Bibiana

»Bibiana 3-30-11

For my wife’s birthday I wanted to do something different and I’ve been reading a lot of Anthony Bourdain lately and he always seems to be able to walk into a place a have the chef serve whatever is fresh, or his personal favorite, or some type of special off-the-menu items. I didn’t know if a normal person could do that so I asked about it in here and was advised to call the restaurant and ask,...+READ For my wife’s birthday I wanted to do something different and I’ve been reading a lot of Anthony Bourdain lately and he always seems to be able to walk into a place a have the chef serve whatever is fresh, or his personal favorite, or some type of special off-the-menu items. I didn’t know if a normal person could do that so I asked about it in here and was advised to call the restaurant and ask, so I did.

When I called to ask about it, I spoke to Francesco, the sommelier, and he told me they could do whatever I’d like and to ask for him when we got there. He said they could do a meal from 2 to 2000 courses; it was all up to me. Too easy.

Right after we were seated, Francesco came over and asked if there was any item we didn't want to eat. Peppers (sweet ones) don't agree with my wife so that was our only restriction. It was also just about the only input we had in the meal. He asked if we wanted wine and of course the answer was YES, and I asked about wine pairings. He actually suggested we just get a bottle because he felt the pairing would be too much wine. When does a restaurant convince you to buy *less* of something from them?!?!? I thought that was really cool and unexpected and left us with a very good taste in our mouths. It seemed to say, "just trust me, I've got your back."

A minute or two later, Francesco, returned with two glasses of champagne as his gift to us for my wife's birthday. No charge!

The first course was Carciofi Alla Guidia, which was fried artichokes. This was the only thing we requested (based on reviews in Chowhound) and I’m glad we did. The artichokes were fried, possibly deep fried, but they didn’t have any breading or batter on them. They were just crispy, crunchy artichokes, but they were really different and really good. Strangely, the best part of the dish, or the most surprising part was the little bits of fried parsley that was like a garnish. The parsley was also crispy and crunchy but still had that distinctive parsley taste. It was almost like eating tiny potato chips that were parsley flavored. I’d get this dish again just for the parsley!

The second course was mozzarella (I think) cheese and beets. It was something I never would have ordered and I was so glad that I left the ordering up to someone else because this dish was another winner. When Francesco delivered the plates he said he picked up the cheese today from Dulles airport and that it was just flown in from Italy. This seemed strange because to me, mozzarella was just something you put on pizza or maybe had with a slice of tomato. Well, this mozzarella was a completely different animal from anything that I’d ever seen. The plate had three little chunks of different colored beets that were (maybe) pickled on one side and a blob of cheese on the other. The blob of mozzarella looked like a soft boiled egg, complete with ground pepper on top. The most amazing thing was that the cheese *acted* like a soft boiled egg too. It was creamy and liquidy in the middle and it flowed out when you cut the outer layer. I don’t know if this a common way to serve this cheese, but I’ve never had it and it blew me away. It was such a weird surprise and very good too.

The third course was the pasta course and it was some sort of homemade linguini but it was two or three times as thick as normal. It also had some sort of spice infused/injected/inserted into the pasta. It was cooked very al dente and was really good. Very hearty. It was served with a hunk or two of lobster which was also great. I couldn’t find this dish on the online menu, and I don’t know if it’s on their regular menu since we never saw one, but it should be! This dish also had those amazing little bits of fried parsley.

The forth course was halibut over some vegetables. I honestly don’t remember what they were. Sorry. They were some sort of pickled thing I think. Whatever they were, they were very good as was the fish. Light and moist. This is another dish that I can’t find on the menu (the online menu).

The fifth course was my favorite of the night and this one is on the menu. It’s called 'Ossobuco Milanese' and it was veal cheek on a bed of mushrooms and risotto. The veal almost had the consistency of pudding and by that I mean it was so tender that you almost didn’t have to chew it. It practically turned to liquid in my mouth. It was amazing and I could have easily eaten 3 or 4 more. Looking back at the online menu, this was another dish I probably wouldn’t have ordered. I probably would have picked the lamb, but again, it was much better that I left the ordering up to someone else because this dish was killer.

Next came the dessert and a special (extra) dessert for my wife for her birthday. Both were great.

The real shocker was when the bill came. There were only three lines on it. One for wine and two for “Open Hot Food” which was code for our tasting meal. The price per meal was only $72. I tried to calculate what it would have cost based on similar items on the menu and I ended with something about $20 more per meal! This seemed like a great bargain to me and (again) the best part was we didn’t have do anything other than enjoy. No thinking, no agonizing over menu choices, just sitting back and waiting for the next surprise to come.

If you’re up for a great meal and a little bit of an adventure, call Bibiana, ask for Francesco and leave it all up to him. We had a wonderful meal, a different experience and a great night. To quote Homer Simpson, this meal was “seven thumbs up!”-COLLAPSE / REPLY (14 Replies) (by Bart Hound, created March 31, 2011)

»Great Italian - Bibiana

Wife and I had dinner for the first time Sat night at Bibiana. Great meal, great service, great atmosphere - definitely will be back many times.

Rice fritters - not overly dense or greasy - perfectly fried and the rice/cheese ratio was great.
Polpette - Veal meat ball over white polenta - moist, flavorful meatball over creamy polenta - great.
Marubini - braised veal ravioli - this was really...+READ Wife and I had dinner for the first time Sat night at Bibiana. Great meal, great service, great atmosphere - definitely will be back many times.

Rice fritters - not overly dense or greasy - perfectly fried and the rice/cheese ratio was great.
Polpette - Veal meat ball over white polenta - moist, flavorful meatball over creamy polenta - great.
Marubini - braised veal ravioli - this was really terrific. Brown butter sauce was perfect, perfect seasoning.
Beef - Strip perfectly grilled over pizzaiola (sp) - served with potato wedges which were good but nothing out of the ordinary. The meat is served in two long pieces. Once piece was perfectly cooked and delicious. The other piece must have come from the end cut as it was almost all fat which was disappointing. After the first piece I was looking forward to the second. I wish this was caught in the kitchen as the one piece shouldnt have been served.

My wife is a vegetarian and loved the house made ricotta with honey, pepper chives and almonds. I tasted it and homemade ricotta is just a great thing.

She also had the Agnolotti which she liked very much.

Dessert was fried Nutella which was deliciously rich and over the top. Nutella gelato, Nutella powder and a fried pastry filled with Nutella pastry cream. This was a really great dessert and excellently presented. As a culinary pastry graduate I can tell you, this is a good one.

Great wines by the glass - I had a Sangiovese and my wife stuck with a couple of whites.

Overall - highly recommend Bibiana.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (8 Replies) (by 3crazydogs, created September 12, 2010)

My boyfriend and I went to Bibiana tonight. Could have been great, but the food was extremely salty.
(And you can only order off the restaurant menu.)
Service was excellent, as was the dessert -- I had the salted caramel gelati (amazing).
The veal meatballs were good, but a little bit salty.
The pesto and scallops risotto was so salty that I couldn't eat it. I am usually very sensitive to a...+READ My boyfriend and I went to Bibiana tonight. Could have been great, but the food was extremely salty.
(And you can only order off the restaurant menu.)
Service was excellent, as was the dessert -- I had the salted caramel gelati (amazing).
The veal meatballs were good, but a little bit salty.
The pesto and scallops risotto was so salty that I couldn't eat it. I am usually very sensitive to a lot of salt, but my boyfriend also couldn't eat it.
Tagliatelle ragu was good.
I want to give this restaurant another chance since its still relatively new and the service, ambiance and dessert were all so good. But they seriously need to lay off the salt.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (54 Replies) (by Energy09, created January 14, 2010)

My husband and I went to Bibiana last night to celebrate our anniversary. I completely agree with FoodFiend. The food was quintessential italian, every dish we had was crafted with a simple preparation and had subtle flavors and a heavenly taste.

We visited Bibiana on a Wednesday night. While the place was full, it was a mix of business men and tourists. The crowd didn't hurt the atmosphere,...+READ My husband and I went to Bibiana last night to celebrate our anniversary. I completely agree with FoodFiend. The food was quintessential italian, every dish we had was crafted with a simple preparation and had subtle flavors and a heavenly taste.

We visited Bibiana on a Wednesday night. While the place was full, it was a mix of business men and tourists. The crowd didn't hurt the atmosphere, but it was something that I did notice upon arrival. Of course it was a weeknight. I am sure on a Friday or Saturday night there is a younger mix of patrons.

Our waiter was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the food. His recommendations were spot on and he knew the menu inside and out, as if he created it himself.

We started with the Fried Squash Blossoms, Crostini Di Pollo, and black figs stuffed with cheese. We knew we were going to have an incredible evening based on the appetizers alone. The figs were outstanding, slightly sweet, complemented by the cheese and topped with shaved almonds and a drizzle of balsamic (i think).

We then had half portions of the bucatini and the risotto with green apple. The risotto was out of this world. Food Fiend nailed the description, it was absolutely perfect. And while sometimes risotto can be overly rich and heavy, this risotto had the perfect balance of creamy rich texture without being overpowering.

My husband then had the duck and I had the branzino. The fish was presented to me table side and then taken away to be filleted. I was served a beautiful plate of soft white fish with an incredibly subtle yet flavorful drizzle of sauce.

We also shared the chocolate bomba for dessert and enjoyed it immensely. The wine list was superb.

Bottom line, we can't wait to return!-COLLAPSE / REPLY (9 Replies) (by rachgolden, created October 15, 2009)

I went to Bibiana for my birthday this past weekend. I was looking for a restaurant that would remind me of some of the restaurants I went to in Florence. Although nothing can compare to being in Italy, this was a wonderful and close second. The service was wonderful. The staff was very professional and knowledgeable. I appreciated the servers fully honest opinion on which entrees were his...+READ I went to Bibiana for my birthday this past weekend. I was looking for a restaurant that would remind me of some of the restaurants I went to in Florence. Although nothing can compare to being in Italy, this was a wonderful and close second. The service was wonderful. The staff was very professional and knowledgeable. I appreciated the servers fully honest opinion on which entrees were his favorite (and not even always selecting the most expensive one). They were also quite knowledgeable about the wines. We ordered a ton of food and all shared some bites. Everything was DELICIOUS! I don't usually say that. Below is a breakdown of what we ordered. I LOVE food and I love dining out. I have to say this is by far my new favorite restaurant in DC. The only thing I have to warn you is to be patient. We were there for about 3+hours. It is a true European dining experience!
Apps:
Polpettini: delicious, tender, salty
Arancini (saffron rice fritters)- AMAZING. Tasted like fried mac n' cheese, even though it isn't
Fiore de Zucca (fried squash blossoms)- incredible squash flavor and perfectly crisp and juicy

Entrees:
Calzoncelli: (pasta stuffed with pancetta, brown butter, sage sauce): Tender pasta with salty, delicious pancetta. Light sauce- not heavy. Delicious
Spaghetti Al Nero Di Seppia (black spaghetti, blue crab, spicy oil sauce): This was a delicious surprise. I assumed it would be fishy but it wasn't in the least. Completely fresh taste with a kick.
Agnolotti: (sheeps milk ricotta filled pasta, lemon, marjoram, spinach): This was incredibly light. It was refreshing and wonderful.
Anatra: (duck breast, grilled peaches, celery root) Never had duck this good. Seriously. It was so crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It was like duck bacon.

I would highly recommend going to Bibiana. The portions are perfect, the food is amazing and service is great. Just remember, be patient, bring an empty stomach and a full wallet. Ordering all of this food gets pricey.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (4 Replies) (by devouringdc, created October 8, 2009)