DC's Satisfyingly Substantial 1-Michelin Star 🌟 Fiola

This was actually my first Michelin dining experience overall, and I was quite satisfied. and I ordered two different 5-Course Menus—the meat-themed Pascoli and the seafood-themed Marino. Taking advantage of having just finished, I'm recording my thoughts. 💫 Before the meal, we were given some bite-sized amuse-bouches. The flavors were quite special and novel. We were then escorted to our main dining table, where a pre-starter of mashed potatoes with olive oil, topped with crispy fried lentils, was served. It was slightly salty. 💫 Appetizer The two menus offered different appetizers. The meat theme featured thinly sliced beef wrapped around arugula with aged vinegar—the beef was tender, and the overall taste was refreshing. The seafood theme offered thinly sliced tuna with green olives and a lemon-flavored water/consommé? 💫 Pasta The meat menu had three pasta choices. I finally selected the Tonnarelli Carbonara, which was pasta with crisped pancetta and egg yolk sauce. A disappointment 💥—not recommended, too salty, and the pasta was a bit undercooked/al dente. I'd suggest choosing something else. The seafood menu featured pasta with mixed seafood, including scallop, lobster meat, and fish, topped with some caviar. The noodles had excellent bite, and the sauce was complex and incredibly umami—very delicious. 💫 Entrée For the meat course, I chose Anatra e Polenta—duck breast with polenta and a cherry-based sauce. The duck skin was perfectly seared, the meat was tender-crisp, and it paired wonderfully with the polenta. For seafood, I selected Astice e Zucca—poached lobster with pumpkin-Parmesan and pesto. 💫 Before dessert, we were served what I believe was a blood orange sorbet, paired with a fig-flavored soda. It was very refreshing, and we both enjoyed it. By this point, we were already feeling quite full. 💫 Dessert was a hazelnut ice cream with a chocolate lava center and white chocolate ganache. We also received a box of off-menu petit fours. We were truly stuffed afterward! Overall, it was a very positive experience. Advertised as five courses, there were actually several extra complimentary small bites. They even gifted us a box of pastries for tomorrow's breakfast! The service was excellent, and the entire experience was quite lengthy—from around 6:40 PM when we started, eating and chatting until about 9:00 PM when we left the restaurant. Address: 601 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004 #DC #MichelinRestaurant #Fiola #FineDining #FoodReview #WashingtonDC