GETAWAYS • Washington, DC
Imported to Washington, D.C., from Los Angeles last fall, Osteria Mozza makes its mark on M Street before you step inside. Located on the (very busy) main commercial drag of Georgetown, there’s an eye-catching option of valet parking, something rarely seen in this city.
Inside, the space evokes a large European train station, with striking floor-to-ceiling windows and a lightscape that must have cost a small fortune. The front entryway riffs on a mercado — baskets of fresh pears and apples, cookbooks, packaged homemade pastas, sauces, vegetables for tomorrow’s dinner. The mid-century chairs are a daring green.
On most tables, you’ll find thin focaccia with stracciatella, often with a choice from the mozzarella bar. The pastas change often, though rigatoni alla carbonara and pici with semi-dried tomatoes, basil, and garlic are staples. The bar makes an excellent Negroni.
A West-meets-East collaboration between Nancy Silverton, the pioneering LA chef and co-owner of the Mozza Restaurant Group, and Stephen Starr, whose own restaurant group has spread from Philadelphia, Osteria Mozza arrived in DC with a goal of standing out. Mission accomplished. –Kate Riesenberg
→ Osteria Mozza (Georgetown, Washington, DC) • 3276 M Street NW Washington, DC • Mon-Fri 11a-3pm (lunch), 3-5p (midday), 5-11p (dinner); Sat & Sun 930a-3p (brunch), 3-5p (midday), 5-11p (dinner) • Reserve.