Debbie, Susan, and I went to Mario’s Trattoria on a Saturday night. Mario’s has been open since January 28, 2022. It replaced the Glover Park location of the Surfside Restaurant which opened in 2008 and closed in 2019.
The restaurant does not take reservations except for groups of 8 or more so we decided to arrive early – 6:00 p.m. Debbie found a parking place on Wisconsin Avenue “feet” from the restaurant.
We need not to have worried. There were not more than two dozen people when we arrived and perhaps another couple dozen when we left around 7:30 p.m. Interestingly, a number of the adults were accompanied by 3 or 4 children making it clear that the restaurant is well received in the neighborhood.
There was a regular flow of folks coming in to pick up bags or boxes of food that had been ordered.
The restaurant seats up to 175 people with an additional 50 seats on the top of the restaurant weather permitting.
To the right as you enter there is a small L-shaped bar with 6 tall chairs – 4 and 2. Continuing into the restaurant there is a work area with various machines used by the servers. Next is the cooking kitchen, open to the guests.
The servers were particularly friendly and helpful. One person who was dressed somewhat differently than the others was clearly in charge. Once we were seated, the manager asked if we preferred to have the TV directly over our heads turned off; we said sure, and he did.
The server assigned to our table delivered current menus and then, while checking in now and then, waited until we let him know we were ready to order.
Susan ordered the House Green Salad and Risotto with fungi – Mélange of wild mushrooms, slow cooked in a homemade stock with Arborio rice.
Debbie did not order a starter and selected Chicken Marsala – pan fried chicken cutlets and mushrooms with pasta in a Marsala wine sauce.
I ordered a Caesar salad – Linguine Carbonara – Fresh pasta tossed with crispy pancetta, eggs yolks, dash of cream and Parmigiana Reggiano – and Tiramisu for dessert.
Susan and Debbie did not order dessert, but our server brought two extra spoons which were used.
Susan and Debbie ordered wine. They did not have mocktails on the menu, so I requested a margarita without alcohol which the manager delivered. Having tried an alcoholic drink without the alcohol, which I have not done before, I am sure I will be doing it again.
From the front door, one can see all the way to the “back door”. Outside that door is a side street and the parking lot of the nearby bank. One of the folks told me the back door was not open while another told me it could be used to reach the parking lot.
Along that rear hallway are two unisex restrooms. As you enter to the left is a floor-based commode.
Mario’s Trattoria
2444 Wisconsin Avenue NW
Washington DC 20007