Italy, not Idli

An Indian guy doing Italian?

Why not. Especially when it’s this good.

Ashok Bajaj, the uber restaurateur behind Washington, D.C.’s Rasika, Bombay Club and others, has created Bibiana Osteria & Enoteca, an osteria where the arancini are crunchy and piping hot and the baccala’s extra kick comes from a swipe of anchovy crème (officially called pil-pil, a Basque sauce). On a recent visit, the gnocchi had good chew, but a distractingly strong smoke flavor. No worries – they were redeemed by the agnolotti, lemon drenched packets of pasta stuffed with sheep’s milk ricotta. This is some seriously delicious Italian food. Kudos to executive chef Nicholas Stefanelli, a Maryland native and former chef de cuisine at New York’s Fiamma. Lunch for two came in just under $50 with a well-deserved generous tip. Great value for money.

1100 New York Avenue NW (at 12th and H); Washington, DC 20005;
(202) 216-9550; bibianadc.com