It took six years, but I finally found outstanding Italian food in DC.
I don’t just mean the occasional tasty dish. I’m talking about top-notch, consistently great food from the appetizers through to the dessert, with a great menu to choose from. The place is Al Tiramisu in Washington’s Dupont Circle neighborhood.
Sunday night ahead of the Independence Day celebrations (not a great day to be a Brit in the United States) I ate at the restaurant with a friend based on his recommendation. I’ve known him for years and he has questionable judgment, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
I jest, his only questionable judgment is wanting to be friends with me.
Turns out he knows a good restaurant. Al Tiramisu is a small place that you might not notice walking down the street. The decor inside is a little special, with bright orange walls, yellow ceilings and dark carpets. But I couldn’t care less about the furnishings when the food is this good.
For an appetizer I had the Parma ham with buffalo mozzarella, with so much ham that I could have built my own pig. Great stuff.
We split two entrees — ricotta gnocchi in a fresh cherry tomato sauce and a beef tenderloin with Aleatico wine sauce. The gnocchi was made on site and very light, while the beef was outstanding. Despite being a journalist I’m struggling for the words to describe how great the food was. But it was without a fault delicious, filling, and I’ll definitely be back.