Looking at the almost shabby façade of Dino — a restaurant located just steps away from the Cleveland Park Metrorail stop on the corner of Connecticut Avenue and Ordway Street — you would never expect to find the temple to Italian flavors that owners Dean and Kay Gold have built within.
Upon entering Dino, the busy street is left behind, and diners are immediately drawn into a more relaxed, rustic atmosphere composed of earthy browns and reds. Each table is set with tall, metal salt and pepper mills, a bottle of pungent extra virgin olive oil and a small bowl of coarse-grained sea salt. This setting invites you to sit, make yourself comfortable and begin eating in true Italian fashion: slowly, and with copious amounts of bread.
“Dino” might seem to be a bit above the typical Eagle reader’s budget, but in reality, it’s not. Many entrees are reasonably priced (starting at $16) and a series of “Dino Deals” serve to slash these prices even further, inviting all diners to experience what the kitchen has to offer. In particular, the “Menu della Sera,” a three-course (appetizer, entrée, and dessert) pre-fixed option available Sundays through Thursdays before 7 p.m., offers well over half of the menu’s choices for just $25. This includes main courses such as the flat iron steak and fresh Hawaiian swordfish that are normally $22 on their own.
Each meal at Dino begins with the restaurant’s basket of bread — its contents alone are enough to make anyone a repeat customer. There are two varieties — a simple, rustic white bread and a darker, whole-grain bread crusted with garlic, salt and various seeds — both warm and begging to be dipped either in a blend of those four condiments laid out on each table or the remnants of the many fantastic pasta dishes on offer.
As for highlights of the menu, Gamberoni Croccante ($10) stands out: seven head-on shrimp, wrapped in pancetta (Italian bacon) and fried until crisp, then finished with an herb and citrus pesto. The dish balances the saltiness of the pancetta, the savory flavors brought by the mixed herbs and the acidity of the citrus with the sweetness of the shrimp and what seems to be a touch of honey. And of course, the sauce left behind is just another irresistible invitation to reach into the bread basket.
The Burrata ($12) is another worthwhile opener, and one that you probably won’t find in many restaurants. It pairs an extremely creamy variety of buffalo mozzarella flown in from Puglia, Italy, every Sunday and Thursday with olive and red pepper tapenades, oven-roasted tomato, olive oil and basil.
Beyond appetizers, the wide array of pastas, all composed of homemade noodles and many available in half or whole portions, provide a variety of inexpensive yet satisfying paths. Penne a la Vodka, Fettucine Alfredo and other “classics” are nowhere to be found. Instead, Dino unites fresh and uncommon ingredients to create pastas with true depth of flavor. While Pappardelle all’Aglione ($11 half/$16 whole), wide noodles tossed with fresh roasted garlic and heirloom tomatoes falls somewhat flat, weighed down too heavily by the garlic and left unbalanced by the few chunks of tomato tossed overtop, Fusili con Stracotto di Coniglio (for the same price) successfully blends braised rabbit (a much more adventurous option), with onions, celery and carrots to create a rich dish that tames the gamey flavor of the rabbit and had the attention of every fork at the table.
More important than each specific dish at “Dino,” however, is the general philosophy by which Dean and Kay lead their restaurant. They take the freshest ingredients and bring them together to present shining examples of the simple-yet-bold flavors that are at the heart of Italian cuisine. And the signs of this passion are not limited to the table — signing up for Dino’s newsletter entails the receipt of weekly e-mails from Dean himself, each detailing new dishes on the menu (which change constantly with the seasons) and providing descriptions of what flavors each of those dishes seeks to capture.
This love of food and a desire to share it with the public exudes from the staff at Dino and makes it one of the best options for Italian food in D.C. Be ready to relax and savor what can be accomplished by a kitchen that bothers to get the good ingredients and to combine them in ways that open up an amazing spectrum of flavors. Just one warning: resist the bread long enough to peruse their expansive menu and chart the course for your meal; there’ll be plenty of time to ask for a second basket later.
You can reach this writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
