| Address | 1112 F St., Washington, DC 20004 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (202) 367-1990 |
| Fax | (202) 367-1999 |
My boyfriend really enjoys intimate Italian meals, so for his birthday I wanted to find the perfect place. Tosca turned out to be pretty close to perfect.
The atmosphere is pretty different from other Italian restaurants that I’ve been to: no small and cozy tables pushed right by each other, no Frank Sinatra playing, nothing obviously reminiscent of Venice. The dining room is spacious and elegant. It wasn’t too crowded, and it was very suited for conversation, which was nice. The chairs look like they belong in a swanky hotel lobby, there is recessed lighting, and there is interesting contemporary art on the walls. “Modern” Italian dining, indeed.
That’s not to say that you don’t feel at home, though; the waiter was very patient and full of suggestions. He brought out a complimentary crab appetizer, which was excellent. When we ordered our half-bottle of Chianti, he said “bellissimo!” which was a nice touch. The wine, by the way, was delicious: light, smooth, and just a little peppery.
We shared a mixed-green salad, which turned out to be just right for two little portions, before getting our entrees. I ordered the black gnocchi, which almost literally melted in my mouth; it was so good. I was wary about the crab ragu, but it turned out to be great. My boyfriend ordered the veal and prosciutto ravioli, and he liked it, but felt the flavors were a little strong.
For dessert, we received a complimentary birthday crème caramel. Interestingly, it was the dessert my boyfriend wanted to order, but we never had a chance to order it; not sure if the waiter was eavesdropping, or if it was just a happy coincidence! Anyway, it was a delight, and the piece of chocolate with “Happy Birthday” written on it and the candle were personal without being too embarrassing. The chocolate salami that came with the crème was pretty bitter, so I wouldn’t leave it for last.
All in all, Tosca provided a fantastic experience. Sophisticated atmosphere, creative dishes, and very friendly service.
My husband and I recently went here for lunch during restaurant week and definitely enjoyed our meal. Even though the restaurant was packed we could easily hear each other and the service was very prompt! The food was a little disappointing though. The (deconstructed) pear and raddichio salad I had was nice but a little too vinegary as was my husband's panzanelle salad that came with his entree. His yellow tomato soup, however, was delicious. I had better luck with my entree - the veal ravioli was delicious. Unfortunately, my husband's swordfish was overcooked. We both enjoyed our sorbets at the end of the meal (pear and raspberry). All in all a pleasant restaurant week lunch though.
It's a shame that Tosca doesn't take pleasure in highlighting quality ingredients through simple preparations and pairings. The country bread soup, for example, has the potential to be a great starter, but the freshness of the tomatoes was masked by an overload of black pepper and spice. When you look across the menu, a lot of incongruous ingredients are paired -- I'm all for creativity but not for creativity's sake. For example, some wonderful duck confit ravioli are served with a foie gras sauce -- sounds good, but the sauce masks the taste of the duck. The best part of the meal was the very beginning -- the small bowl of assorted, unadulterated teardrop and cherry tomatoes at peak freshness.
I'm a stickler for the way a restaurant "feels". This place felt like I was eating inside of a hotel room. Everything about it gave me that feeling, from the eggshell white walls to the rather blah occasional painting on the walls. Just very sterile. Aside from that, the food was good. I do think the chef tries to mix too many flavors, and should remember that sometimes simplicity wins through to the front, but everything tasted fine. The service was verging on snooty, but it may just have been a bad night. Overall, I'd say that I liked the place, but probably wouldn't go back. Too many great restaurants out there to waste your time on a place that's just ok.
I have been to Tosca several times, and I leave less impressed each time.
The dining room is beautiful, and somehow absorbs sound. Even though the restaurant is full, it is not loud.
The service is attentive and highly professional. And the sommelier is one of the best in the city.
Tosca is rather pricey, but for good food and drink we will gladly pay the asking price.
While the menu looks tantalizing, and every dish comes out to the table in a beautiful presentation - and even smells delicious. But the first taste is a huge let down as the food is amazingly bland.
Between the prices and the lack of taste, we decided to go elsewhere for dessert. We won't be back.
The food was superb and the waiter recommended a chianti (I dont like them usually) as they did not have a zinfandel by the glass. It was very good.....not a zin but very good. I think this is the finest Italian restaurant in the area and reasonably priced. It is much better than Galileo and Barolo's and a better value.
A delicious meal (more on that later) was marred by service that wouldn't have been acceptable in any restaurant, let alone one with such aspirations. When our waiter showed up to take our drink order 10-15 minutes after we were seated, he apologized for the delay. He returned with our drinks and said he was going to get a match to light our candle and would be right back. 10 minutes later, he returned. Altogether it was 25 minutes between when we sat down and when he took our food order.
But the food was quite delicious. Just one example was a radicchio, pear, and gorgonzola salad, something of a staple these days. This one was out of this world: A big pile of perfectly-dressed shredded radicchio, a wedge of delicious gorgonzola, and a fan of sliced dressed pear. Perfect.
It was my first time to Tosca's, even though I've been to Metro Center many times, and it's funny how you don't seem to notice the place until you're looking for it. It's very inconspicuous compared the the H&M and Popeye's across the street!
I traveled to Tosca's for Restaurant Week and was thrilled to see they offered most of their regular menu dishes as part of the special menu. I opted for a mixed greens salad, one of the chef's specialties squash gnochi with a fontina cheese sauce and the Tiramisu, while my partner got the proscuito and mozzarella salad, Atlantic salmon and chocolate cake.
Every bite we had was deliciously flavorful...really melt in your mouth type of food, except for my Tiramisu, which was dry because the ladyfingers were not soaked in rum and/or espresso. It wasn't the spaghetti and meatballs type of place, but there was a definite Italian flair.
However, I was a bit suprised by the entree portions. I definitely left wanting more dinner with the gnochi - there were six of them, and each were only two bites. My partner's meal was relatively small, as well, but it appeared he had a bit better value.
I'm all for small portions that allow you to enjoy more tastes and courses, but I think it should be reflected in lower prices. So, either the portion size is a bit off for entrees, or the value isn't as strong.
It was a nice restaurant, but I think I'll be heading back to places like Filomena, Spezie and Al Tiramisu that has a broader range of traditional to modern Italian food for my money.
Went during Restaurant Week, so I'm not a regular Tosca diner. I did not notice anything special about this place. The squash streudel was the worst dessert I've ever had. If I had paid full price, I would have been very dissappointed.
