A reader in Tom Siestema’s weekly restaurant chat alerts us to the surprising fact that SER Corp., also known as Galileo Restaurant, Laboratorio Del Galileo and Osteria Del Galileo, filed for bankruptcy on Aug. 16. For those not obsessed with Italian food in the District, Galileo is the cream of the crop, a highly-regarded and popular establishment that’s been serving a well-heeled clientele for years. (It was one of then-President George H.W. Bush’s favorite spots in the city.) In a bankruptcy statement, when you list your assets at $3,000 and your liabilities at $2,416,758 — well, jeez… Ain’t enough overpriced risotto in the world you can sell to cover that.

DCist had wondered of late if Roberto Donna, Galileo’s owner and chef, had been overextending himself. While taking care of both Galileo and the uber-special and expensive Laboratorio, he had also recently opened Osteria Del Galileo, a casual establishment where nothing on the menu would cost more than $10. He also managed or partnered on the restaurants Barolo, Il Radicchio, and Cesco.

Since DCist can usually only afford a box of mac and cheese for dinner, we haven’t been there as of late. So we don’t know if problems are related to food, service, management or what. Siestema’s advice? “I’m no lawyer, but the best hope for Roberto Donna to pay off his debts is to continue doing what he does best: cook. From what I understand, Chapter 11 is not the bitter end.”