In the former Stars and Mimi's American Bistro space, change is afoot. The new sign at 2120 P Street NW says "Vento", which means "warm wind". The name matches its sister restaurant located at 915 15th Street NW, Siroc, or "Mediterranean wind". Siroc and Vento are owned by Keram and Mehdi Dris and Chef Martin Lackovic, and both focus on affordable Italian-Mediterranean cuisine. It's nice to see a non-burger, non-pizza establishment opening up in Dupont. I went with a friend to Vento's soft opening.
The chef, Corey Locker, formerly worked at The Heights in DC, Kyma in Annapolis, and Oh! at the Orchid Hotel in Los Angeles. I remember hearing great things about Kyma and its Mediterranean menu. The chef's twitter feed talks about housemade foccacia and handmade pastas. I'm a fan of both.
We tried three smaller plates including a potato and grilled baby octopus appetizer, grilled sausage and beans, and grilled shrimp with a chickpea puree, as well as three pastas. We liked everything we tried. The bar area provides an interesting alternative to Urbana at the Hotel Palomar, although the U-shape may lead to longer waits for beverages. The one low point was the cannoli. Hopefully the neighborhood will welcome the new addition, and the cannoli will get a makeover.
We tried three smaller plates including a potato and grilled baby octopus appetizer, grilled sausage and beans, and grilled shrimp with a chickpea puree, as well as three pastas. We liked everything we tried. The bar area provides an interesting alternative to Urbana at the Hotel Palomar, although the U-shape may lead to longer waits for beverages. The one low point was the cannoli. Hopefully the neighborhood will welcome the new addition, and the cannoli will get a makeover.
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