Vapiano

Folks from the wine group met last night at Vidalia for their complimentary wine tasting which is held each weekday from 5 to 7pm. Last night the tasting was held at the bar instead of at a communal table in the bar area. It made for a bit more cumbersome forays for the wine, but the tasting was great as usual. We had two Spanish wines - a dry Rioja and a delicious Monastrell (called Mourvedre in France). We also tasted a dry Rose from the Languedoc region in France, really nice and crisp. We were nearby the new Vapiano and had been curious to try it out, so it seemed like an appropriate next stop. Vapiano does happy hour 7 days a week until 8pm and offers various drink specials, including $2.50 house wine by the glass. The house white is a really refreshing and well-balanced Pinot Grigio, and the house red is a nice and fruity Merlot. The space is large and attractive with dim lighting, minimalist furniture, large tile flooring and an open kitchen on the dining side of the venue. You are given a Vapiano credit card for your stay and when you leave you just check out with the card and pay your tab. We ordered some wine and found a nice, large table just adjacent to where they make the salads. There are various spots along the kitchen for ordering various items such as salads and antipasti, pasta and pizza. If you order pizza you get an alarm of sorts that goes off when your pie is ready for you. I enjoyed the Insalata Mista, which comes in large and small sizes and offers extras such as turkey breast, filet of beef or scampi. The large size comes with vapiano leaf salad, cherry tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, radishes, mushrooms, red and green onions (which I left off - almost never do onions), zucchini, cucumbers, rucola, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. I added turkey as well and had the very creamy and tasty house dressing on the side. It was a really delicious and satisfying salad. Most folks did a pizza or a pasta. The Capricciosa Pizza was stellar - the crust is thin and crispy, the tomato sauce zesty and herbaceous, and it's topped with ham, mushrooms, artichokes, olives and lots of gooey mozzarella. For pasta, you pick the type of pasta or noodle you would like, and standout flavorings includes the Gorgonzola e Noci; or Gorgonzola and walnuts; Carbonara, or cream sauce, egg and bacon; the Tacchino Piccante, with turkey breast, orange-chili sauce, bok choi and bell peppers; and the Salsiccia Calabrese, with spicy Italian sausage, white beans and sun-dried tomatoes. Vapiano is a really fun and casual spot with inexpensive food and drinks, and it's a great place to relax with good company or even bring the paper and unwind a bit on your own. There also is a location in Ballston and there will be another in Chinatown which is set to open this winter.

Vapiano Dupont
1800 M Street in NW DC
www.vapiano.com