A Pretty New Pasta Pad Rises in Glover Park | Eater DC
"A lobby-level hotel restaurant returns to its Italian roots on Monday, November 18 as a dreamy neighborhood newcomer. Industry vets Daniel Perron and Luca Giovannini reunite after working together years ago at Fiola Mare and Blue Duck Tavern; Perron most recently led the kitchen at a Capitol Hill steakhouse and says, "I have a lot of experience with pasta, meat, and fish, but I like to push myself and do something little more different." The new northern-Italian–minded concept emphasizes homemade pastas as a "huge focal point," with multi-colored doughs as a unique draw: "Jet-back agnolotti, which gets its dramatic hue from activated charcoal in the dough, balances braised oxtail and Tuscan kale." Another signature is an orange ravioli — wrapped inside pumpkin-shaped pasta molds, with dehydrated squash turned into a stuffing joined by nutmeg and Parmesan — and the seasonal vegetable also appears in a warm honeynut squash soup. A converted wood-fired oven (replacing the space’s former gas-fired pizza oven) helps grill proteins like Roseda Farm NY strip, an Autumn Olive Farm pork chop, and a red snapper "chop." Starters include a Caesar salad, plump pork-and-beef meatballs, homemade focaccia, winter radish "carpaccio," and a rotating array of imported salumi and cheese; desserts include espresso martini tiramisu and cheesecake on a biscotti crust. The bar leans on northern Italian wines (from Rome and up) plus Negronis and other classics. Renovation brought all-new furniture and jewel-toned chairs, and a semi-open kitchen that puts nightly pasta-making on full display contributes to a "warm and inviting" ambiance, he says. The cozy dining room seats 80, with another 40 at the bar; an additional bar and patio area for up to 80 — which will follow in the spring — will offer a more casual cicchetti-driven menu. The all-day program includes lemon ricotta pancakes, croissants, and eggy sandwiches, and the team hopes to serve hotel guests while building regulars from nearby neighborhoods like Georgetown and Cathedral Heights: "Glover Park needs something good and approachable for the neighborhood," Perron says. "There’s nothing really there. We hope they’ll embrace us." - Tierney Plumb
