Ristorante Piccalo Review

Ristorante Piccalo

1068 31st St NW  

Washington, DC 20007
(202) 342-7414

http://piccolodc.com/

Ristorante Piccalo is a charming restaurant in the heart of Georgetown.  It’s location in a refurbished row house explains the compact and tight seating.  The foyer of the restaurant is very romantic with dim lighting.  The restaurant spans two levels.  The walls are a warm, copper brown with indigo blue accents.  Wrought iron railings and hard wood floors are elegant additions to the space.  A roaring fireplace upstairs adds to the romantic feel of Ristorante Piccalo.  The service is wonderful.  The staff is very attentive and there to answer any questions you have and provide whatever you may need. 

Now for the bad news, the food was a major disappointment.  The cuisine was nowhere near as nice as the service and atmosphere.  The flavoring of the food was boring.  The menu’s creativity was lacking.  How can a chef/restaurant owner pour so much time, money and effort into making a restaurant look and feel great but turn around and serve barely mediocre food?  We just could not figure that part out.  Even the people dining next to us said their meal was “ok”.  The chef knew how to cook food well but it lacked flavor and panache.  Some fresh herbs can transform a dish from ok to amazing. 

The prices at Ristorante Piccalo are not too bad considering this is Washington DC.  An average 3 course meal would run you $45-$50 per person.  That is way too much money for subpar food.  If the food were to improve this would be a great restaurant for date night because of its romantic feel and the pampering you would receive from the staff.  They do not offer valet parking but there is a garage right next door to the restaurant and you can park there for $10.  Overall we give Ristorante Piccalo ♪♪. 

Portobello Gratinate

To sum it up, this was a crispy Portobello mushroom with crabmeat on top.  They baked it in a light mushroom demi glace.  It was perfectly cooked and the crabmeat did not have a lot of filler, unfortunately the dish lacked flavor.    

Carpaccio De Manzo

This finely sliced beef tenderloin was served raw and accented with EVOO, capers and shaved parmesan.  The texture of the beef was good but it lacked flavor and needed the cheese and capers to add flavor.  The chef also managed to forget the EVOO.  It’s sad because this dish needed all the help it could get. 

Agnolotti Al Porcini

This dish boasted its acclaim as a “Taste of Georgetown” winning entree…If they say so.  Needless to say, they did not consider our vote.  The good news is the pasta was handmade and the mushrooms were fresh and finely minced.  We enjoyed the delicateness of the pasta.  On the flip side it had NO distinguishable flavor…BORING!

Frutti Di Mare Thermidor

Lobster, scallops and shrimp were sautéed with shallots and a light brandy cream sauce.   Eating this dish was like having an Oscar worth script and a lavish set with mediocre acting.  This was so very sad and disappointing.

Lemoncello Cake

We have decided that this chef needs to stick with desserts.  It is clearly his strength.  This cake was DELICIOUS.  Light, fluffy and airy best describe this sweet treat. 

Chocolate Mousse Cake

This cake was also light and fluffy with a cool and creamy chocolate mousse.  The deserts were by far the best part of the meal.