Italian Convenience: Toscana Cafe

photo by María Helena Carey

A little while ago, on the occasion of my visit to Bistro Italiano and Trattoria Alberto before then, a reader pointed me in the direction of Toscana Cafe, on the corner of 2nd and F streets, NE.  I’m happy to say, I have finally fulfilled my mission.

The details: Toscana Cafe is a restaurant and catering business nestled in a cute corner Victorian surrounded by an L-shaped patio, which has always looked very inviting to me — even when it sat vacant for a couple of years until the place opened in the late summer of 2009. The downstairs is a quaint deli, and they sell gelato, which is always a draw in my mind. The upstairs is where the tiny dining room is located — there is room for about 15 tables maximum. It’s a cozy interior, done up tastefully in warm tones, The servers are friendly and accommodating, and while the space doesn’t lend itself very well for large parties, a six- or eight-diner party should find itself comfortably seated and at ease during their stay. The restaurant is well-equipped for making any meal a carryout affair, however; so if you should want to try the fare in the privacy and socks-only sanctuary of your home, you can do that– for one, the wine will be cheaper by bottle.

(N.B. I wish I’d done carryout as the place is very quiet, which is a lovely thing if you want intimate conversation with your dining companion. If, however, one of your dining companions is the Pavarotti of the toddler set, common sense indicates that 80 decibels and above are desirable.)

The menu features pasta, sandwiches, pizzas and some descriptions that one associates with a typical Italian restaurant, such as chicken done up with Marsala sauce. The pasta dishes we had were all perfectly cooked; the bread fresh and fragrant; and some of the offerings, such as the octopus with sweet potatoes or the specials of the day, were innovative-sounding and intriguing (even if the former was somewhat disappointing). My only real complaint would be the excess of butter and/or oil that seemed to coat many of the entrees, which is unfortunate and a little surprising considering that most guidelines advocate for cutting back on fats.  Most entrees are around the $15 mark, with some pricier items in the $25-$28 range — this puts Toscana Cafe in the lead among the other Italian restaurants mentioned as far as price is concerned.

Overall, Toscana Cafe is a decent addition to the neighborhood, and like the other restaurants mentioned previously, it can fulfill your Italian dreams handily. Now I seriously have to eat at Acqua Al 2 — strictly for research purposes, of course.

Toscana Cafe is located at 601 Second St. NE.