For all you Top Chef fans, Mike Isabella's new DC restaurant is now open! Located on 6th Street between F and H in Chinatown, Graffiato offers small plates of a variety of wood-fired morsels, pizza, and pasta. The industrial decor is reminiscent of a tastefully furnished bachelor pad with brick walls, dark woods, and steel countertops. Although the dining room was a bit loud for comfortable conversation, the service was friendly and prompt (by, I must say, some very attractive men). I have to give props to Isabella --- the place was completely packed on a Thursday night, less than a week after the grand opening.
Everything at Graffiato appears to be made in-house with lots of super fresh local ingredients. We started off the meal with hand-stretched mozzarella covered in pistachios, olive oil, and balsamic. The mozzarella was a little tough and a bit under-seasoned, but fresh and tasty. Not quite worth $9 in my opinion.
We also ordered the bone marrow, which was topped with bacon, pistachios, and bread crumbs, served alongside a cured lemon --- all roasted in the wood-fired oven. You really can't go wrong when you smother crunchy toppings in silky fat and place it on top of house-made breads (the house-made breads are sold separately with, you guessed it, house-made ricotta). Absolutely scrumptious.
The highlight of the evening, however, were the potato gnocchi served over braised pork, fava beans, and burrata. Let me tell you, these were little pillows of love sent straight from Isabella's grandmother's kitchen. I definitely foresee spending many a lunches here during the next few months devouring this dish. Since the pastas are served as small plates, this would be the perfect lunch portion along with another small plate or salad.
We finished off our meal with the White House pizza, which contained taleggio, mozzarella, ricotta, course black pepper, and locally-sourced honey. While this was clearly a favorite among the staff, I was a little underwhelmed. The flavors were just a little too creamy and sweet (though the honey was admittedly subtle) for me to want more than a couple of slices. I have to say that I'm quite excited to try the Countryman, which touts fontina, black truffles, and a duck egg.
All-in-all, a very satisfying meal and I am certain that I will return. The total meal (including three cocktails/beers) set the two of us back $100 with tax and tip, which is a little steep for what you get. But there are certainly a few items on the menu that will keep me coming back.