Urbane and utterly charming, Luigi Diotaiuti has the distinction of opening one of Dupont Circle’s first upscale restaurants, featuring high-end Italian cooking in a small, intimate setting. The name: Al Tiramisu, referring, of course, to the famous Italian cake. Viewing all the photos lining the restaurant walls, visitors get a sense of how this singular fellow from Southern Italy has charmed and cooked his way into the hearts of Washingtonians for the past 15 years. Because he grew up on a prosperous farm, Diotaiuti was exposed early on to a seemingly endless supply of great ingredients. “We were self-sustaining,” he said. “We would grow and sell beans, eggplants, tomatoes and anything that a farm could produce. We used to buy grapes and olives and made wines and olive oil.”
As a teen, Diotaiuti enrolled in a nearby culinary school in the same region of Italy. “I was inspired [to cook] by growing up on a farm,” he said. “I was really intrigued by the program at the school. I loved it right away, and thought that this is what I was made for,” admitting now that, years later, food has always been an important part of his life.
| IF YOU GO |
| Al Tiramisu |
| » Where: 2014 P St. NW |
| » Info: 202-467-4466 |
| » Hours: Lunch, Monday to Friday, noon to 2 p.m.; dinner, Sunday to Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 11 p.m. |
Moving to the United States was purely by happenstance, he said, and not a planned relocation. “I came to the U.S. by accident,” he said. “I was supposed to help someone with a restaurant for a few months. But at some point, in order to stay on, I decided that I would need to open my own place to make it worth staying here. That was in March 1995.”
Years later, Diotaiuti can look back and see how his approach to presenting his native cuisine has fared. Competition is stiff, of course, but he has created a restaurant with its own personality. “My cuisine is influenced partially by my childhood,” he said. “It’s original yet contemporary. In terms of our daily menu, it’s 100 percent Italian. Even the fish comes in daily from Italy.” And when the catch is plentiful, Diotaiuti makes a point of carrying around a tray of the fresh seafood to show off to customers.
But why name a restaurant after an Italian dessert? That’s simple, he explained. “I used to be the chef at Primi Piatti [in D.C.]”, he said. “It had an open kitchen, and patrons used to call for me to save some tiramisu for dessert when they sat down. So when I opened my own place, I said to go to ‘Al tiramisu.’ ”
Of course, he has that classic dessert on the menu and he has absolutely never changed the traditional recipe. “I say to customers, ‘Have tiramisu in Al Tiramisu,’ ” he says.
Q&A
What is your comfort food?
I like everything, but especially beef carpaccio, and fresh pasta with mushrooms.
What is your favorite ingredient?
Parmesan cheese. You can do a lot with it … then fresh sage, thyme and rosemary; these are the essence of Mediterranean cooking.
Which is your favorite restaurant?
I don’t go out that often, but it would be to Marcel’s, Vidalia, or Restaurant Eve. They reflect fine dining and great service. … I love food, any kind of food and any nationality.
What is your signature dish?
You know, that’s a hard question because I do like to make a lot of dishes. But people love the way we cook fish, or maybe pasta fresca, risotto, and for desserts. I like to believe I make a very good tiraumisu.
What’s in your fridge?
Nothing, because when I get home at midnight, it’s the worst time, so I watch TV.
Recipe
Ricotta Gnocchi
Serves 6 to 8
1 pound ricotta cheese
? cup all-purpose flour
3 whole eggs
3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch salt
Pinch nutmeg
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Flour a flat surface thoroughly for rolling out the dough. Roll sections of the dough into long thin ropes. Cut the rounded sections into one-inch pieces.
Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water and add salt. Bring to boil. Once the water is boiling add the gnocchi carefully all at once to the pot. The gnocchi will sink to the bottom of the pot. Once they are cooked, they will rise to the surface. Remove the gnocchi from water, strain, and add to a sauce of your choice.
