Talea

The Hottest New Restaurants Around D.C., July 2024

"The team behind Georgetown’s popular Italian restaurant Flavio expanded to Cathedral Heights in late June in the old Cafe Deluxe space. Co-owners Hamza Hadani and Mekki Karrakchou import a familiar menu full of pillowy ricotta gnocchi, branzino, chicken Parmesan mains, and plenty of pastas like a lobster diavolo and wild mushroom ravioli. New dish drops include a namesake Talea’s penne with squid, shrimp, scallop, Kalamata olives, and spinach in a lush cream sauce. The sleek setup with a welcoming patio out front features mod prints of a spaghetti-twirling Frank Sinatra and Sophia Loren." - Tierney Plumb