A Friend in Washington

Chinatown Arch, 7th and H Streets NW, Washington, DC

The Penn Quarter neighborhood is one of the most vibrant areas in the District. It’s just a few blocks walking distance from the museums and monuments of the National Mall (take 7^th Street when walking the Mall, or from the conference hotel take the red line to Gallery Place – Chinatown). This neighborhood is home to DC’s small but lively Chinatown and also the Verizon Center (where the Washington Capitals play).

As Penn Quarter has grown, it’s become a magnet for specialty cuisines from all over the world. I stopped in recently to try out the area’s newest addition: Italian small-plates and pizza restaurant, Graffiato. If you’re a fan of cooking shows, you’ve probably heard of its chef/owner, Mike Isabella. Mike was this year’s Top Chef All Stars runner-up.

I was there during the restaurant’s opening week to warn Mike that I might be sending hundreds of hungry nurses his way in September, and even picked up a few insider tips:

• Some of the best seats in the house are at the downstairs bar, with a view of the open kitchen and where you’ll likely catch Chef Isabella in action.

• The kitchen makes a limited number of orders of sugar-dusted zeppoles each night, but they’re not listed on the regular dessert menu, so you have to know to ask for them. Politics as usual!

Harry Truman famously said if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog…but you have at least one friend here already! Keep following the blog and let me know what would help you plan your perfect visit to the city.

Graffiato, Washington, DC

Chef Isabella in the open kitchen

Chicken with pepperoni sauce, featured in the Top Chef finale