NVM Review

By Warren Rojas

Food: 7.2 Ambiance: 7.3 Service: 7.5

There are fresh cut flowers and crisply starched tablecloths at every table. Sly empty nesters lay claim to angled four-tops—easier to sit side-by-side that way—while others seek escape through sustenance.

“Just water and the ravioli,” one hyper-focused executive alerts her server before sitting down, pausing to look up from the ream of documents spread out across the table only when the ragout-covered cheese pockets are placed before her.

“Oh, wow. That’s incredible. It melts in your mouth,” the woman blurts out after her bite, the work spell now effectively broken.

Salmon swims amid a sea of cushiony gnocchi and boozy vodka-cream sauce.

Robust olives and corn-studded polenta fortify stewed chicken.

Frozen cherries and sliced almonds reside at the heart of a frosty treat binding sweet vanilla ice cream within a hard dark chocolate shell.

By Warren Rojas

Food: 7.1 Ambiance: 7.1 Service: 7.3

Show me a restaurant that welcomes guests with open arms even when they squeeze through the door just before closing, and I’ll show you a place worth its weight in gold.

Zeffirelli is just such a treasure.

Staff didn’t even bat an eyelash when I slid into a chair right before they were expected to hang it up for the day. “Well, we’re still here,” a smiling server suggested as she handed over a menu (much obliged).

The homey environs are matched by a kitchen well versed in Northern Italian specialties.

A feast of zesty sausages smothered in onions, peppers and marinara turns plain crostini to mush (heave it all on a sub roll and add some crumbled tallegio and I guarantee there’ll be lines out the door).

Linguine carbonara is generous but uneven; the lightly fried bacon lacks presence (this dish needs the pronounced crunch of properly charred swine), while piquant onions cut through the heavy cream in the bowl.

The signature veal chop, soaked overnight in olive oil, paprika and wine, yields meltingly tender beef with citrus undertones.

By Warren Rojas

Food: 7.5 Ambiance: 7.0 Service: 7.5

Not to make sweeping generalizations, but Da Domenico and Zeffirelli are more than simpatico establishments that happened to join forces.

They are actually mirror images of one another—at least when viewed through the prism of unparalled veal-chop appreciation.

To be perfectly fair, each of the restaurants beneath the Zeffirelli umbrella harbors its own unique charms (Tysons does veal and pork justice; Herndon fields better seafood specials) and built-in clienteles. But after making the rounds, it became clear that collectively comparing them as components of a much larger whole made more sense than parsing them separately.

A salad of shaved fennel (mellow, but refreshing), walnuts and goat cheese decorated with pesto dots provides a welcome change from your average mixed/bitter greens fare. The signature veal chop reveals a three-fingers thick stack of red wine-soaked meat that readily melts across the tongue (potent wine-pepper blend impregnates the tender flesh). Shrimp- and calamari-filled ravioli bathed in lobster cream sauce are a seafood symphony, bar none.

By Warren Rojas

Food: 7.9 Ambiance: 7.7 Service: 7.7

The Zeffirelli empire expanded this year with the acquisition of Tysons fixture Da Domenico. And while the Leesburg shop seems to play more with pastas, and Da Domenico remains the go-to spot for die-hard veal chop aficionados, the flagship Herndon Zeffirelli keeps the seats filled by wooing regulars and newcomers alike with delicious Tuscan cooking.

The double-decker dining room remains packed with local business types during lunch, while families and groups of friends claim the lion’s share of tables at dinner and on weekends. Staff in patterned vests and colorful ties hover attentively but never badger, lingering just long enough to rattle off their list of daily specials, refresh a glass or tempt you with tales of their homemade desserts.

Bacon-wrapped shrimp or clams casino make for easy pickings with a group, but patrons can go lighter with a breezy tomato, mozzarella, olive oil and scattered basil salad (very refreshing). Homemade lasagna does not want for dairy, layering the noodles and ground veal filling with mozzarella, Swiss and a touch of cream (molto cheesy). Roast rainbow trout emerges lightly crisped and smothered with capers, black olives and diced tomatoes.

Expect a dozen mixed reds and whites by the glass, while bottles start at around $30 for regional whites and climb to $300 for a 2001 Gaja Barbaresco. Other noteworthy finds listed under “Cellar Selections.”

By Warren Rojas

F 8.1 A 7.7 S 7.9

A sign declaring "Bienvenuto Amici"-an informal hello welcoming everyone to the table-greets visitors to this homey trattoria.

A cozy respite with an almost instantly familiar feel to it, Zeffirelli displays the trappings of a classic Italian restaurant. Servers float about the main dining room chatting with their charges, while the aroma of roast garlic and white wine perfumes the air.

Savory starters include a serving of spicy sausage roasted with peppers and onions, and shrimp Zeffirelli, a trio of bacon-wrapped shrimp bathed in a light lemon-herb sauce. Feeling peckish? Try the grilled chicken, asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes over pasta, or reel in salmon in a zesty pink peppercorn sauce. If it's unbridled flavor you crave, request the house veal chop-a bone-in monster (16 glorious ounces) still dripping with natural juices. In fact, ALWAYS ask if the chop is making a surprise lunchtime appearance.

A mountain of vanilla ice cream steeped in lemon liqueur unites nightcap and dessert in one. Or extend your stay with some biscotti and a warming Vin Santo or Verduzzo (high-octane dessert wines).