Posto

Recently, we met two of our favorite people for dinner at Posto on 14th Street. This "modern Italian" restaurant opened in the old Viridian restaurant space in December of last year. The dining room is large and airy, but the wide open spaces and concrete floors means that you'll have to crank up the hearing aide a notch to hear your dining companions.

We started things off with the Bufalina Salad (romaine salad, buffalo mozzarella, grape tomatoes, pioppini mushrooms, basil breadcrumbs, balsamic dressing). It was similar to a caprese salad with grilled romaine substituted for the tomatoes. An interesting twist on an Italian favorite.

I was about to write "B took the waiter's advice and ordered _____" but loyal readers (reader? Hi Mom!) know that he does that at every restaurant. So, I'll cut to the chase and say that he really loved the ravioli special with mushrooms and butter cream sauce.

I took advantage of Posto's wood-burning pizza oven and ordered the "calzone of the day," which happened to be spicy salami with a mix of mozzarella and ricotta cheeses. The chewy calzone dough was great, but this might not be an ideal dish for those who don't like a lot of bread. The filling was plentiful, but the massive amount of dough overwhelmed it. No complaints from me though. I loved taking pieces of the dough and dipping it into the side of marinara sauce. I added crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce to jazz things up.

We were too stuffed from the carb overload to try the dessert menu, so maybe next time. Overall, we had a very nice time at Posto even if it had as much to do with the great company as the food. While solid, the food was nothing terribly inventive. With so many unique options on 14th street and in the surrounding Logan Circle neighborhood, it might be awhile before we get back to Posto. So much to eat, so little time!

Second Thoughts from B

Yes, it is true, I took the waiter's advice... again. But seriously, who knows the menu better: a first time diner or someone who has tasted every dish? It isn't as if I'd accept something that sounded horrible, but I've grown up to be willing to try things that are out of my box and have been, more often than not, pleasantly surprised.

Two other things about my ordering strategy. First, I only take this approach at nicer places. You don't go to McDonald's and ask for their opinion. But if I'm spending good money for creative, high quality food and service to match, then why not give these talented and informed people a chance to impress? You wouldn't tell a talented artist to make you a paint-by-numbers painting, would you? Secondly, I'm shocked when I find out that a waiter/waitress has not had an opportunity to taste all the dishes on the menu. How can you expect someone to talk about food that they've not sampled? Thankfully, chefs who keep their staff in the dark seem to be a dying breed.

After all that, how did our waiter at Posto do? Let's just say that the menu should have listed the "butter" part of the butter sauce in all CAPS. This dish would make Paula Dean proud and your cardiologist cringe. For better or worse, depending on your perspective, it was a luscious flavor that I won't soon forget.

J didn't disclose this, but the waiter also recommended the calzone, and I can rave about it without reservation. The thing was so big it looked like it could be used for a pick-up game of football, but the dough was so flavorful and fluffy that it belied its mass. Next thing we knew, we were filled with calzone, and sadly, had to pass on dessert.