Assaggi Mozzarella Bar

Two and a half stars. For the linen tablecloth vein of restaurants along Bethesda Row, they had good service and great ideas on paper, but the actual flavors failed to execute. I think this reflects in the fact that I never saw it bustling despite a decent prix fixe format. Lamb stew was overly reduced and tasted of charred rosemary beneath the saltiness. Chicken Milanese ran a little bland, as did the earthy lentil and kale soup. Frankly, I’m not too sorry to see Assaggi go.

Best restaurant in Bethesda. The food is very authentic and tasteful.

Located near Georgetown Cupcakes. Park on the street or in the garage across the restaurant.
i tried going here one day with my sister and no one would greet us while we stood in the restaurant for about 5 minutes so we left (This happened around restaurant week time and the place was pretty empty).
Service was mediocre. I don’t know if it’s cus it was Mother’s Day but we expected a lot better service for something a little more pricy. We had to ask our server several times for things (he forgot the bread basket and even mentioned to us that he would bring it but never did and at that point we didn’t even care for it)
Food was bleh. The only reason it gets 1 star is for the mozzarella bar (which is really good! I’d only go back for that).
Everything we tried was just okay. The pasta wasn’t even cooked well and some even also tasted like canned pasta.
I will probably try it once more to see if it was the day we went but we all had a bad experience and thought the food was almost similar to buca.

Not a place to go for a relaxing dinner Our party of six was seated around 615 pm Several of us ordered the Spiogla. The fish was overcooked an hard. The grilled calamari appetizer was good. We ordered several bottles of wine. Bill was around 500.00 and we left a 100.00 tip. Very shortly after being served our coffee (maybe 15 minutes and this is being generous) we were told they needed the table and we had to leave. We felt rushed the whole dinner. This was about 815 pm We were not a loud crowd– taking my 85 year old mother out to celebrate her trip to Europe the following day.
When we seated we were not told there was a limit on the time we could have the table or they needed the table by a certain time. If they had told us this then we could have made a decision as to whether we wanted to eat there. They should not have seated us if they did not have space. The table next to us was appalled. Some of our party had not even finished their wine. I did call that evening when I got home and was told that what happened was unacceptable and I would get a call back from the owner/manager.I never got a call.
I have never been asked to leave because they needed a table and I don’t think we stayed to long. Not a classy place. They are just trying to move you in and out as fast as they can.

May11, 2014
We have been Assaggi regulars since it opened and have never been disappointed. The food is outstanding, the selections offer choices for most tastes, the service has consistently been superior from the waiters, the support staff and the host at the front door. We have introduced many friends to this restaurant for both lunch (a really good price-​performer) and dinner. They, too, have become loyal customers.
Now, to the sad news, we learned last night that they were closing. This will be a great loss to the Bethesda dining scene and, personally, to us as it has long been our «go to» restaurant. We will follow their outstanding staff to their new locations as they have been a significant contributing factor to making Assaggi our #1 restaurant choice.
KC

I really enjoyed this restaurant! The food was the best Italian fare by far in the area, and I’ve had my share. I would definitely go back again. The location is wonderful, in the midst of shops and other fine dining with a vibrant atmosphere. The fresh mozzarella was the best I’ve ever tasted and the pasta was perfectly prepared. They also have an extensive and wonderful wine list. Definitely try their Super Tuscan Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona which is an incredible red wine! The service was also excellent. I’ll definitely return for more!

We’ve been going to this location for many years, previously it was Centro, now Asaggi. We are pasta fans, and lately the pasta dishes have been really wonderful here. The cheese selection with condiments is also good. I just drink a glass of chianti, but the wine selection appears extensive. The servers are friendly and very competent, although it’s difficult to get a water refill sometimes. The modern room is very grand with a nice high ceiling — a good place for a casual nice meal or a special occasion. For that matter, you could hold a badminton tournament in the dining room, albeit a very classy one.
But to us, it’s the best upscale Italian restaurant in Bethesda.

I’ve been waiting to write this review after I’ve gone enough times. I think, with Italian in particular, its quite possible to have up and down experiences.
So that said, I went a total of 5 times and tried a variety of the items on the menu plus the specials and I think this place is a solid 4 stars.
The food is better than good. The pastas are all fresh, and well seasoned. You don’t need to drown it in cheese.
The fish stew, and the broth was flavorful, full of fresh seafood, and a healthy, if not overly generous portion.
The cheese plate is an absolute must.
The only items I didn’t care for were the grilled meats. But if you are going to a traditional Italian place, and you order the pork chop you should have your head checked. I had mine checked. Haven’t made the same mistake since…
The only part of the meal that was disappointing was the desserts. The standard Tiramisu was…standard. It was neither terrible nor outstanding. And when you factor in cost, totally not worth it.
The Italian donuts were just ok and I’m being generous saying that. The oil they were fried in, needed to be changed.
The service could use some improvement but oddly not in the way most places need help. In this case they do what you want/​need but when you ask, on three occasions they did’t acknowledge that I had made a request. Yes they followed through but I found that odd.
Its expensive and so your expectation should be high and for the most part they deliver. Italian food because of how ubiquitous it is, has very high standards. Assaggi in my mind has great food, great atmosphere, and adequate service.

Most reviews that mention a restaurant’s manager are negative. Very negative. But not this one…
Getting the obvious out of the way, the food was delicious (though I am not sure that I would order the risotto).
Even with a very picky Bethesda crowd – and having a few things on the menu not available – the manager did a great job with keeping things moving, meeting customers’ needs, and making sure that folks left happy. The pace of the service, attitude, and care for customers were all top-​notch. Even when busy, things were humming along. This is how a restaurant should be run, and its always nice to see professionals at work.
Lots of coupons for this place, which knocks down «unreasonable» to «splurge.»
Will return.

Allergy Sensitive Beware!
I told the waiter that I had a nut allergy up front and asked him twice about nuts including once specifically if the flan dessert had nuts in it. He said that he would check. When it was served, the side sweet bread had pine nuts in it! After three times of asking about it AND ordering a main fish dish with the nuts removed you would think that they would get the message and not serve me a dish with nuts! This was on my anniversary as well.
This could have killed me. I have no respect for restaurants that do not listen to their customers when they have life threatening conditions and when I ask them three times about it.
Do not go to this establishment if you have allergies.

I think the three star review pretty much sums up three of my experiences here. The first was decent. I was disappointed that my pasta dish only came with olive oil on it and tasted very plain. The appetizers were great the first two times. They were fried mozzarella and they were so fresh tasting. It was the highlight of both experiences. The third time I learned that it was taken off their already limited menu.
Both appetizers I had the third time were bad. The eggplant was not cooked– $ 14 Raw eggplant is disgusting. The fried calamari was overcooked -$ 14. I should have taken my thirty dollars and thrown it out the window. That statement just made me angry again so I took off another star.
Then my meal came this very last time. I ordered lasagna which again only had some sort of non-​tomato sauce that was olive oilish. What is this fear of tomatoes??? Why did I get a lasagna with meat and cheese and no sauce?
I don’t think I’ll be coming back. :(

Granted, I was only at Assaggi Mozzarella Bar for wine and cheese, not a full meal, so I can’t speak to the quality of the entrees, but I was pleased with what I had.
When we went, the place was virtually empty (at around 8pm). We were seated immediately, but as other people have said, I thought the service was a little on the slow side. We ordered wine by the glass, which ranged from about $ 8 to $ 12 a glass – not too bad for regular price. And even though we were just doing wine and cheese, we still received the bread basket. It was a much denser bread than I’m used to at an Italian restaurant, but I was a big fan of it.
For the cheeses, we ordered two but the manager gave us an extra for free. We both agreed that the Gorgonzola was our favorite, but I think next time I’ll need to try the Caprotto Cilantro and La Tur. The flatbread and chutney were decent, but I didn’t feel like I needed anything besides the cheese and bread.
So even though Assaggi Mozzarella Bar is a full Italian restaurant, I’d consider going back just for wine and cheese again.

She said.“I have only been here a handful of times but every time has been very good. The mozzarella cheese plate is really good because it is fresh and homemade there. The turkey bacon panni for lunch is awesome. I will definitely go back here for lunch!”
He said…”

We went here with a Groupon for dinner tonight. I’m glad we had the Groupon because the entrees here are definitely overpriced. We went on the early side — 6 pm — and the restaurant was mostly empty, so it was nice and quiet. The atmosphere is nice; it’s decorated nicely with warm colors and pretty hardwood accents. The bread they serve before your entrees come out was warm and tasty, but I wasn’t super impressed with the olive oil they served with it. For our entrees we got the Pollo (roasted chicken with lemon-​thyme sauce, parsnip purée, and broccoli rabe) and the Costata di Manzo (ribeye steak with forest mushroom butter and carbonara-​style potatoes). The chicken was very good — perfectly cooked and had great flavor. It was also plated nicely. But the veggies were kind of buried under it and drowning in sauce. The ribeye was cooked well and also had good flavor, but the potatoes were actually sauteed french fries, and they were pretty greasy. And the presentation was kind of unappetizing. The steak was huge and was just sort of plopped on the plate with a mound of those greasy potatoes behind it. (See pictures.) The entrees were $ 25 and $ 29, respectively, which I think is too much for what both of them were. I might go back again if I have a discount again, but I wouldn’t go back and pay full-​price.

My date and I decided to share everything. We ordered the aracini (fried risotto balls), tagliolini (pasta with cured duck prosciutto and asparagus) and the black sea bass with broccolini rabe and pumpkin purée and a chocolate tortino for dessert. I also ordered Rosetta (elderberry liqueur with prosecco), it was delicious!
I have to say, the house-​made pasta is absolutely worth going to the restaurant for! I love the texture. It is dense but not in an overwhelming way, it has a nice bite to it. The aracini was good but it was nothing compared to the sea bass. The sea bass was cooked excellent. It was crispy and not overcooked, and the broccolini had nice flavors to it. The pumpkin purée in that dish was amazing — it had a slight lobster flavor to it and it was completely sweeped off the plate with bread.
Dessert was kind of disappointing — you can tell when something is not made fresh and was probably nuked by a microwave and served as is… Wish we had gotten the tiramisu instead!

First, service was exceptional for the DC area. My standards for service have been lowered since I moved here, but this felt like back home. I am not familiar with iItalian grapes, but our server offered a lovely suggestion for my wine.
Second, the mozzarella platter was exceptional– my husband and I had the mozzarella di bufala, ricotta di buffala, and burrata with a zucchini, eggplant, tomato and house made grape chutney/​jam. We also had the calamari, very nice.
Our main meal is what lost the last star. I had the mussels and my husband had the lobster (the special of the evening). Both were ok, but nothing special. The broth a bit salty and the lobster a bit overcooked.
Overall, parking was easy, location was nice, restaurant was clean and elegant; I would go back if I am ever in the area.

This is strictly for the host. I can’t rate the restaurant because she wouldn’t seat us.
A friend and I had wanted to try out this place for awhile, we were in Bethesda this evening after shopping and having our hair done. Thought eating here would be a great way to end our fun little outing. We were dressed mildly casual in jeans and sweaters since the weather was chilly… I did notice everyone inside was more business casual, but what occurred really seemed like it was because we were dressed more casual than business. (Besides, I find that even when I’m dressed down, I’m pretty decent to look at…) Not that it should matter either way.
This Friday evening at 6:30 PM. the restaurant had several tables open. A friend and I walk in and ask for a table for two. She simply says, «We are fully booked the rest of the night and will not have any openings.» Very curt and short with us. When I ask if they usually are able to take walk-​ins she says in a very short clipped tone: «No.»
A group of four ladies come in behind us and over hear and say «Oh no, they don’t take walk-​ins, we don’t have a reservation either…» as we leave I wait outside for a minute, and the host seats the ladies. Seriously?
I have no interest in eating at a place where they support a staff being that rude and cold. I definitely plan on contacting management, that was just ridiculous.

I had a solid dinner.
The bread was warm and fluffy. I would have liked some salt and pepper on the table to add to the olive oil for the bread.
We shared the figs for the appetizer, which were good. Really flavorful and soft. I was hoping the prosciutto was going to be saltier or something as they weren’t quite as mind blowing as I thought that good be. Could be a good thing… not being too rich and all (figs, gorgonzola, prosciutto, and honey).
For an entrée I had the sea bass. It was tasty and had a nice crisp skin. The dark vegetable and rice combo below the fish was good too.
For downtown Bethesda, the prices were as expected. The service was ok.

Amazing honest-​to-​goodness northern Italian fare.
I had lunch here with a colleague (who is a DC food VIP) and we had impeccable service, exceptionally clean-​creative-​well seasoned food and a great time.
I took part in the lunch special and had the lobster bisque, the cavetelli with calamari, brussel sprouts and olives and a house made lemon sorbet. The food was delicious and –by far– the best northern Italian fare I’ve had in a long time.
Assaggi is gem located in downtown Bethesda and I am excited to go back and eat there again the next time I’m in the area for work.

Assaggi offers lunch till 4pm so I went there again at around 3:30pm for late lunch. Great deal: $ 14 for entrée and dessert.
1. Tortelli di zuca: Pumpkin filled pasta in a butter, sage and topped with crumbled amaretti cookie. It had sweet pumpkin filling pasta balanced well with light butter sauce. I could lick the plate.
2. My friend had Paglia e fieno: Spinach and egg tagliolini, prosciutto, spring peas and Parmigiano reggiano. It was like carbonara but much lighter. Spring peas enhanced the flavor.
3. Very dense rich chocolate tort cake: It’s small but you don’t need more than these 2 small pieces. If you are a chocolate lover, go for it.
4. Zappole: I love this… I can eat this all day. No wonder it was chosen to be one of the best dish by washingtonian.
When I finished my lunch, it was around 4:30pm. Assaggi has Italian hour (HH) from 4pm. I wanted to try their awesome HH dish. so I got meatball with creamy polenta. It was VERY GOOD. Polenta was very well done. creamy and velvety.
I feel comfortable about an italian restaurant if the restaurant does well on dessert and polenta. Assaggi does both dishes VERY well.
I had very happy italian hour:)
I will return soon.