Jun 30, 2006  |  By: TROY PETENBRINK  | COMMENTS     

NEXT MONTH, DINO will celebrate a key milestone in the restaurant world – its one year anniversary. Approximately one-third of new restaurants close during their first year of operation. It’s a tough business but one Dino seems to have tackled well.

Dino bills itself as a rustic Italian restaurant and enoteca in Cleveland Park, and it’s a wonderful place to dine and enjoy a glass of wine.

Located at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and Ordway Street, NW just steps from the Cleveland Park Metro station, the two-story space is nicely decorated with a blend of contemporary and traditional elements, warm colors and attractive art. There is also an outdoor dining patio.

Though more than a little annoyed at the unfriendly hostess who wanted to initially seat us at a small high-top table adjacent to the bar despite a lack of any crowd, we let it pass as we took our seat near the large windows flanking the first floor dining room (my partner was so excited to see a cute, young gay couple stroll by holding hands).

We were just starting to review the menu and extensive list of reasonably priced wines — one of the restaurant’s major selling points — when our server arrived and requested our drink order. No, “Welcome to Dino”  or “Have you been here before” or “Do you have any questions.” We ordered some wine and she disappeared. Enough said.

LUCKY FOR US, the poor service among some of the staff is not carried over into the kitchen. Our meal was superb. New chef Daniel Amaya has not missed a beat in keeping the menu fresh and inventive.

Dino’s has a contemporary menu that is innovative and yet traditional in preparation, a reflection of the food that owner Dean Gold grew to love doing his frequent visits to Italy as a buyer and coordinator for wine, cheese and specialty foods for Whole Foods.

We began our meal with the saltimbocca, meatballs in a rich tomato sauce (we found them a little too dense and bland), and some crostini (small pieces of toasted bread) with various toppings. My partner loved the flavorful celery root and roasted garlic, while I found the sharp blue cheese and anchovy my top choice. Among the other small plates (cicchetti) and starters are fried or grilled calamari, roasted whole garlic and classic antipasto.

For our entrées, I had a delicious half order of wide ribbon pasta topped with shredded spicy wild boar sauce. It is good that many of the pasta dishes come in two sizes, the smaller option being plenty for one person.

My partner chose the lamb as his entrée. The dish included a combination of seared lamb tenderloin and roasted lamb chops. Both pieces of meat were coated with a tasty mix of honey, mustard, herbs and breadcrumbs.

WE ELECTED TO skip dessert so to have room for one of Dino’s famed cheese plates, available with three or five selections. Micheal DeAngelis, the restaurant’s attentive and friendly general manager, took time to help us make our selection from the often-changing assortment imported from Italy.

Had the overall service been better, I would have considered the evening one of my best casual dining experiences.

Starters: $6.50 to $18; entrees: $9 to $26. Until Sept. 4, Dino takes 33 percent off all bottles of wine that cost $50 or more from Sunday thru Wednesday.