THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Bice Ristorante

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Bice Ristorante Restaurant Review:

THIS ESTABLISHMENT IS CLOSED In a welcome return to the Washington area, Bice Ristorante sets a high standard for Italian cooking with meals that shine with quality ingredients and freshly made pastas, breads and desserts. Lunch or dinner begins pleasantly with baked eggplant Parmigiana; air-light fried calamari, prawns and zucchini; tuna tartare with a surprising avocado-and-horseradish sauce; or paper-thin carpaccio accented with truffle oil and a Dijon dressing. As added interest and to tempt appetites, try the skizza, Italian flatbreads topped with a selection of meats and cheeses---the smoked salmon with leeks and mascarpone is a stunner. Or what about the silken butternut squash soup with its flavor accent of crushed amaretti cookies? Main dishes offer some intriguing options, from the just al dente creamy risottos to the macho osso bucos and robust grilled steaks. But for those who crave seafood, perhaps nothing can best the parchment-wrapped Italian branzino, a Mediterranean fish with a delicate flesh accented here by accompanying vegetables and olives. As for sweets, the chef prides himself on the tiramisu, but could you honestly bypass the Italian chocolate cake with hazelnut gelato? Talk about sinful. As a fine backdrop for the rather elegant fare, the central dining room boasts plush blue carpeting, bell-shaped chandeliers, and big stands of flowers in enormous vases. The two smaller rooms---one with the bar---have glass windows that welcome the sunshine.