Lotsa mozza

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David Jolkovski/for The Examiner

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - As central Bethesda becomes increasingly overrun with chain restaurants, every independent eatery is a blessing.

Enter Assaggi, which opened in early May in the space formerly occupied by Centro. Meaning “tastings” in Italian, the new venture is the brainchild of chef-owner Domenico Cornacchia, the former corporate executive chef of Georgetown stalwart Cafe Milano and its sister restaurants (Golnaz Feiz, another Milano veteran, runs the front of the house).

The hook? A mozzarella bar, which showcases a half-dozen varieties of the soft Italian cheese daily.

- The scene

Decor in the long, rectangular room is comfortable and inviting, although it can feel overly familiar, a grab bag from other local restaurants (think fabric on the ceilings, plates on the walls, etc.). You’re better off near the open windows at the front of the room, or even at the handful of sidewalk tables under a tall oak tree. Like the rest of Bethesda, you wouldn’t exactly call the clientele diverse ... except when it comes to their ages. High chairs and walking canes fight for space between tables, as dating couples, young families and octogenarians alike keep the restaurant’s 100 seats packed during dinner hours.

- The pour

I thought I had seen wine lists

arranged every way imaginable, but I was wrong. Here, they use the most obvious, if overlooked, means of categorization: by price. You’ll refreshingly see the selections laid out under headings such as “$30/40” and “$50/60.” A representative mix of Italian and American bottles, fair prices, and about a dozen wines by the glass complete a pretty

picture for oenophiles. Of course, for the big spenders, there’s a

“special selections” category where the wines run up into the three digits.

- The taste

I found myself frustrated by the inconsistency of the menu. To wit: A salad of red and yellow beets with arugula and air-dried ricotta was fresh and bright, but a fava bean and fennel salad served with  fried zucchini blossoms emerged utterly flavorless. A skate wing was perfectly sauteed, but veal steak “saltimbocca” was undercooked and tough at the same time. The house-made pastas, however, have been uniformly lovely. Try the ravioli stuffed with buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes in a butter sauce, or the squid ink tagliolini with calamari and fennel.

- The touch

The workmanlike service gets your food out on time, and the staff can usually steer you in the right direction when it comes to the menu.

- Don’t miss

Cornacchia’s risottos, a new one prepared each day. Rich, creamy and perfectly al dente, they’re how the rice dish is supposed to taste.

- Why you won’t go

Because it’s summer. Many of the dishes struck me as quite heavy for the hot weather, whether it was a rich, dark pea soup, a pappardelle with three-meat Bolognese or gnocchi with veal short rib ragu — delicious, but not if you’re already sweating.

- Why you will go

For the delicious cheeses and accompaniments. You might try a creamy burrata (think mozzarella to the third power), buffalo mozzarella or fresh ricotta. Also, you’ll find such treats as marinated zucchini, fresh tomatoes and roasted peppers.

SEE HOW THIS STORY DEVELOPED

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» 73 days ago: Lotsa mozza «

80 days ago: Power Spot: Corduroy’s relocation to 9th Street makes a world of difference

87 days ago: Fast food with flair

108 days ago: Sushi-Ko: On a roll

115 days ago: Food that rocks