Dino

Hey Ting...

So we've finally made our last run through Restaurant Week. What do you think? Dino? Mio? PS 7? Oya? Tough choices of what was our best stop (though I've been to Zengo as well...which only makes my choice all the more difficult).
I must say, Dino was definitely a departure in style from the previously named restaurants. Instead of the downtown contemporary feel, Dino was more about the home-style comfort a family joint in the heart of Cleveland Park, and it showed through the energy and kindness of their servers in the front of the house. But none of this is a knock on the plates being put out from the back of the house.

The great thing about Dino is that it offers a RW style menu, Menu della Sera, at $24 between Sundays and Thursdays before 7:30...it's more of a happy hour type deal. Similar to RW, this deal gives you the chance to choose a dish from their extensive cheese plates and appetizer, then a few marked entrées, and of course a customary dessert. Not only that, Wednesdays offers the wine connoisseurs a chance to enjoy DC's Best Wine Bar. So enjoying a Restaurant Week-style meal doesn't require it to actually be Restaurant Week.

Now, on to my favorite part of that night...the food. I found myself drawn to Crespelle con Pollo e Carciofi. With a combination of chicken, artichokes, roasted tomatoes, and cheese, it was a great throwback to the crepes of Mediterranean flavor. Even better was the smoothness of the pesto sauce that can sometimes overwhelm the flavors with the intensity of its herbs. But this one was made flawlessly and was a enriching balance with the cheese and hints of marinara sauce.


Though Dino offered a great selection of main courses, there was also the enticing assortment of fine steaks. Of course for RW, the steaks held an added price, though still well worth it. I indulged myself in a porterhouse that, originally worth $32, was only marked up by $6. Decidedly the perfect order for a RW deal, I was fully content with the extra cost. The preparation of steak doesn't mirror the quality of a Ruth Chris or a Flemmings, but the deal with which it was order made it all worth it. The lasagna, all smothered in cheese, look mighty appetizing on your side of the table; perhaps you can tell me how you liked it and I'll partake in that the next time we visit Dino for a taste of the Menu della Sera.

Surprisingly, after an appetizer of chicken and cheese, a main course full of meat and potatoes, I was not entirely satiated. Luckily for me, there was the dessert course to come. I was slightly overwhelmed with the veritable pantheon of sweets. But my eye found a familiar dish...one that I improperly dined on before...the Gelato Affogato. Essentially, it is just a scoop of vanilla bean gelato with a brisk shot of espresso liberally emptied over it. However, unknowing and naive, my first encounter with this dish was an embarrassment to Affogato lovers. I had brazenly enjoyed my gelato and separately downed my single shot of espresso before I realized the two flavors were supposed to be enjoyed in an amalgamation of vanilla and coffee. But I was no fool this time around.

So after a month of hopping for luxury meal to luxury meal, I found the best deal here at Dino. The food, though not bringing my taste buds to their metaphorical knees, was thoroughly satisfying in their own right. Unlike some of the other Restaurant Week restaurants where I would only return for RW-like deals, as they are a little out of reach for my pocketbooks, I would happily return to Dino to enjoy the Menu della Sera, and I would recommend it to anyone who asks.

Dino
3435 Connecticut Ave. NW
Cleveland Park
Washington, DC 20008
202-686-2966