Recent DC Events

Rewarding Return to Roberto’s

by Bill Babash, Vice Chargé de Presse

Members and guests of the Bailliage of Greater Washington, DC, gathered on July 21, 2024, to once again experience the authentic, refined Piedmontese cuisine of one if its favorite chefs, Maître Rôtisseur Roberto Donna. Chef Donna is a native of the Piedmont region of Italy and came to Washington at the age of 19. He has been delighting discerning diners in the region ever since. This past June, he was honored as a top chef maintaining the excellence and quality of Italian cuisine by the Italian Cultural Society of Washington at a gala at the Italian Embassy. The bailliage had previously dined at Roberto’s in October 2022 and was thrilled by the chef’s delivered dinner at the height of the pandemic shutdown in October 2020.

Arriving at Chef Donna’s eponymous restaurant, Roberto’s Ristorante Italiano, in the historic Church Street neighborhood of Vienna Virginia, attendees were greeted with a glass of Monte Rossa Flamingo Rosé Brut, NV from Franciacorta, Lombardy, Italy. This Flamingo is made with 40% Pinot Nero and 60% Chardonnay using the traditional méthode Champenoise and is notable for its crisp fruit and toasty flavors. As attendees mingled, servers circulated with generous trays of hors d’oeuvres – tomato watermelon shots, fresh dates filled with gorgonzola, melon and culatello, and mini crab cakes. Each savory bite was deliciously suited to the warm summer evening, whetting appetites for the further delights to come.

As diners took their seats, Chef Donna took a few minutes away from his busy kitchen to personally welcome his guests and to describe the five courses he had prepared especially for the bailliage. The opening course was Inslata di Aragosta, Granchio, e Avacado – lobster, crab, and avacado salad. served with Castello di Neive Monteberatto Arneis, 2023 from the Langhe DOC in Piedmont, Italy. The winery has produced red wines, particularly Nebbiolo, since the 1760s, but since 1976 the family-owned estate began cultivating the Arneis varietal with great success. The result is an elegant wine with floral notes that paired beautifully with the luxurious shellfish.

Next was Taglierini al Ragù di Quaglia Bianca – egg tagliarini with white quail ragù. Chef Donna’s handmade pasta was extraordinary and was prepared to an exacting al dente finish. For the ragù, the chef first roasted and deboned the quail. The bones, along with white wine and herbs, were then simmered to create a deeply flavored stock that was the foundation of the rich yet delicate ragù. The dish was spectacular. La Mesma Etichetta Nera, 2020 from the Gavi DOCG in Piedmont, Italy was a worthy match to the chef’s pasta course. The La Memsa winery is owned by three sisters who bought land in Gavi in 2001 and today have 63 acres under vines growing Cortese grapes. The evening’s wine was from the 35-year old Monterotondo vineyard. Fermentation and ageing are in concrete with 8 months on the lees.

Chef Donna demonstrated his impeccable finesse in the kitchen with the evening’s fish course, Ippoglosso con Crosta di Scalogni al Vino Rosso Verdure e Salsa di Astice – braised halibut filet, red wine shallots, chive, potato, leek, and lobster sauce. The delicate halibut was cooked beautifully and presented on confit potatoes and leeks with red wine shallots and lobster sauce completing the superb composition. Wine for this dish was Stéphane Robert Domaine du Tunnel Cuvée Prestige, 2020 from Saint-Péray in the Rhône Valley of France. The Cuvée Prestige is made from 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne grapes, all from old vines (average 50 years) growing on six acres of granite-dominated soil. The winemaker vinifies parcels separately and uses oak sparingly, creating wines characterized by fruit intensity rather than oak, making them a great choice with this sophisticated presentation of halibut.

Petto di Anatra, Budini di Fegato, Endivia al Frutto della Passione – roasted aged breast of duck, parfait of duck liver and endive braised with passion fruit was the culmination of the savory courses. The richness of the duck liver and the contrasting acidity of the passion fruit endives elevated the beautifully medium-rare duck to impressive heights. Such a composition required a similarly impressive wine and Fidora Monte Tabor Amarone della Valpolicella, 2015 was it. A blend of 60% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, and 10% Rondinella, it is made using a technique invented by the Romans called appassimento. The grapes are hand-picked and dried on wooden grates for 3 to 4 months in the fruttaio (drying facility). During that process, the grapes lose 40-50% of their original weight, concentrating their flavors. Each year in January, the grapes undergo the pigiatura (pressing) and then a month-long fermentation. The wine matures in French oak barrels for 42 to 50 months, followed by ageing in the bottle for one year. The result is a wine with remarkable depth and complexity that paired superbly with Chef Donna’s outstanding duck preparation.

Dessert showcased Cioccolata, Albicocca, Fragole – chocolate, apricots, and strawberries. An apricot tart tatin was a delicious summer variation of the classic dessert and was presented with creamy chocolate mousse and refreshing strawberry sorbet. La Giaretta Recioto della Valpolicella Classico, 2016 was a great match for this symphony of flavors. This sweet wine is made from the same grape varieties (Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella) as the previous course’s wine, but the grapes are left to dry for a much longer period of time (until March), thus obtaining an optimum concentration of sugar in the must. The wine is aged for two years in small French oak barrels and the subsequent refinement in the bottle results in a full-bodied wine with complexity that enabled it to pair equally well with the fruit and chocolate flavors of dessert.

With the hard work in the kitchen complete, Chef Donna joined the gathering in the dining room to chat about his cuisine and answer questions. Asked how he got started as a chef, he explained that beginning at the age of three, he would spend time in the kitchen of the restaurant next to his mother’s shop and their home, starting him on the course to his lifelong passion. The chef also shared a story about his experience with food he did NOT like: In kindergarten, the children were served broth with parmesan cheese, much to young Roberto’s dismay. Not one to tolerate bad food, one day he threw his plate at a ruler-wielding nun. Fortunately for us, Roberto’s expulsion from kindergarten did not hinder his becoming a great chef.

In between courses, attendees passed the microphone to introduce themselves and their guests. Bailli Judy Mazza offered a special welcome to Shawn Mulholland, Vice Conseiller Gastronomique of the Bailliage of Indianapolis, who timed his visit to Washington specifically to be able to attend the dinner. Judy presented Shawn with a Washington chapter pin and Shawn generously reciprocated with an Indianapolis pin for each attendee.

As the evening concluded, Bailli Judy Mazza thanked Chef Donna for an outstanding meal and presented him with a Chaîne apron as a token of the group’s appreciation. Judy presented Nancy Donna, Roberto’s wife, who manages the front of the house, with a Chaîne wine coaster in appreciation for her hospitality and work in making the evening such a success. Finally, Judy gave the service staff Chaîne pins to thank them for their gracious service throughout the evening.