Here’s The Dish

Il Piatto, a breezy Italian restaurant, opened June 23, 2022, in the former Mirabelle space, which sits a block from the White House.

With a location next to Black Lives Matter Plaza, and a great deal of tourist activity, Chef Lina Nicolai’s comforting menu features appetizers like homemade meatballs, arancini, and pera in camica — a poached pear served with radicchio, goat cheese, and balsamic dressing.

Main dishes include fettuccine bolognese, pasta with wild mushrooms, eggplant parmigiana, chicken Milanese, and coastal-style fish baked with wine and summer vegetables.

Regional classics include pesce al cartoccio — a white fish baked with zucchini, onion, and white wine — and pan-seared lamb chops.