A Dressing Down at Elisir

My friend has a scientific approach to Italian restaurants. On his first visit, he orders something classic but fairly simple as a benchmark.  If it passes the test, he will return for food that’s more complex.  As someone who considers every restaurant meal an opportunity for exploration, I don’t necessarily relate to this benchmarking approach.  But I absolutely respect it.

We recently dined with our friend and his wife at the newly revamped Osteria Elisir.  The formerly high-end restaurant has gone from dressy to casual in food and decor, and dropped their prices accordingly.  The new iteration feels more approachable, and the menu has lots of appeal, including a list of “special dishes to indulge.”  I appreciate the effort to retain some out-of-the-box dishes to reflect the talent and skills of Chef Enzo Fargione.  We are curious to see how the changes play out.

Osteria Elisir starts us off with a quite decent bread basket.  There are optional accompaniments including a salt and olive oil tasting tray, and a variety of spreads.  Tempting but we skip it, opting instead for crostini with gorgonzola, candied celery, and aged balsamic.  The candied celery is a unique twist that turns a good crostini into great.

Osteria Elisir crostini

Roman artichokes are deep fried with lemon, mint, oregano, and creamy anchovy garlic sauce.  The anchovy adds subtle flavor, and the lightly fried artichokes are crisp and light.

Osteria Elisir roman artichokes

Osteria Elisir stuffed squid

My entree is black Spaghettini with seared tuna strips, green olives, capers, roasted garlic, and pepperoncino.  The tuna is plentiful, and the pasta has just the right amount of bite.  I would have preferred a little less oil,  but overall I like the taste.

Osteria Elisir black spaghettini

My husband declares his dish a winner.  Rigatoni with creamy burrata, smoky mushroom ragu, and rosemary is a pasta dish with pizzazz.

Osteria Elisir rigatoni with burrata

My friend wants his benchmark dish to be pasta with meatballs and sausage.  He orders pasta and asks if it’s possible to have half an order of meatballs and half sausage.  He is told no.  But he can order pasta with meatballs and pay extra for a side of sausage.  So really, it is possible.

Osteria Elisir spaghetti fileto di pomodoro

I am enjoying my pasta until I realize that our friends, who have been sharing our enthusiasm over the appetizers, are now suddenly quiet. I glance over at a sad meatball that is burnt and dry, and for the most part inedible.

An order of linguine with little neck clams served Neapolitan style,with basil, spicy pepper, and tomatoes feature clams that are arguably a bit overcooked.  Overall there is not much flavor on the plate.  This dish, also a benchmark Italian classic, just misses the mark.

Our server is made aware of the meatball issue, which is obvious considering the unappealing offender remains on the plate.  She apologizes and removes it. I am somewhat dismayed that there is not an offer to replace the meatball with one that is properly prepared.

A trio of sorbetti completes our meal.  These are delivered with a tray of homemade cookies, and another apology. The sorbet and cookies pass the taste test and alleviate some of the earlier disappointment.

Osteria Elisir doesn’t pass the benchmark dish test.  On the other hand, the more complex dishes benefit from the extra attention. I’m all for the dressing down of Elisir. Overall it’s a smart move.  But if the restaurant wants to pass with flying colors, dressed down needs to be taken as seriously as dressed up.

Osteria Elisir, 427 11th Street, NW, Washington, DC

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