No Restoring This Ristorante
July 31, 2006 at 9:05 am
Sad day for Extreme Mortman — and lovers everywhere of great D.C. political hangouts.
We learn from today’s Washington Post that A.V. Ristorante — a joint that features fabulous political and media celebrities and even more fabulous white pizza, plus the only opera jukebox in town — soon will be no more:
D.C. developer Douglas Jemal said he bought the land that A.V. Ristorante Italiano occupies and is working to buy the rest of the block at New York Avenue and Seventh Street NW. He said he would like to put offices and retail on the site, much as he did on the block of Seventh Street NW across from Verizon Center. Jemal wouldn’t say how much he paid for the restaurant, a neighborhood institution that was started in 1949 by Augusto Vasaio and remained in his family.
A.V. closes October 2007. We’ll be wiping the sauce stains off our ties long after that.
William J. Brennan said,
July 31, 2006 @ 2:44 pm
I used to dine there with Justice Scalia… manys the time I would wax eloquent on the penumbra while the arias of Puccini emanated from the juke box….
Tony Soprano said,
July 31, 2006 @ 3:05 pm
“AV” is a dump: when’s the last time YOU were there (would love to see where you would park)? Judge a place by the number of rats out back…just like Adams’ Morganhole. Sentimentalism does not make for good, let alone clean & safe food: just look at the Booeymonger these days.