We finally made it to Acqua Al 2 last night. When my husband and I took a trip to Florence, Italy, we were walking the streets and just so happened to stumble across the original restaurant. We paused and looked at one another, but since they had a copy in DC, we figured we would try somewhere else that we could only get in Italy and save the Acqua Al 2 experience for when we got home. Well, we got home, and a year and a half later, we finally made it to try their dining experience.The concept truly is Italian offering the Primi Piatti (first course) pasta dish and Secondi Piatti (main course) meat dish. We started off with some ricotta balls, you can never go wrong, and one of their daily specials, Burrata served with honey, pine nuts, and grapefruit - divine. Burrata, for those that may not know, is like an upgraded Buffalo Mozzarella (yes, while Buffalo Mozzarella is always the better choice, it actually can itself be upgraded). It is a creamy silk on the inside, and an item to not ever be passed up. We were dining with another couple and both of the eyes of the ladies opened wide when this special was mentioned. The boys didn't even flinch to order it based upon our reaction.
Onto the main courses... the pastas were all genuine: the gnocchi with gorgonzola, rigatoni with eggplant, and bowties with mushrooms. Lots of different options for everyone. And for dinner, the whole table ordered the same dish - Filet Mignon with blueberry sauce. Yep, you read that correctly, blueberry sauce. It was just right, not too sweet at all. The only thing disappointing about the Secondi Piatti was that the choice was either steak, or veal, or chicken. I was surprised not to see any fish options, but you can never go wrong with a good steak and reduction sauce.
So would I go back? Definitely. The service was great, the food was classic. And the atmosphere was just right. It's worth the trek over to Capitol Hill.