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Lupo Marino

I was dying to check out the Wharf and started with Lupo Marino.  I was surprised in a number of ways.  1) It is one of the few restaurants with no water view.  Pearl Street is essentially an alley and I got to watch trucks back up into delivery spots for most of my meal.  2) Most of Italian restaurants have a plethora of veggie options.  This one doesn't.  Even the Arancini comes in a beef ragu.  3)  The place is small.  Very small.  Squeezing in the seating means a lot of back-of-chair bumping.  4) Wharf restaurants are not cheap.  Be prepared for some sticker shock.

I arrived just as they opened for lunch and it wasn't clear if they were really open.  After trying to get me to sit in a corner of the bar, I was able to convince them to let me sit at a tall table near the small window.  I wasn't hugely hungry so I skipped the appetizers and salads and went for the only veggie pasta  -- a Cacio E Pepe.  It is a simple and classic djsh with black pepper and parmesan, typically on a "guitar string" pasta. 

When it arrived I was a little surprised.  It was appetizer sized -- about one cup of pasta.  It was very good, but at $20 ($28 with tax and tip) I did leave hungry.

The spot filled up with L'Enfant workers shortly after I arrived and I didn't try the pizza, but I did note that the bar food across the way had more veggie options.  Bottom line -- probably won't be back.

Upscale Italian
40 Pearl St, SW
http://www.lupomarinodc.com/

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