Giovanni's Trattu Italian Restaurant Washington, DC rreview-times.html

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WashingtonWeekend

Dining Out

Ann Geracimos

Giovanni's Trattu:
Quiet setting off
city's beaten path

Relax and enjoy some familiar offerings

Giovanni Viezzi, of
Giovann's Trattu, so
loves the comic figure
that adorns his business
card and souvenir
menus that he doesn't want
guests to leave the restaurant
without it.
The drawing is of a bulbous,
pink-skinned mustachioed gent in
a blue jacket and yellow bat,
balancing a tiny wine glass on his
finger and clutching a stoppered
bottle in the other hand.
Welcome to at least one city
trattoria that doesn't have any
pretensions and where the lunch
menu especially is a bargain for
the variety and quality of food
Offered. The name Trattu
according to Mr. Viezzi, is the
same as trattoria in Sicilian
dialect.
Another plus: the setting is
ideal for having an intimate
conversation since this doesn't
seem to be such a crowded in-
place that people can't hear
themselves swallowing, much
less trying to talk. The location
on a secluded side street
between 18th and 19th Streets
out of reach of the horn-honking
traffic world gives it a special
status all its own.
Mr Viezzi knows about
crowds and bonhomie, having
spent several years at Galileo
and Cafe Milano. At Trattu, he is
in his element greeting and
gossiping with familiar faces to a
fare-thee-well. If you are on his
personal in-list you will be
treated royally.
But to Mends and strangers
alike, the idea is to relax and
enjoy any of the delicious items
that chef Santino Fillipeto
produces in the small kitchen
out of sight in the back of the
narrow room. Not surprisingly,
Mr. Fillipeto came out of the
Galileo empire as well.
The restaurant's space is
small; a few mirrors in the rear
add some dimension. Brocade-
covered banquettes line several
walls, one of which is exposed
brick and the other a bright
white in order to better expose
the magnificent collection of
multicolored Sicilian ceramic
plates that Mr. Viezzi has bought
purely for show.
The tables—cutout white
paper atop white draped cloths
—are decorated with
individually patterned vases and
fresh flowers. Candles are added

in the evening when the
overhead lighting can be severe.
(Don't hesitate asking to turn it
down for a cozier atmosphere.)
The best table is a round one in a
far corner.
Patrons are treated, too, with
some decorative serving plates
and cups and saucers that look
striking against the white cloth.
Mr. Viezzi aims to please,
which he certainly does with
only an occasional miss.
"These are our chef's choices,
but we will be happy to
accommodate your favorite
dishes" read the notice at the
bottom of the menu. The day's
specials are worth trying and the
list is blessedly short. No
challenge to the memory to note
one or two mentioned by the
waiter
At lunch recently after a
heavenly taste of bruschetti
pieces of fresh-tasting tomato and
basil atop garlic aria oil-soaked
bread—our party shared a
starter special of the day
introduced as "a vegetable flan." It
was a mouth-watering blend,
primarily carrots, in a cream
sauce. Divided into three portions,
it provided the perfect prelude for
the entrees that followed.
One of these, a $14.95 menu
regular was the costoletta alla
milanese, a pounded veal chop
lightly breaded and fried with
herbs in olive oil. floated this way,
the meat was so thin it covered the
plate. A side plate held an
accompanying salad of arugula
that added a welcome green color.
The polo al trattu, a signature
dish, is a real bargain at $10.95:
succulent pieces of chicken
breast cooked with mushrooms,
mated red pepper and garlic in
a white wine sauce.
The day's special was sole
wrapped into a roll around bits
of salmon and spinach, then
sliced and displayed like tidbits
of sushi in a saffron flavored
sauce. Both the sole and chicken
came to the table with thin slices
of grilled zucchini, fresh but
over-salted spinach, and fried
diced potatoes.
A glass of light but pleasing
Chianti cost $5.50; the excellent
American-style coffee, only $2. A
full bottle of Sangiovese Merlot,
Santa Cristina, is $30, the
medium price range for what is
a relatively small list of Italian
wines. They start at $24. There
is also a teaser selection called
"Giovanni's Special Reserve" —
price not given. (It includes
Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Jaboulet,
1992.)

The basket of bread is a plain
fresh-sliced commercial brand
rather than a house-baked treat.
Bottles of fizzy Pelligrino water
are $6, but the waiter gladly fills
glasses with tap water.
Desserts were tempting, only
much too filling for lunch. A
round of plain flaky pastry
morsels centered by a few slices
of fresh strawberry arrived
gratis and were the perfect touch
with coffee.
At dinner another day, one
special was a tender rockfish in a
light cream sauce cooked al
dente. The price was a $23.95.
Veal is a heavy favorite on the
evening menu, with four
different versions available:
scallopine, medallion, and chop.
We opted for the veal special of
the night, a somewhat
disappointing ragout made with
barolo wine that didn't seem to
have much personality A barolo
and mushroom sauce is also
done with medallions of veal and
might make a better dish.
Far more memorable was

sharing a tri-color pasta starter —
three pastas to match the red,
green and white of the Italian flag
This was our waiter's suggestion
— the chef's subsequent
invention. We gave highest marks
to agnolotti a]la panna —tiny
pillow squares stuffed with
spinach and ricotta cheese —and
voted the red tomato sauce with
penne superb. The third item was
fettuccine with pesto.
Dessert was a triad as well: a
tiramisu dressed with chocolate
sauce, a scrumptiously rich
panna cotta, and a selection of
sorbets with fresh fruit. We
resisted the creme brulee, and
crostata al cioccolato (cake filled
with chocolate cream and
hazelnuts) and torta della nonna
(layer cake with lemon-flavored
cream and mixed nuts).
All's well that ends well,
especially at 10:30 p.m. on a
weeknight when the streets are
relatively quiet and, by some
miracle, you have been able
earlier to find a parking space
nearby.

RESTAURANT: Giovanni's Trattu,
1823 Jefferson Place NW;
202/452-4960.
HOURS Lunch 11:30 am. to 2:30
p.m. Monday to Friday; dinner
5:30 to 10 p.m. Monday to
Thursday and until 11 p.m. Friday
and Saturday; closed Sunday.
COST: Lunch starters $4.50 to
$9.50, soup $5.50, salad $6 to
$7.95, pasta $10.95 to $11.95,
entree $9.95 to $14.95; dinner
starters $4.50 to $12, soup $5.50,
salad $6.95 to $9, pasta $13.95 to
$21.95, entree $15.95 to $22.95,
desserts $6.50; a glass of wine
$5.50..
CREDIT CARDS: All credit cards.
PARKING: Street at lunch; use of
valet parking at nearby restaurants
in the evening.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Call ahead to make arrangements.

FEBRUARY 22, 2001 WASHINGTON WEEKEND THE WASHINGTON TIMES