Sometimes we just want a taste of Italy close to home. So we often choose Italian restaurants here in our hometown of Washington, DC (which is, btw, having a bit of a food renaissance, in our humble opinion...)
With the tagline "Italian influenced, wine focused", it's no surprise that we've stopped by Maple on several occasions over the years.
The Atmosphere
The bar area is sleek, and offers a nice place to sit for a drink or dessert. In the winter, we recommend sitting away from the door and windows...we learned this the hard way as we sat down for a seemingly cozy Valentine's dinner in front of the great picture window, and instead were met by a cold, constant draft blowing in through the wall. Brr! In the warmer months however, be sure to take advantage of their back patio, which offers a dedicated bar and romantic patio lights.
The Food
One word: Mussels. They are scrumptious. Well, maybe one more word, from Paul: Ragu. Both main dishes were amazing. Try them.
Their charcuterie plate was great, except there were lots of olives...great for some, but maybe not us... The bruschetta is average; satisfying our hunger, but nothing we would travel too far for.
To finish things off, we have sampled the flourless espresso chocolate torte and found it plate-licking good.
The Drinks
Maple offers a great wine menu, and the normal DC offering of on-tap beers. We love sampling a different Italian red each time we go.
While we haven't caught one yet, Maple offers "Flights with Benefits" events, which we're eager to try!
Overall Rating
3.5 out of 5 stars
If you're in the mood for mussels or ragu, go to Maple. We love that it's so close to our home.
Maple
3418 11th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20010