The heart of the avenue
by Terry Kirts Dec 1, 2004

Agio still the choice for theater-goers and locals
Reviewing new restaurants is always fun. Even if the restaurant is bad, you’re the first one to say so, and you’re not eating at the same place again. If the place is good, you get the privilege of having discovered it, legitimately, and you can introduce readers to a new favorite haunt.
The fruit “tart,” with more of a subtly sweet cake base, came overfilled with black and red currants, blueberries and raspberries.
With restaurants that have been around a while, the reviewer treads on more treacherous territory. Readers will likely have been there, formed their own opinions, even become regulars. Any assessment risks raising the dander of fans. Such is the case with Agio, though it seems only yesterday when it became one of the first fine-dining establishments on Massachusetts Avenue and even more recent that Joseph Heidenreich, formerly of California Café, bought the place with a trio of partners and became executive chef. Has it been three years? Clearly, the years have been kind. The joint teemed with theater-goers before a recent performance of The Phantom of the Opera. True to its name, Agio is casual but stylish, suffused in terra cotta earth tones with chrome accents. Agio has always featured art by local artists, with well-chosen pieces throughout. Now, though, the art is too cluttered and varied in subject, with little price tags on every piece. A preponderance of gold frames creates a visual cacophony that, along with pulsating pink neon on the patio, is quite distracting. Wine service at Agio has always puzzled me. The list is quite competent, perhaps more so as time goes by. The Seifreid Merlot-Cabernet-Malbec blend was an exemplary dinner wine: spicy, fruity and well-balanced. But, as always, my order of a single glass ($8.25) came in a tiny glass more suitable for dessert wine. Strangely, larger balloon-type goblets sat on other tables. Apparently, only those who order full bottles of wine, some regulars and those at the bar get a goblet. Knowing the pizzas and asparagus tempura are consistently good, we chose the wild mushroom empanada ($8.95) as our appetizer. The pastry was rich, though soggy, and the filling seemed modest at best. Dissection revealed only brown crimini mushrooms, easily available at your local grocer. A “chilled” gazpacho sauce might have provided a nice counterpoint, but the hot plate had made it tepid. Disconcertingly, the empanadas came dusted with powdered sugar. Among a small but diverse selection of substantial salads, the field greens salad ($5.95) was fresh and plentiful, though a bit heavy on frissee. Pistachios and olives added interest, but the mustard vinaigrette was quite thick and slunk to the bottom of the plate. As a starter salad, it seemed almost too large. The soup of the day was a chicken and crab Florentine ($3.75/cup), which had a nice amount of crab and spinach, though chicken stock dominated. For entrées, we chose utterly traditional veal scaloppini ($20.95) and the seafood special. The two rather modest slips of veal had picked up little color or crust from the pan, and we tasted too much flour as we gnawed at the tough meat. The marsala sauce was so thin it swamped the plate, more like a soup. The best part of the dish was the risotto. Over the years, the risotto at Agio has tended to be overcooked. This risotto was, indeed, al dente, and spinach was plentiful, despite little spikes of garlic and pepper. The seafood special ($22.95) had great sounding elements but also failed to deliver. The salmon was nicely charred and quite moist, if a bit more pink in the middle than expected and rather timidly seasoned. But a lobster sauce on limp spaghettini was inconsistently thick and runny. Fat shrimp had the most evidence of seasoning. All in all, nothing really stood out on the plate or brought the elements together. I’ve never met a dessert at Agio I haven’t loved. This time, the fruit “tart,” with more of a subtly sweet cake base, came overfilled with black and red currants, blueberries and raspberries. A playful latticework of vanilla and caramel sauces was painted on the plate. Powdered sugar seemed appropriate, even welcome, here. We downed it in seconds. Agio is still casual. It’s still local. It’s still convenient to just about everything downtown. It still has live music on Thursdays. Many elements, from salads to desserts, are quite good. Here’s hoping Agio can learn new tricks.
Agio 635 Massachusetts Ave. 488-0359 Hours Monday-Thursday 11 a.m-2 p.m.; 5-10 p.m. Friday 11 a.m-2 p.m.; 5-11 p.m. Saturday 5-11 p.m. Sunday 4-9 p.m. Food: 3 stars Atmosphere: 3 stars Service: 3 stars
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