Dino’s Getting Kudos
Last week we reported that Dino in Cleveland Park was now open. And from the buzz around local food circles, this will be a place to watch in the coming months. Jason Storch of DCFoodies has been multiple times, with favorable reviews. Amanda of Metrocurean says the restaurant is “off to a promising start,” and the folks on Don Rockwell’s forum are overwhelmingly positive about the new kid in town. With Tom Sietsema’s compliments in the Weekly Dish, it looks like Dino may be the kind of Italian dining D.C. has been looking for: casual, seasonal, and affordable, without sacrificing quality. The mere $10 markup on wine is particularly attractive, and we think proprietor Dean Gold went the smart route by steering clear of 2Amy’s style Neopolitan pies. We’ll be in Cleveland Park soon to check the newcomer out for ourselves.

Image of Pinci al Cinghiale courtesy Jason Storch

New Haven Style Slices Coming to D.C.
Sietsema started it. After his chat yesterday, rumors started swirling about where, exactly, the new restaurant venture he mentioned on Connecticut Avenue was and what it would be. Some Rockwellians think they might have it: a New Haven style pizza shop from the creators of Buck’s Fishing and Camping. Now we’ve never had New Haven style pizza (though DCist Intern/Yalie Judy is emphatically not a fan), but we’ve read about it, most notably in “The Man Who Ate Everything” — and from the descriptions in the book alone, we’re hoping the rumors are true.