Italian Craftsmanship Dino in Cleveland Park Combines Good Food, Reasonable Prices by Rachel Hunt and Stephen Qualiana Although Dino in Cleveland Park does not so much feel like Italy, and the view outside the window is certainly not of Tuscany, owners Dean Gold and Kay Zimmerman have somehow infused their restaurant with a passion for Italy. With subdued earth tones, cherry woods, simple place settings, opera music in the background, and contemporary Italian art on the walls, Dino is a neighborhood restaurant that manages to conjure up the feeling of warm Italian nights spent lingering over small exquisite dishes of the region. And when Gold found his new executive chef, Daniel Amaya, he also found a partner who knows how to work with simple ingredients and transform them into dishes that sustain the Italian illusion. Dino’s concept is straightforward: find the freshest and best ingredients, put them together in traditional or sometimes not-so-traditional combinations, kick up the spices a notch, and presto, you have a dish—many of them in fact. Dino offers several different dining experiences, all worth trying, because each visit can yield a distinctly different meal experience. First, there is a fine selection of small plates that are perfect for snacking, but also make a nice meal by themselves. The daily selections of cheeses and cured meats are substantial and varied enough to enjoy by themselves as well. And then there are the large plates—dinner-size potions of pastas, meat and fish that should probably be sampled by themselves to do them justice. It’s on the small plates that the rustic trattoria essence begins to emerge. Most are uncomplicated—grilled bread with roasted garlic and oil; a roasted head of garlic with gorgonzola and a tangy tomato mostarda; marinated mozzarella; marinated artichokes in oil; roasted vegetables—and all get their appeal from the quality of the ingredients and purity of their flavors. Some, like the three bruschette, involve more complicated combinations. Thick slices of grilled bread support a white bean puree, mushrooms, goat cheese, pesto, oven-roasted tomatoes, caramelized balsamic onions and blue cheese. But again, the strength of the dishes is in the identities of the ingredients that persist in the combinations. Seafood appears on the small plates as well. Delicately poached whole baby octopus is delicious in a lemony chickpea vinaigrette, while perfectly fried squid are paired with a spicy roasted red pepper sauce. The heads-on grilled shrimp are a classic presentation featuring garlic and olive oil, while the tuna salad—raw tuna, shaved artichokes, cucumbers, fried capers and truffle oil—takes this old favorite to new heights. In his many travels through Italy as a wine, cheese and specialty food buyer, Gold has discovered a treasure trove of artisanal meat and cheeses, which he imports as a critical feature of Dino’s menus. Gold has even discovered U.S. domestic producers that have borrowed traditional Italian preparation techniques to create products that rival those of the original sources. Diners can choose to sample three or five varieties of cheeses, each of which are served with a delightful collection of companions: rich fruit mostarda, perfectly crispy breads and candied nuts. The cheeses range from smooth and creamy raw cow’s milk cheeses to very strong aged blue sheep’s milk variety—and sampling them is a lesson in classic Italian cheese creations. The daily menu of cured meats, although smaller, is equally interesting and offers a particularly fine mortadella. It’s on the large plates where the creative side of chef Amaya’s craftsmanship emerges, and he is equally adept in his handling of meat, fish and vegetables. The lasagnette al ragu ($17) starts with the basic lasagna concept, but transforms it with a robust ragu of pork, veal, fonduta and smoked veal bacon into an imposing dish just right for a cold wet autumn evening. This is, however, very rich—perhaps too much for some palates. The zucca ripieno ($16)—stuffed local sweet dumpling squash served with winter vegetable hash and cheese polenta—is another unusual dish well worth trying if you like winter squash. And Amaya’s tuna ($22), peppered and seared with grilled portabellos and stewed white beans, is a surprising but perfect combination. The seafood linguini ($19) is more classic in preparation. Packed with shellfish and a kicky garlic broth, it is pleasingly light and partners well with a meat plate. Perhaps the only disappointing dish was the whole roasted fish, which was less crisp than expected and rather bland. Desserts at Dino focus on the classics: fruit tart, crème caramel, tiramisu, gelato, sorbet and a rich warm chocolate soufflé cake. Like the rest of the menu, Dino avoids any fussiness in their preparation and concentrates on clear and consistent flavors. It isn’t surprising that the wine list is one of the highlights at Dino, as Gold came to the restaurant business by way of the wine industry. Dino offers two wine lists: a focus list of about 70 wines organized by the wine’s taste characteristics, as well as the Dino wine book that includes another 200 wines selected by Gold for their quality and value. Dino carries the artisanal theme to the bar as well and offers a number of handmade liquors produced by very small distilleries, which bar manager Chris Cunningham turns into some very unusual but quite delicious cocktails (especially the Very Sexy cocktail.) In creating Dino, owners Gold and Zimmerman sought to recreate the feel of the small family-owned restaurants they have encountered in their travels through Italy. By focusing on offering good food and good wine at reasonable prices in a causal and comfortable setting, they have succeeded in bringing a bit of dolce vita to us all. Rachel Hunt and Stephen Qualiana are the restaurant reviewers for The Washington Diplomat. Dino 3435 Connecticut Ave., NW in Cleveland Park (202) 686-2966 www.dino-dc.com Open for Dinner: Mon. - Fri. at 5:30 p.m.; Sat. and Sun. at 5 p.m. Last Seating: Fri. and Sat. at 10:30 p.m.; Sun. - Thu. at 9:30 p.m. Dress: Casual