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Very Best Restaurants: I Matti

Very Best Listing | Very Best by Cuisine | Very Best by Location

I Matti **
Washington, $

Unchallenged as the best restaurant in Adams Morgan, Roberto Donna's upscale trattoria is also one of the best casual Italian restaurants in the metropolitan area.

Whether it's a salad of arugula with shavings of Parmesan, a thin-crusted pizza Margheritawhich is even better here than at Donna's Il Radicchio chainand a glass of wine, or a three-course meal with a bottle chosen from its fairly priced wine list, I Matti accommodates all appetites.

Some of the highlights of I Matti's seasonally changing menu are stuffed pastas, ranging from such novelties as ravioli stuffed with turkey and chestnuts to authentically meaty Piedmontese agnolotti; linguini and mixed seafood baked in parchment paper; bollito misto, the Italian version of pot-au-feu; braised veal cheeks; and Donna's signature rabbit cutlet with prosciutto and cheese.

Once you've sampled the cuisine, you're likely to want to get on I Matti's mailing list. Every month at the restaurant's balcony dining room, Donna organizes meals that showcase the cuisine and wines of a particular region of Italy. The all-inclusive cost of most is around $50, and with the combination of Donna's supervision of the cooking and freely poured regional wines to accompany each course, each evening usually provides a casually educational, thoroughly memorable gastronomic event.

I Matti , 2436 18th St. NW, Washington; 202-462-8844. Open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner, Sunday for dinner. MapIt!

QUALITY: ****Excellent; *** Superior; **Very Good; * Good
PRICE RANGE: $$$= Very Expensive; $$ Expensive; $=Moderate; ¢=Inexpensive

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