THE MEAL
Appetizer: Burrata di Buffala
Entree: Topini al Radicchio Rosso (with our house tomato sauce, Italian red cabbage, mascarpone cheese and Parmesan cheese)
THOUGHTS
We went to Acqua Al 2 -- located adjacent to Eastern Market -- for a friend's birthday dinner. Ordinarily, servers struggle with tables of 10+ people, but I felt that our server paid close attention to our needs and accommodated my dining companion's dietary restrictions readily and graciously.
My dining companion and I began the meal with the homemade burrata di buffala, a delicate ball of mozzarella that, when cut, spreads like smooth butter. Served with a touch of honey and citrus wedges, I found the burrata to be a revelation. While I've always heard of burrata, I'd never enjoyed the pleasure until now. Needless to say, based upon Acqua's version, I will be making every effort to make burrata a larger part of my life in the future.
After the burrata, I selected the topini di radicchio rosso, a gnocchi-like pasta. While the gnocchi was a touch heavy (as opposed to light and pillowy), the sauce was rich and succulent, with tremendous depth of flavor. The sauce exemplified my understanding of the umami flavor profile, and gives me optimism that -- with a different pasta -- Acqua Al 2 could really deliver the goods.
Set in an upscale, but warm, building, Acqua Al 2 nicely balanced the formality of a nice dinner out with the hominess one expects from an Italian restaurant. I look forward to my return trip and to Acqua Al 2 improving upon my first experience.
CONCLUSIONS
Food: 8/10
Service: 3.5/5
Errata: 4/5
Total: 15.5/20
$$$
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