Located at 2412 L St.
Donatello offers tasty Italian dishes and a close location on the walk to Georgetown.
The cozy Italian ambiance, with candles and flowers decorating the white tablecloths, compliment the patio seating option, if the weather cooperates.
The menu is extensive from light options, including a fresh basil and tomatoes appetizer and Greek, house and mozzarella salads, to entrees. The ravioli di aragosta, homemade ravioli with lobster meat served in a light cream and tomato sauce, is worth a try.
Another good choice is the fettuccini boscaiola, a delightful combination of homemade fettucini with mushrooms, ham, cheese and cream sauce. Petti di pollo al funghi selvaggi, the restaurant’s specialty, is a chicken breast sauteed with wild mushrooms and wine sauce. The dishes are presented with care and are a culinary delight.
The prices range from salads starting at $6.75, appetizers at $7.00, and main courses from $18-25. Parents and students will enjoy the food and atmosphere.
Upstairs in Donatello accommodates parties of as many as 12, and reservations are recommended for large parties. The upstairs consists of two dinning rooms, complete with a Cathedral skylight. The attitude of some of the servers leaves much to be desired, but the food leaves you fulfilled.
Donatello is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner is offered Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. 12:30 a.m.
For reservations call (202) 333-1485.
-Shilo Groover
located at 3125 M St.
Georgetown Station brings its customers back to the District’s trolley days, with a homey tavern atmosphere and predictable dishes.
The Station has a full bar and three televisions in a room with hardwood floors and candlelit tables. The only thing that breaks up the genial pub atmosphere is the music, an array of Top-40 hits that never really fits the mood set by the rest of the restaurant. Britney Spears just never feels at home in a place like this, but if it doesn’t bother you, it shouldn’t ruin your dining experience.
The second best thing about Georgetown Station, after their cheese fries, is the service. The staff is extremely fast and eager to please, never leaving a customer wondering where his or her waiter has run off to. At the same time, there’s no rush, letting diners relax and enjoy a meal.
Georgetown Station caters to many tastes. The more upscale menu items include steak, seafood and pasta dishes ranging from $12-20. Sandwiches include fries and run around $7.
While their entrees are nothing to complain about and sometimes quite tasty, they are hardly inventive and usually just end up reminding a customer of a better meal eaten at another restaurant. Still, if you yearn for something a little fancier, you shouldn’t be disappointed – most of the fancier dishes are as good as anywhere else. Especially delicious is the French onion soup, which is divine. However, all of the seafood should be left alone. Unless you really have a craving for fettuccini alfredo, don’t waste your time on the pasta.
Where Georgetown Station really shines is in its sandwiches and appetizers. Georgetown Station is a pub and as such, it excels with typical pub fare with its massive hamburgers, hearty sandwiches, crispy fires and a host of appetizers big enough to serve as meals – especially the cheese fries, which are beyond compare. Once you get past the atmosphere, you’ll realize that this is junk food heaven, and you’d do well to stick to the dishes that Georgetown Station really excels at.
-Jesse Stanchak
