"While it sounds like a secret society where people twirl their mustaches and say “fromage” in excess, Cheese Room is a casual Italian spot on Capitol Hill with cheeses from around the world headlining each dish. It’s a neat concept that nobody asked for, but the effort seems to be all for naught, because we can’t taste the dang cheese. In the case of the Dungeness crab ravioli, French camembert is undetectable among bold lobster bisque and tarragon—and Spanish manchego in gnocchi is overpowered by a rice wine reduction so undercooked it should have prompted an ID check. Sure, the kind-of-rustic shell of the old Machiavelli space works well enough for an early evening glass of wine and a charcuterie board where the fancy cheeses can’t hide. We’d also come back to eat the fluffy homemade ricotta on grilled bread. But for the time being, there are better Italian spots in town to choose from." - Aimee Rizzo
