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Eating in style in Chevy Chase’s Famoso

Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo Mattox Photography Famoso’s Italian granite bar was hand-honed into its distinctive shape in China.

‘‘Opening one restaurant is challenging. Opening two [Famoso and M Café downstairs] within 10 days is emotionally and physically draining. It can also be very rewarding,” says Giannino.

Although the two have a common owner (Max Mara’s Iraklis Karabassis) and common chef, the space, the menu and the discipline of staff are different, he explains.

Upscale Famoso offers fine northern Italian dining in a setting designed by Studio Grassi Ducci, the team that did Max Mara. The handsome lounge has Italian-crafted exotic wood walls and a unique Italian granite bar. The white tablecloth dining room, seating about 140, features lacy etched glass mirrors and dividers, contemporary art and chandeliers that look like flickering candles.

‘‘We win customers here one at a time. We get lots of return guests, sometimes twice a week, sometimes more,” says Giannino. The restaurant does not post closing times, staying open until the last customer is ready to go.

‘‘We have a beautiful bar and a well-thought out cocktail list to give you a sense and a taste of Italy,” he points out.

Famoso’s full menu is available at the bar. That menu, presented by executive chef Gabriele Paganelli, draws inspiration from his native Emilia-Romagna. While he keeps a close eye on the kitchen, chef Romina Lugaresi from his award-winning Romagna Mia in Toronto handles the day to day duties.

‘‘Two dishes that move very well” are the timballo di Parmigiano-Reggiano (cheese custard with sautéed wild mushrooms) and the bresaola (slivers of house made, air-dried cured beef topped with a terrine of carmelized figs, walnuts, mascarpone and Gorgonzola on fresh greens).

Prepared tableside, the signature risotto is a showstopper. John Church, one of many professional servers Giannino feels fortunate to have, ignites high-proof alcohol in a huge wheel of Parmigiana Reggiano to melt the cheese, adds risotto prepared with a pheasant ragout and stirs before ladling it out.

‘‘People who are food and wine savvy are just blown away by this,” Giannino says.

‘‘We have no interest in doing the pasta other than in the Italian way,” the general manager told the chef. One of the specialties, the award-winning strozzapreti alla Romagnola (handmade pasta set in a sausage ragout topped with Parma prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano), means literally ‘‘strangle the priest.”

‘‘We expected strong sales of pasta, but we get a real even split between pastas and entrées,” Giannino says. The branzino (Mediterranean sea bass baked in a pouch with artichokes, olives, potato and cherry tomato) is a standout. Also popular is bistecca alla Fiorentina, fileted 16-ounce T-bone or 24-ounce porterhouse, grilled and reassembled on the plate around the bone. ‘‘Veal is huge. People really take to it,” he adds.

Paradiso di cioccolato (hot molten chocolate cake, chocolate almond cookies and hazelnut gelato served with fresh mixed berries) wins many fans for baker Susana Ortega. Also ‘‘very, very good,” according to Giannino, is her panna cotta (rich custard served with caramelized figs and almonds).

Giannino champions Famoso’s wine program. ‘‘We wrote a list of which 90 percent is special order wine. We get interesting bottles.” The selection, all Italian with the exception of one page of upscale American wines, is 75 percent complete.

What’s good gets better. Famoso just added lunch. Look for grilled jumbo black tiger shrimp and calamari kebobs, Piacenza-style ravioli filled with ricotta and Swiss chard in a butternut squash-sage sauce and grilled Tuscan style half chicken served with panzanella (bread salad).

The floor to ceiling wall on the reverse side of the bar holds some of the extensive wine collection. This private retreat, seating 30 comfortably, can be set up for parties. ‘‘Indicative of the season, we are booking a lot of holiday parties” as well as individual reservations.

Parking is complimentary in the garage behind the Collection. Enter the restaurant directly by elevator.