Had dinner last night at Fiola, at Italian restaurant in Washington, DC.
It’s downtown and really quite difficult to locate if you don’t know the precise route to take, given that it’s tucked off a side street. After wandering aimlessly for a while, I managed to find the place and waited for my friends.
When they arrived we were walked through the quiet, fancy dining room to our table. All the waiters are immaculately attired in crisp purple shirts and dark trousers, and very knowledgable about everything on the menu.
For an appetizer I had buffalo mozzarella with heirloom tomatoes and basil, priced at $18. It was a huge scoop of creamy, fresh cheese sitting atop juicy tomatoes, seasoned with just the right level of salt. Promising start.
Believing that my arteries would not be sufficiently clogged by the mounds of cheese with the starter, for my main course chose the $28 hanger steak. It’s served with huge helpings of butternut squash ravioli, pancetta, pork and black pepper. The steak — cooked medium rare — was tender, and the port-based sauce giving each bite a rich, slightly sweet and delicious tang. Top marks too for the ravioli, overflowing with butternut squash.
I was a fan of Fiola based off this visit. Huge portions, reasonable prices given the high quality of the food, and friendly, intelligent servers.
The one caveat is that it’s definitely a place to indulge.
The food is rich. So rich in fact that I woke up in the middle of the night needing to reach for an antacid or five. Now, that’s my own fault for over-eating and stuffing my face with cheese and beef, so maybe someone else could plan a smarter menu selection. Whatever options are made, they probably won’t disappoint.
Just keep the Tums handy.