We were dismayed to see that the Washingtonian recently dissed one of our favorite cheap eats joints in Alexandria, Café Monti, saying “the lackluster goulash, watery pastas, and stale tarts had us heading for the door.”

This flip comment caused our jaws to involuntarily slacken in shock and disbelief. The NoVa DCist contingent has patronized Monti several times over the past couple of months, and the quality has only improved, and the supposed lack of luster, wateriness, and staleness are not qualities we have ever seen there.

Monti, housed in a nondescript shack sandwiched between Royal Auto Glass and a Mattress Discounters, serves up traditional Austrian and Italian fare so effortlessly and deliciously that we’re in awe with its continued perfection. It’s worth noting that all of this old European fare is faithfully executed by a family of South Asians, who took over the operation from its original Austrian owner.

On Friday nights, a line often extends out the door, as most are picking up takeout, while a full house of diners await hot meals served by a sparse, but very attentive, staff.

We usually start out with the spinach and mushroom salad (during our most recent visit, the spinach salad was unavailable, as they were taking precautions due to the recent e. coli outbreaks). The salad features a bed of the fresh green layered with fresh mushrooms, dressed in a simple coating of oil and seasonings. Simple, delicious, and as authentic as those of other area trattorias. Entree-wise, we have enjoyed numerous items from both the Italian and Austrian columns. But our favorites remain the goulash, stewed chunks of tender beef, served with bread dumplings, and the cheese tortellini in a mushroom, tomato cream sauce. The goulash immediately transports us back to the beer halls of Prague, especially when paired with a selection from Monti’s comprehensive imported beer selection. The beef, slow cooked, tender, and juicy is accompanied by yeasty herbed bread dumplings used liberally for sopping up excess juices.