PRICE:
Frommer's Highly Recommended

The beautiful-people factor rises exponentially here as the night wears on. Cafe Milano has long been a magnet for Washington's famous, attractive, and powerful -- and for visiting Hollywood and international celebrities. But this restaurant/nightclub/bar also serves good food. Salads are big, pasta servings are small, and fish and meat entrees are just the right size. We had the endive, radicchio, and arugula salad topped with thin sheets of Parmesan cheese; a panzanella salad of tomatoes, potatoes, red onion, celery, and cucumber basking in basil and olive oil; cappellacci (round ravioli) pockets of spinach and ricotta in cream sauce; sautéed sea bass on a bed of vegetables with lemon chive sauce; and the Santa Babila pizza, which has tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, oregano, and basil on a light pizza crust. All were delicious. Cafe Milano opens to a sidewalk cafe during the warm months. A bevy of good-humored waiters takes care of you. FYI: The Vatican chose Cafe Milano to prepare Pope Benedict's birthday meal at the Vatican Embassy when the pope visited Washington in April 2008.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Washington, D.C. 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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