Fresh Pasta in Washington, D.C.: Pines of Florence, an Italian Restaurant

We haven’t found many restaurants in Washington, D.C., that serve fresh pasta, although we have found delis that sell it. (Prove me wrong and tell me what I’m missing in the Comments section below.)

Pines of Florence in Arlington, Virginia, specializes in southern Italian food and fresh pasta. Ok, so the name doesn’t match the food exactly, but the pasta was still light and delicious as only fresh pasta can be.

We had the Fettuccini Alfredo and a special, Lobster Ravioli. Each dish featured fresh, homemade pasta.


Che buono! I look forward to returning to try the other fresh pastas. 

Italian Bread: Focaccia with Olives and Fennel Greens

I’ve really been enjoying making bread this year. For this focaccia, I mixed in not only olives, but also fennel greens. We had a bunch of this lovely, light herb in a recent CSA delivery.

The end result was delicious although, admittedly, the flavor of the fennel greens was mostly missing. Ok, it was entirely missing. The greens throughout the bread made the surface more visually appealing, but it did nothing for the flavor.  

Perhaps the bread was too thick or the olive taste too strong. It did seem a little like a waste of such a lovely herb. I was told, too late, by a friend that I should have used the fennel greens in a prepared pasta with them and sardines. This recipe from Mario Batali’s restaurant Babbo looks delicious. Next time.

Pizza Dinner in D.C. at Comet Ping Pong

I love Comet Ping Pong Pizza in Washington, D.C. You can play ping-pong (or browse a few doors down to Politics and Prose bookstore) while you wait for a seat.

My husband and I recently had the Yalie pizza with clams and the Stanley pizza with sausage. We ordered local beers, that is, local to D.C. and Michigan, where we used to live, and finished the evening with some ping pong. (No one won since we didn’t keep score.)

To learn more about Comet, watch their feature on Diners, Drive-ins, Dives. The Yalie pizza is prominently featured. Notice what fresh, simple ingredients go into their pizzas. I was happy to learn that they make their own ricotta, sauce, and more.

The moral of this story? Eat more Comet pizza. 

Italian Movie: Passione

The movie Passione, by John Turturro, seemed like a movie I would like. I know, I’m a sucker for all Italian movies, but this one seemed right on target: A musical documentary about the history of music in Naples. Cool.

Not withstanding a positive review on Salon, I could barely sit through the entire movie. Turturro was the audience’s guide through the historical and contemporary musical world in Naples. Unfortunately, his introductions were broad, and while positive, mostly devoid of facts.

The movie was primarily a series of staged and overdone music videos, not impromptu performances as the scenes would try to portray. Yes, yes. I know that Naples has a particular “spirit.” Still, the entire piece felt forced.

Alas. Not everything Italian or Italian-American is perfect. 

Italian Lunch at 2Amy's Pizzeria

We don’t go to 2Amy’s Pizzeria nearly enough. Here’s why we should change that: The food is fresh, very Tuscan (even if they advertise that they are very “napoletano”) and the environment is lovely.

Here’s what we ate on our last visit:

Artichokes (off the ‘specials’)

Deviled eggs with green sauce

Stuffed pizza (Ricotta, grana, salami, prosciutto, pancetta, tomato)

Caffe macchiato

Cookie plate

This recipe for the Carciofi alla Guidia (Roman Jewish Artichoke), looks a lot like what we had. I look forward to trying to make it at home one day.

Everything was delicious. In fact, I’m hungry again just thinking about it. Who’s free for lunch?

Cannellini Bean & Fennel Salad

We recently found fennel in our Lancaster Farm Fresh CSA ½ vegetable share. Fennel is a bulb that tastes like licorice and is quite popular in Italy. Admittedly, I'd never bought it before, although I ate it regularly in Florence, Italy. 

This fennel was light and even a little spicy. It added a summery crunch to our white bean salad. To make your own, mix together cannellini beans, sliced fennel, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. I imagine that freshly seared tuna would turn this appetizer into an entrée. 

Language Bookstore: Tempo Book Distributors in Washington, D.C.

Tempo Book Distributors in Washington, D.C., has a wide collection of books to help you to learn a second language. If you are looking to support an independent bookstore, buy your dictionaries, workbooks, travel books and more in their store or online. When I recently visited their store, they had a strong collection of Italian language books. 

What have you purchased at Tempo Book Distributors?