Goldoni's?

Someone wrote:

>ElGreene wrote:
>
>>Anyone been to Goldoni's?  If so, what did you think?  TIA
>
>
>It's OK.  No better.
>
>Peg
>
>
I disagree!  I really like Goldoni.  I think the food is excellent and the service is good.  The room is attractive but it is noisy.  It attracts its fair share of pseudo-Eurotrash, but they're all pretty much innocuous.

The other Italian restaurant that I think is underrated is Donatello, just down the block from Goldoni.  On the other hand, I haven't been that impressed with either Galilao or I Matti.

Chacun a son gout I suppose.

Nick Harper

I went to Goldoni's tonight and thought the cooking and service were excellent.  Our entire table (6) decided to try the gastronomic menu (tasting menu).  We started with a seared scallop salad with yellow pepper sauce.  The pasta course was an eggplant, sun-dried tomato lasagna with a vegetable sauce.  This was not the usual lasanga.  The fillings were on top of a single round sheet of pasta. Then we had a grilled whole rockfish, I think it was grilled with rosemary.  It was perfectly done and was served with oyster mushrooms, polenta (creamy style), and grilled cherry tomatos.  Next was a skewer of grilled swordfish, onion, and bell pepper.  The swordfish was also perfectly cooked and was some of the best swordfish I've had in several years in a DC restaurant.  Desert was green apple sorbet with fresh strawberries in a cookie cup.

I'd agree with a previous comment that the room is attractive, but noisy (but not too bad).  It's in the space of the departed Madeo and retains the extensive skylights of that room.  Most of the art on the walls is tied into Venice, the home of the owner-chef.  There is a very long, attractive bar centered by a huge flower arrangement.

For our one meal on this particular evening, I'd rate Goldoni amongst the better restaurants downtown.