Best Dishes D.C. Editors Ate This Week: November 20 | Eater DC

"The specials at this Italian American staple in Southeast are incredible right now; I was getting serious pasta envy on my last visit. Even as I tucked into a spicy, seafood-heavy fra diavolo that hit all the comforting notes I wanted on a windy Monday, I kept stealing bites of my dining partner’s baked ziti: creamy melted mozzarella blanketing rigatoni in a delicious red sauce with a little zing of spice. My pescatarian partner was especially gleeful because most zitis include ground beef, but this vegetarian version still delivered hearty flavor. I also sampled (and took home most of) the seasonal cavatelli with delicious sausage and roasted tomatoes that tasted like a sleeper hit. If you’re a cookies-and-cream lover, there’s an Oreo cheesecake on the specials, along with a Caesar-topped chicken cutlet held over from the summer because it was so popular. The regulars still shine, with semolina-dusted calamari and creamy burrata with basil pesto as perfect starters." - Tierney Plumb