Palomarvelous: Domaso Trattoria

Domaso (at the Hotel Palomar)

What a lovely meal. Our recent trip to Domaso was wonderful. Specialty cocktails were $8-12 and each was a hit. I was partial to the vanilla bellini.

The room is quiet and elegant. It was very comfortable.

Bread was delicious. Rosemary breadsticks and some soft focaccia. Both were served warm.

Appetizers included sausage stuffed fried olives. A somewhat too-small portion, but delicious and satisfying and a prosciutto di tonno which was unique to me and perhaps my favorite dish of the night. This was prosciutto made of tuna with fennel and orange. Total harmony of texture and flavor on the plate. It has a saba* dressing that was applied with a light touch. I may go back and just have a double portion of this as my meal. Fabulous.

I then had the ravioletti, red snapper ravioli with shrimp, clams, mussels and a tomato and white wine sauce. Again, a lot of balance and harmony as the sea met the pasta and the sauce brought it all together. It had a saltiness to it that some may not like as much as I did, but the flavor was incredible. Fresh and simple and well-portioned.

Others enjoyed spaghettini, and tortelloni and a few other appetizer dishes.

A trio of sorbets was dessert for me and they were expert. Others at the table had a trio of small krafen (Italian doughnuts) which were good, but cream-filled versions were more successful than a Concorde grape.

I tend to not be so worried about service, but service was very attentive.

Don't forget to look at the bar menu-- both for drinks and for a few more small plates.

I will definitely go back and think this is a very nice addition to the DC dining scene.

*Saba was new to me. It's a sweet cooked grape syrup that resembles balsamic vinegar.

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