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Osteria Morini

Don't get over to the Navy Yard side of town very often so it was a treat to wander through this burgeoning neighborhood taking in the sights and sounds.  Osteria Morini is a lovely Italian restaurant right on the river with cozy wood tables, comfortable chairs and outstanding wait staff.  The food was also quite nice although I would say that everything was a tad "different" -- in a good way.  Started with the Burrata Antipasti.  Rather than a Burrata ball, it was a flat dish, with the cheese either melted down or scraped out from the center, then chilled.  It was topped with candied walnuts (the menu said pumpkin seeds), apples (soaked in something) and shaved fennel.  It felt dessert-like -- a kind of rich cream with a subtle hint of cheese and sweet toppings.  Not at all what I expected but when it comes to Burrata, I will try anything and everything.  It was particularly spectacular when slathered onto a warm slice of the house-made Rosemary Bread.  For a main I selected an Zgnolotti (not listed on the online menu) stuffed with winter squash and covered with a brown butter sauce and more of the candied walnuts.  It was, again, very different and quite delightful.  There really is nothing like handmade pasta to make your tummy smile.  I finished with a scoop of salted caramel gelato, which was served with a chocolate cookie and was just perfect.  Companions had the Spaghetti Pomondoro and a side of Meatballs (on this night, enhanced with prosciutto and mortadella) along with wine, beer and coffee/cappuchino which was declared to be "excellent".  No major complaints here.  Prices are sky-high and servings small, as is the custom in a restaurant of this caliber.  The dishes were slightly over-salted (IMHO) but no salt or pepper was set on the tables.  It's rare that I've seen a restaurant so determined to stick to the chef's choice of seasoning.  In any case, it's veg-friendly (my server was thrilled to recommend their vegetarian options) but not a good pick for vegans.  I would gladly eat here again, perhaps at lunch so that I could take in the terrific view.

Upscale Italian, chef-inspired menu changes frequently
301 Water St, SE (can be hard to find ... walk through the plaza towards the river)
https://osteriamorini.com/washington-dc/

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