Pasta, good quality and loads of variety
Which Italian restaurants approach (or surpass) Batali in terms of the quality and variety of pasta dishes? Any place in DC that has a pasta tasting menu that's actually worth eating? Any recent experiences at Potenza? Tosca? If you were forced to eat 3 pastas in one sitting, where would you go?
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Potenza
1430 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005
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I recently dined at Spezie for lunch and they have a decent amount of variety, they will let you split 2 different pastas as your entree. I enjoyed the lunch and I have enjoyed dinner their in the past as well, I think Spezie is slightly better then Siroc and Potenza. I am not a fan of Dino. If I had to rank them. I would do 1. Spezie. 2. Siroc (a close 2nd) 3. Potenza
I cannot speak for Tosca, Al Tiramisu or Obelisk because I have never dined their before.
I would go to Tosca or Obelisk though, I have heard wonderful things about them.
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Spezie
1736 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20036Potenza
1430 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005Siroc Restaurant
915 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 -
Eric, for quality pasta in DC, based on repeat experiences, I like Tosca, Sorriso, and Al
Tiramisu. I've had consistently good experiences with the pasta at all of these places. Al Tiramisu has what I consider to be the best gnocchi in the city (and as good, if not better than the gnocchi at Batali's Lupa, IMHO). I've also had excellent experience at Sorriso (rigatoni, linguini, etc.). Sorriso is a small, family-run place in
Cleveland Park. I enjoy both the food and the atmosphere. And you really can't go wrong with Tosca, but it is does have a more formal atmosphere. Not as laidback as the other places I mentioned.Finally, I just had dinner at Potenza for the first time. I had an excellent spinach papardelle (although I didn't care for the veal ragu sauce). My dining companion had the ricotta-filled mezzalune, which were also good (but again, the sauce wasn't so great). Based on what we tried and I saw other patrons eating, I'd say that Potenza's pasta is quite good. You can read more about my experience at Potenza here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/623247
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Sorriso Restaurant
3518 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008Al Tiramisu
2014 P Street, Washington, DC 20036Potenza
1430 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 -
ktmoomau
Nov 9, 2009 12:52 PM
If I was forced for three pastas in one sitting I would go to Tosca (although I haven't been in a little while). They do half size pasta portions fyi. They used to have a rabbit parpadelle that isn't on the menu, which is a shame, but the boar ragu looks good, so does the tortellini. Anyway that is my choice.
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