Il Canale ~ Washington D.C.

ilcanaledc.com  

There are certain times in life when you are introduced to something and you know right off the bat that it is a good thing. Weather it's love at first sight, your favorite dress from first trying it on in the dressing room or knowing your home the moment the realtor opens the door to a house. For me, it was knowing I had just found one of my new favorite restaurants the second I stepped on the stoop.
    I took a relaxing stroll down the edge of the canal in Georgetown, Washington D.C. along with my dinner companion. I had heard great things about Il Canale Restaurant which says a lot for someone like me who had never been to Washington before. The moment we walked in the door I was greeted by a gorgeous bubble-like glass mosaic pizza oven by the front door and a sign hanging on the wall with the owners picture and cell phone number that read, "If you had anything less than an outstanding experience here tonight, please call me and inform me of it." Right away, I knew I would love this place.
   We were seated immediately despite no reservation on the upstairs veranda outside overlooking the canal. We decided to go for it! To start was a decadent serving of calamari. Lightly fried and as big as onion rings, they came served with a marinara that tasted almost like a tomato bisque with a succulent cream base. It is the first time I have ever had calamari that was neither squeaky or chewy. When the waiter walked by with a caprese salad, we couldn't help ourselves. Mozzarella balls as big as eggs atop ripe fresh pick tomato slices and olive oil didn't even need basil OR vinegar to taste fresher and more flavorful than any caprese I have tasted!
   The mussels came in a bowl overflowing with ebony shells that had been cooked so perfectly in a white wine buerre blanc that the tasty crustaceans couldn't even stay attached to the shells and therefore hid so playfully together at the bottom. For the main course I had to go with a traditional spaghetti with a fresh pomodoro that when tasted, you knew had been perfected over a hundred years ago.
   The best part of the evening was when a man came to the table to ask how the meal was who looked to be a cook from the kitchen, clad in a stained apron. After brief conversation we both realized this was the owner who just wanted to chat with to-be patrons. After a very long and lively talk with this jubilant italian man, he instructed our server to bring us ricotta cheesecake and a "digestivo" called centerba on the house.
    After our new friend returned to the kitchen, we indulged in the most perfect and lightly sweetened cheesecake that due to the ricotta base, crumbled perfectly for a most interesting texture. The Centerba was a slightly bitter, herb based liqueur that cleansed the palate and added yet another flavor to the evening.
    When we were done, we exited but not before being stopped at the door by the owner once more to exchange information and snap a quick photo. He told us to show him all about Nashville BBQ if he ever made it that way and told us to please return the next time we were in town. All in all it was a wonderful experience and I would strongly encourage everyone to stop in for a visit if ever in the nations capitol.
Il Canale, ti amo molto ringrazio !!!

Posted in: food,Il Canale,italian,washington d.c.