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Restaurant of the Month: Lavagna DC

Restaurant of the Month: Lavagna DC

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One of the first restaurants I visited when I arrived to D.C. was Lavagna DC, an Italian restaurant in the foodie haven of Barracks Row.  I recall having delicious focacia smothered in delicious gravy and washing it down with the D.C. brunch classic: the bottomless mimosa.  Since then, it has become one of my go to places not only for their popular brunch,  but for dinner as well.  Recently, we went there for dinner and had the opportunity to talk to Stephen Cheung,  the owner of Lavagna.  He shared stories behind the dishes we've grown to love and how he works with local farms in order for the dishes to be as fresh as possible.  The farms he works with are on the menu,  giving you a visual where the ingredients come from.
Charcuterie Made in House
The name Lavagna comes from a commune in the Liguria region of western Italy. There, slate is produced for chalkboards.  Naturalmente, chalkboards in Italy are known as Lavagnas. Steve told us he chose that name because his objective is to make everything from scratch at the restaurant. We started our meal with a charcuterie plate made from meats cured in house accompanied with pickled veggies and jams made at the restaurant as well. We indulged in homemade prosciutto accompanied by savory homemade mustard and sweet apple butter. We followed with delicious carrot salad and bruschetta.  I am not usually fond of raw carrots but the ones in this salad tasted as if they were freshly picked and we also fell in love with the sweet crunch of the candied walnuts.
Carrot Salad

We continued on to the pastas,  where we tasted one of my favorite meals at the restaurant: the Corzetti.  Corzetti is medallion shaped pasta that is made in house and hand stamped with a beautiful fleur de lis and squid ink gives it a beautiful black hue. The medallions cover a delicious seafood sauce of shrimp and calamari. We followed with the Ravioli Ricotta that is smothered in a creamy marinara sauce and filled with ricotta and a free-range egg yolk. One of the things I enjoy from the menu offerings is the two size option, which gives you the opportunity to sample different types of pasta dishes without being committed to a large dish. Perfect to share with friends. You can tell by the texture the pasta is handmade at the restaurant.  Given his time spent in Italy, the Dutchman is quite the Italophile, especially with food.  He was very impressed with the quality of the pasta. 

Corzetti


We made a tiny space in our stomachs to share the Bells and Evans Chicken.  The chicken is as delicious as it looks. Steve explained to us it was cooked in the sous-vide method, where it spends hours cooking in a water bath with spices in order to retain moisture and flavor. It was tender and juicy. The chicken is perfectly accompanied by brussels sprouts with bacon. Thankfully, we had to make a little space for dessert for Panna Cotta which had the perfect consistency and taste. 
Bells and Evans Chicken
Overall, we had another great experience in Lavagna DC. I pick the restaurant of the month based on places I truly enjoy eating at and Lavagna has to be one of my favorite places in DC.  Tips: pasta can be ordered gluten-free, pasta dishes come in half sizes, and order the charcuterie, it's delicious! 
Lavagna, 589 8th St NE, Washington, DC

Lavagna on Urbanspoon

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