Magnifico?

Remember the Galileo deal we told you about a few weeks ago? Well, the reviews have started to come in, and though it's crucial to understand that Galileo has a new chef de cuisine, reactions to the new Galileo are generally mixed. After hearing from two distinctly different groups -- a party of seventeen active on the food message boards and the report of one DCist of her experience with three companions -- the words from some are that though the price makes the Galileo special (active until the end of August) somewhat worth it in terms of ambiance, opportunity, and most importantly the wine value, what some would call D.C.'s most famous Italian restaurant may have some competition at the full price.

Seventeen diners from DonRockwell.com visited Galileo Sunday night, and their reactions have seemed mixed. Common themes have included noting the disparity in portion size between the tasting menu and the a la carte menu (the latter being significantly bigger) and hiccups in service. Here, we do take pity on the servers/runners; taking care of a table of seventeen is no easy task. But a personal visit from new chef de cuisine Amy Brandwein and seating in the Laboratorio made these complaints bearable for some, and a non-issue for others.

On the other hand, DCist Catherine (also in Galileo on Sunday) was underwhelmed at Galileo for the second time. As one of her companions, Sue of Sueandnotu put it, "It was a good meal, but not top-of-the-city worthy I think." That's a bummer to hear, and we worry that Chef Donna is paying more attention to his tasting-menu-only Laboratorio nowadays.

So what's one to conclude from these two different dining experiences? Well, the majority in both groups seem to conclude that though their dinners were nice given the discount, they would think twice before returning to Galileo on a full price night. With up-and-coming Italian restaurants like Dino garnering much praise, we've decided to postpone our trip to Galileo and try to hit the lunch grill -- which, food lovers, is open Wednesday and Friday this week.