Graffiato

"Top Chef's" Chef Mike Isabella has opened his newest culinary creation in D.C.- Graffiato, an Italian-inspired restaurant in Chinatown. The 130-seat spot allows Chef Isabella to interact with guests while he crafts comforting dishes from seasonal produce and locally cured hams, hand-rolled pastas, marinated vegetables, and yes, his famous pepperoni sauce!. The two-story layout features an open ham bar on the second floor and a large wood oven tucked behind a U-shaped counter with 15 bar stools on the first floor.

With heavy influence from Chef Isabella’s Mediterranean and Latin culinary training, Graffiato is anything but a traditional Italian eatery. Roasted potato gnocchi, chicken thighs with pepperoni sauce, bone marrow with cured lemon, and king crab legs with sea urchin and guanciale are a few of the signature wood oven roasted dishes. Warm made-to-order fresh-stretched mozzarella and spiced red beets with pork fried almonds are popular first plates. They also offer a large selection of beer and wine including 60+ bottles of wine by the glass.

When the kitchen closes, the oven will stay fired to feed Washingtonians looking for a late-night bite.

See more: Penn Quarter restaurants, Chinatown restaurants, Downtown restaurants, Italian restaurants, Pizza restaurants