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Fiorella Italian Kitchen

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Cocktails, anyone? Every hour is a happy hour when you’re sipping drinks at Fiorella! They offer a full-service bar with a number of specialty drinks for ladies’ night out events, Sunday brunch, networking functions and more.

In this edition of Cravings, we explore Fiorella Italian Kitchen, a restaurant inspired by Italian traditions located on the Potomac at the National Harbor, Maryland.

Comfort food, natural warmth, effortless Italian charm and hospitality are the true essence of Fiorella Italian Kitchen. Outdoor seating provides serene, romantic views of the Potomac, while indoor seating feels much like an extension of one’s home, allowing for a cozy, family atmosphere. Fiorella offers much more than just pizza, and boasts an authentic Italian cuisine. From the moment patrons arrive, they are offered complimentary fried pizza dough tossed in powdered sugar and served in a large bowl. Throughout their dining experience, patrons are also offered free, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, a real crowd pleaser!

“The best part of working here is getting to know the customers, receiving feedback on the food and building a strong client base,” said general manager Mark Copanzzi. “When customers tell me how great their experience has been, it’s the highlight of my day.”

A unique feature of Fiorella is that all aspects of the décor were made and shipped to the United States from Italy. Inside, guests can admire the rich copper embellishments, eclectic lighting, decorative walls and the festive bar. Upon arrival, guests are greeted with a special plaque that reads, “To My Parents: Francis and Sam, who taught me the blessing of hospitality.” ~Shelly Fireman. Shelly is the owner of Fiorella and has included this plaque in all his restaurants. In addition, the Wall Market offers patrons the finest imported ingredients and cooking items for sale.

Chef Oamadou has worked at Fiorella for nearly four years. He’s a former restaurant owner with a passion for cooking. His greatest inspiration is his mother, who was also a chef. “The best part of my work is having strong assistants,” he said. “We are a family. The Harbor is always getting better. The new additions are helpful and the weekends are our busiest days.”

We began the tasting with the deliciously light tomato and mozzarella salad, which consisted of a whole tomato stacked with homemade burrata cheese, pesto with cherry tomatoes, and sprinkled with extra virgin olive oil on a bed of arugula.

Next, we sampled the salumi plate, consisting of prosciutto di parma, soppressata, prosciutto cotto and olives, and served on an Italian wood chop block.This hearty sampler provided ample food for the entire table.

To kick off the entrees, we enjoyed the baked encrusted seafood pasta, a dish with an exciting “wow” factor! Hidden deep inside the golden crust were mouthwatering calamari, shrimp and mussels waiting to be discovered, and we enjoyed savoring each new bold flavor.

By this time, we were getting full! However, we managed to make room for Fiorella’s signature dish, open-faced lasagna. This unique dish includes Fiorella’s fennel sausage, traditional beef and pork meatballs, tomato sauce and both mozzarella and pecorino Romano cheeses. You may have had lasagna numerous times before, but never quite like this!

Up next was the Margherita pizza, an Italian classic, topped with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil and homemade tomato bruschetta on a super-thin crust. It’s easy to understand why this delicious dish is among Fiorella’s best sellers.

 

Although we were served an all-star lineup of popular menu items, we were pleasantly surprised by the rich, sweet, flavors of Fiorella’s desserts! The warm caramel popover bread pudding, topped with sweet pecans, ripe apples, hearty walnuts and smooth vanilla gelato, was among the best bread pudding dishes that this area has to offer. In addition, Fiorella’s hot fudge sundae, served with homemade gelato, fudge, candied pecans, whipped cream and a crunchy pretzel on the side, offered the perfect combination of salty and sweet!

Cocktails, anyone? Every hour is a happy hour when you’re sipping drinks at Fiorella! They offer a full-service bar with a number of specialty drinks for ladies’ night out events, Sunday brunch, networking functions and more. Assistant general manager Al Green provided an overview of the specialty drinks served at Fiorella.

Whether you’re headed out with your girlfriends or going on a date, you’ll want to try the sexy, flirty Fiorella Bellini, made with Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine), freshly squeezed lime juice, and pink X-rated passion fruit liqueur! Yes ladies, you read that correctly! This drink is ideal for adding a little excitement to your evening! If your style is more laid back, try the La Primavera, made with Hendrick’s gin, freshly squeezed lime juice, cucumber juice and Moscato D’Asti. This cool, refreshing drink is ideal for a quiet afternoon with friends after the spa or a relaxing Sunday brunch.

Looking for a sophisticated, sexy cocktail with a kick? We recommend the Amante Picante, prepared with Tito’s vodka, Moscato D’Asti, lemon, basil, serrano pepper and Sambuca liqueur. Amanta picante means “spicy lover” in Italian, and the drink offers just that—a surprising, spicy play on your taste buds that you’ll love to drink again and again. If you like mojitos, you’ll love Fiorella’s spin on this traditional cocktail, made with freshly squeezed lime juice and simple syrup. The key difference is simple. The mint and lime juices are double-strained to capture the drink’s true, rich flavor.

When you stop by the National Harbor, make your way to Fiorella Italian Restaurant. They have food and drink to suit everyone’s needs!

Fiorella Italian Kitchen is located at 152 National Plaza in National Harbor, Maryland. Call 301-839-1811 or visit fiorellapizzeria.com for details.