We have been trying to get to this restaurant for a couple of weeks now. Apparently the buzz is so great, wait times usually average out at about an hour. So this time, we had to be strategic. We thought, when are Chinatown restaurants the least busy? And then it came to us: Right after happy hour ends and as soon as a Washington Caps game begins. Score! It was perfect timing. We walked right up to a couple seats at the bar with no problem. Immediately the dim lighting, the smell of charred wood, and the brick walls gave us the feel of an upscale New York pizzeria. The huge wooden oven added to that effect. What we learned is that Graffiato may have an upscale pizzeria feel, but it is definitely way more than that.
This Italian inspired restaurant by Mike Isabella serves small plates, pastas, pizza, and wait for it…a ham bar! Service was fantastic. We were seated at the bar for not even two minutes before Emily, our bartender, introduced herself, the restaurant, and what the menu had to offer. With so many choices I had to go with what sounded the craziest. The Papa Smurf Pizza. Trust us, whatever you are thinking, it is not that. This pizza consisted of speck, gorgonzola, caramelized onions and potato and was melt in your mouth, salty, hint of sweet, goodness. The best part besides its obvious taste, was that the turnaround time between when we ordered and received the food was super quick. And as a bonus, we got to watch the pizza being cooked in the wooden oven.
Here is the bottom line. We highly recommend this restaurant. There are so many components that make it a hit, we are positive you and your awesome friends will love it. When you go, make sure you tell Taha Ismail the Bar Manager and Emily we said hello.
FamousDC thanks Mrs. Kobe Bryant for her review of Graffiato.
Graffiato is located at 707 6th St. Northwest, WDC, 20001
Twitter: @Graffiato @MikeIsabellaDC @stixedelmundo