The Gist: http://www.fioladc.com/
The Why: Fabio Trabocchi is sort of a big deal in the Washington culinary landscape and having never had the opportunity to experience his cuisine at Maestro I was excited to hear about the soon-to-open Fiola on my first visit to Washington DC and placed it on the short list for my return visit. Hailing from Le Marche and focused on a style of food not exactly Roman or Tuscan but instead a sort of amalgam of myriad Italian styles and heavily seafood focused I was admittedly a bit torn at first as to whether I should attend for lunch or the more expansive dinner so that I could try more things but this conundrum remedied itself when a fellow gourmand – or three – reached out and invited me and invited me in for lunch, one of them a friend of Fabio who requested a few items from the dinner menu be added to the lunch.
The Reservation: As above, a table for four was booked by a friend of the chef for noon.
The Setting: Located on prime real estate on Pennsylvania Avenue the restaurant is upscale and bright even when the weather is less than ideal. Solid wooden tables appearing with patterns featuring the rings of trees and a large bar seat at least a hundred while high ceilings and textured walls from stone to glass to wood and florals give the space a warm and rustic feel that continues to the stoneware plating. Clearly conducive to echoes given the materials involved it should be noted that Fiola is not a ‘quiet’ restaurant, but taking into account the Batali and White restaurants of New York Fiola certainly is not loud.
The Service: While I will note that the restaurant was incredibly busy even at a Monday lunch the service still seemed off, our primary server Sigel seemingly unable to read a guest as he prattled on and on about each dish even as we tried to order. Certainly not expecting ‘special’ treatment despite one of my co-diners being known to the restaurant I also did not expect a restaurant of this caliber (rated amongst the top 10 in the city) to leave water glasses unfilled, leave dirty plates around for extended periods of time, or to not replace silverware between courses.
The food and drink: Four Pasta, Two Risotto, Two Proteins, and Three Desserts plus complimentary bread service.
Croissant Rolls with olive oil and sea salt: To the best of my knowledge there is nothing traditionally Italian about these rolls but be that as it may be every bite of every roll was excellent – possibly the best single option bread service I’ve ever experienced at a restaurant. Slightly buttery with a crisp shell and fluffy interior crumb the olive oil was not really necessary, but with slight fruity notes overlying a grassy base and plenty of crunch added by the sea salt I ate more than a couple of these and probably would have had more if the servers had been more attentive.
Cavatelli – Sardinian Ricotta Gnocchi + Guanciale + Tomatoes: Our first pasta of the afternoon was, in my opinion, the weakest of the group in terms of texture but the boldest in flavor as the gnocchi themselves were a bit overcooked leading to a slightly rubbery body. A rustic presentation rife with both sweetness and acid held in check by the briny pork and caramelized onions this dish was more than enough in terms of portion – a good dish to share, though I’d have been hard pressed to eat a whole plate at the exclusion of other better executed options.
Fiola Lobster Ravioli: Probably Trabocchi’s most famous dish and commanding a $34 premium (generally only on the dinner menu) it would be hard to mess up a dish consisting of lobster and mascarpone stuffed pasta drowning in buttery sauce with a whole split lobster tail at its side but given the substantial hype about this dish I guess I expected to be ‘blown away,’ while I was instead simply impressed by fresh and sweet lobster paired with butter, something that any number of restaurants can do equally well at a similar cost – certainly not a ‘bad’ dish, but not exactly what I picture as a ‘signature’ either.
Cacio & Pepe – Spaghetti Chitarra + Cacio Cheese + Black Pepper Roman Style: Perfectly al dente Hand-cut spaghetti, creamy cheese with a fruity nose, a bit of olive oil, salt, and black pepper – simple, delicious, and for a dish so easy to prepare but so difficult to perfect this was as good as I’ve tasted.
Potato Gnocchi of Venetian Style Cod + Calamari + Scallops: The highlight of the meal for me and another special request from the dinner menu this dish featured two of my very favorite things combined into one – salt cod brandade dumplings. Rich and rife with notes of olive oil and chives each tender dumpling was lightly touched with red pepper while the addition of tender calamari and sweet scallops served only to gild the proverbial lily. A highlight of the meal and one of my favorite dishes of 2012 it was the one dish I regretted having to share.
Tuscan Vitello Tonnato with Baby Artichoke Salad: Raved by some as a must order but myself not a fan of veal’s taste or texture this simply was not my style. Decidedly tender and smothered in a fishy sauce reminiscent of mayonnaise just as it should be I tasted a bite and that was enough, though I did quite like the tender artichokes resting atop the pile.
Venetian Squid Ink Risotto and Scallops: Superlative scallops with a bit of butter foam and rice as black as night, creamy yet subtly toothsome, and imbued with mascarpone this was without a shadow of a doubt the best risotto I’ve ever had, or at least one of two…
Braised Veal Cheeks + Risotto Milanese “Ossobuco Style”: Yes, as much as I favor seafood over beef it would be hard for me to choose which risotto I most preferred at Fiola that afternoon – this option absolutely teaming with saffron, garlic, and notes of white wine while supple beef cheeks in a hearty beef gravy rested atop the rice. Buttery as opposed to creamy but equally well textured it should go without saying that if risotto is on the menu at Fiola it must be ordered.
Arctic Char + Porcini Crema + Barbera + Rosemary: With skin more fatty than crisp and flesh tender but rather uninspired this was not a dish I’d have selected if I were dining on my own and much like the Vitello a bite or two went a long way, though I will admit I sopped up more than a little of the rich and aromatic mushroom sauce with a roll and would have gladly enjoyed the “crema” as a soup.
La Zuppa Inglese – Trifle of Strawberry + Granita of Lemon and Basil: Light and almost flavorless aside from the lemon cream I rather liked the use of textures here but would have certainly preferred a bit more sweet, sour, or something to make it pop.
Fiola Tart: A bit more my speed than the Zuppa this dense cake featured a rich chocolate cookie crust topped with caramel ganache, hazelnut paste that I’m rather certain was blended with fig, and oatmeal streusel all lending to a flavor profile that was at once fruity, nutty, and entirely sweet. Interesting to be sure but the sort of dish where a bite was enough to suffice my curiosity this would have made a better mignardise than a proper dessert.
Bomboloni and Affogato: Sure the concept of coffee and donuts has been done more than once but featuring sugary donuts with a crisp exterior and light crump alongside Stracciatella Gelato and Espresso this was a nice example and the best if a rather weak showing of sweets.
The Verdict: With tax and tip for a group of four we ended up spending nearly $75/pp for lunch and although the room and property clearly command a premium I couldn’t help but feel that all-in-all the meal should have been better, particularly the dessert, the service and the secondi – though I admit that I personally would not have ordered either the Vitello, the Char, or the Zuppa if left to my own devices. A nice spot in a city where there is a lot of Italian but none across-the-board good I’d gladly return for the pasta and the risotto while saving the antipasti and secondi for Elisir or elsewhere.