Part Hurray, Part Boo at "Acqua Al 2"

C Says...

I like meat. Take that how you will, but I’m a carnivore. Now, don’t get me wrong; I like vegetables too and often crave broccoli sautéed with garlic and olive oil. So simple, so delicious. Acqua al 2 apparently doesn’t share my enthusiasm for animals.

Sure, there are plenty of options on the entrée portion of the menu. Everything from chicken to numerous steaks. Yet, the one area of the menu that was 100% vegetarian friendly was the pasta. I was somewhat surprised, since you often find at least a meat sauce option, however, imagine my disappointment when settling in to decide what I wanted to order when I found out that I couldn’t even have the option of meat with my pasta. Harrumph. As in, when I asked if I could add grilled chicken or sausage to a lovely penne or spaghetti, I was told, “no, the chef doesn’t do that.” Um. Okay. Maybe he knows something I don’t.

At any rate, the cannelloni I ordered did the job nicely. It was warm and bubbly and cheesy and gooey. It didn’t blow my mind or send me raving to the hillside, but it was a straightforward easy dish and done quite well. No dessert for me; although the selections are your standard fare: tiramisu, flourless chocolate cake, cheesecake, etc.

Acqua is definitely a place to be seen however, as evident by our spotting of a US Senator and some power lobbyists at a fundraiser. So if you’re into that thing, or you have some vegetarian friends to impress, Acqua might fit the bill.

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J Says...

Having been referred to Acqua al 2 by a friend's review, I was curious to try it out for our monthly blog dinner. And, the fact that C now lives on Capitol Hill (in the building next door to me!), a nearby location for which we could leisurely stroll home was a perfect choice for the fall evening.

Let me say, I had just arrived back from a red-eye flight from the West Coast that morning...I was tired and I was hungry. And, apparently, I was on-time to C's tardiness (those damn heels are not conducive to walking). After checking out the bar scene and chatting it up with Patrick, the friendly if not a bit cynical bartender, I was looking forward to the eggplant parmesan appetizer and some vino. While full of flavor and heat, it wasn't easy to share in terms of separating it between C and my plates.

For dinner, I opted for the special of the night...a swordfish grilled and combined with, you guessed it, bowtie pasta. It was beautifully done and, for a normal night, it'd be perfectly sized. Yet due to my hunger I certainly wanted more.

In all, I'd probably go back to Acqua al 2, particularly since my partner J wants to try it out. Not bad but not stellar, so I'd have to get it a shoulder shrug and look forward to my next dinner elsewhere. Though, since it has only been around since May, I may check back in six months to see how/if it improves (and maybe then I'll figure out what the name means).


Acqua Al 2 - 212 7th Street SE, 202.525.4375, www.acquaal2dc.com