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Restauranteur Claude
Amsellem started his fine dining career in 1973 when he opened Le
Caprice in
Bethesda. His early success set the stage for the
restaurant boom in
Bethesda
that continues unabated. Amsellem's
consistent excellence has not been overshadowed. In 1994, he opened
Tragara, which serves some of the area's finest Italian cuisines.
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Distinguished
Parisian Chef, Michel Laudier, formerly Chef of Rive Gauche in
Georgetown
, is in charge of the kitchen. Paper thin
agnolotti are his signature dish. Four different breads are baked daily. Wonde
rful appetizers include Portobello Monte Bianco, a rich, flavorful
mushroom marinated and baked with homemade mozzarella, and warm goat cheese
"en papillotte" with white truffle oil. A favorite main course is
Linguine al " Aragosta Napoli" a roasted whole
Maine
lobster in Italian tomato sauce, or Osso Bucco, veal shank slowly
braised with gremolata over saffron rice. The desserts here are simply first
rate. Consider the delectable Bianco nero, dark and white chocolate cake
with hazelnut crust. unless, of course, you favor the homemade Tartufos such
as Amaretto, Tutti noce, or Sambuca. Each is glazed with imported chocolate.
Tragara is the place to go for a superb culinary experience, where fine
dining is priceless.
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Looking for a
quietly elegant, subdued sort of restaurant where you know you'll get
top-quality food and impeccable service? Where excitement and innovation
don't matter much? Where price hardly matters at all? Then consider the
attractions of Tragara: a conservative Italian menu with no surprises,
top-quality ingredients, simple dishes deftly prepared, a thoroughly
professional, European-style staff and a softly lighted, handsome dining room.
Order anything. The seafood salad makes an impressive beginning, as does the
seafood soup. Fried mozzarella gets elegant treatment here, and the vegetable
soup is subtle but satisfying. Tomato sauces are fresh tasting and pastas are cooked
properly, but the highlights are the simple meat and seafood dishes, such as
veal scaloppini with wild mushrooms, the utterly simple rack of lamb or the
snapper Livornese. Be warned that the lobster-pasta combinations are
exceptionally messy to eat (definitely to be avoided on a first date). End up
with the intense gelati - their flavors are the most innovative thing on the
menu. |
