We Love DC for my upcoming Capital Chefs feature on chef Fabio Trabocchi. I'll post the link here when it's online. In the meantime, get yourself over to Fiola.

Take a bite: www.bonappetitfoodie.com.

Dim Sum Brunch at The Source

Duck Bao Bun at The Source

I love a traditional brunch any day. If you're a member of the frequent bruncher crowd, I bet you've trained yourself to skim over a menu, zero in on keywords (hollandaise, poached, bacon) and have your order done and ready to rattle off to a waiter in less than five minutes in an attempt to make sure you and your friends aren't there for another three hour mimosa-induced boozefest like you did last weekend. One can only do so many of those. So in the effort to make brunch a little different and more interesting, I'm telling you right now to head over to The Source by Wolfgang Puck to try their dim sum brunch.

Rabbit Sausage Bao Bun with Mustard Sauce
at The Source

For starters, the dim sum brunch at The Source is a great way to try one of the best (and frankly more expensive) restaurants in the city without burning a substantial hole in your wallet. Five plates are $30 or upgrade to eight plates for $40. For two people, eight plates will leave you very full. Also, remember that The Source only serves its dim sum brunch on Saturdays (wouldn't want you to roll up there on a Sunday only to be disappointed and hungry). Being a huge bloody mary fan, I recommend the District Mary, which ups the ante on the classic one with a spicy, house made half-smoke. So let's break down the dishes, shall we?


If there's one thing you will get your fill of and cannot pass up at The Source, it's the dumplings. You can try to make executive chef Scott Drewno's chicken dumplings or pork potstickers at home, but the real deal at dim sum brunch is going to be better than whatever you whip up in your own kitchen. The crystal chive dumpling and wok fired shrimp dumplings are not to be missed.

For a variation on the Chinese dumpling, try the Indian lamb samosas at brunch. The crispy fried wrapping contrasts with the soft filling of lamb and potatoes and a nice hint of cumin. The classic green chutney paired with the lamb samosas is probably one of the best I've tasted. If you're still in the mood for something a little fried and crispy, go for the lobster and shrimp spring roll. They're packed with chunks of shrimp and lobster meat that soak up the sweet honey-based dipping sauce.

Lobster and Shrimp Spring Roll at The Source

The other dim sum item that I would not pass up are the bao buns. While the menu varies from time to time, if you do see them, try the beef brisket bao buns, duck bao buns or the rabbit sausage with spicy mustard bao bun. While I initially thought the beef brisket bao bun would be my favorite, I have to say the rabbit sausage really stole the show and I never would have guessed it was rabbit until Drewno told us. The spicy mustard sauce with the cool slice of cucumber paired well. On the duck bao buns, that perfectly crispy duck skin was the highlight. And the pillowy buns themselves strike the right balance between soft and chewy.

Beef Brisket Bao Bun at The Source

Should you have room for dessert, the tangerine gelato is thick and creamy, but refreshing. After all the dumplings and bao buns and noodles, the brightly flavored tangerine gelato is a nice way to round out the meal while getting a little sweet fix.

If you're looking for an alternative to the tried and true eggs-meat-and-cheese brunch combination, head over to the dim sum brunch at The Source.

Tangerine Gelato with Candied Orange Zest at The Source

Disclosure: A few of the dishes I sampled at the dim sum brunch were sent out compliments of the chef.

Take a bite: www.bonappetitfoodie.com.

Restaurant Review: Graffiato

Pork Belly with Cannelini Beans at Graffiato
Photo by Marissa Bialecki

I'll admit that with this food writing side gig, I can fall prey to acting jaded sometimes. That's not to say I'm not grateful for the opportunity to meet chefs around the city or eat fantastic food. It's just that with all the eating I get to do, it makes it a little harder to leave an impression on me. But Graffiato is one of those restaurants that talks the talk and walks the walk; the food is always incredible and six months after it first opened the place is still relentlessly packed every night of the week.

In the summertime I was all about the sweet corn agnolotti. And in my more recent trips to the restaurant there have been a number of dishes that have left a lasting memory on my palate. In one of my big "gets" for the year over at We Love DC, I scored an interview with Mike Isabella for my Capital Chefs column. It was one of the best interviews I got to do all year. Isabella is a very personable, friendly guy and I don't just think that because we're both from New Jersey and we both put pepperoni in our sauces (I owe that one to my grandma).

One of the best dishes I had at Graffiato was the crispy brussel sprouts with maple, pancetta and egg. The brussel sprouts were soft on the inside, but had nicely carmelized outer edges. The carmelization of the outer leaves along with the sweetness of maple syrup and the saltiness of the pancetta were a fantastic combination. Though I tend to lean in the direction of the meat dishes, this particular dish really stole the show for me. If brussel sprouts aren't your thing (though this dish might convince you otherwise), go with the charred potatoes--a simple dish that finishes off the potatoes with lemon, parsley and parmesan. And if you're a pork fanatic, you'll love Isabella's take on "pork and beans" with a rough cannelini bean puree and pork belly.


Mike Isabella of Graffiato
Photo by Marissa Bialecki

 The other favorite was one that I got to try after interviewing Mike: the roasted potato gnocchi with black truffles and wild mushrooms. Hands down, this was probably the best dish I ate in all of 2011. Black truffles could probably make the bottom of your shoe taste good. But this dish didn't rest its laurels on the truffles. The rich buttery sauce with the soft gnocchi along with the crispy truffle flakes on top were in a word, heavenly. So often dishes with trendy ingredients, such as truffles, can be executed poorly or lazily. But the gnocchi were the perfect consistency and this dish was incredibly flavorful and rich.

There are two other dishes I consistently make sure to order when I head to Graffiato: the burrata and a pizza. I've been known to consume mini burratas by myself in one sitting. And those creamy curds that ooze out of the burrata at Graffiato are not to be missed. In the summer, I had a pizza with prosciutto and honey that was an incredible mix of salty and sweet. The Porky's Revenge pizza with sopressata, pepperoni, sausage and stracciatella is perfect for the meat lover. The crust is thin, and the pizza is flavorful but not overly salty from all that cured meat. While the pizza's got more of an artisanal feel that the run of the mill slice in New Jersey, Mike has the thin crust down .

For dessert, the chocolate tart is a great choice, though I will say that I wasn't crazy about the sea salt gelato. The zeppoles, on the other hand, are delicious and far lighter than anything I've eaten on the boardwalk at the Jersey shore. They're not too sweet, but they'll satisfy that dessert craving after dinner, if you happen to have room.

If you haven't already been to Graffiato, go and go fast. I'd definitely advise you to make a reservation. If this restaurant is any indication, his Mexican small plates concept in Georgetown, Bandolero, should be just as amazing. 

Take a bite: www.bonappetitfoodie.com.