At a restaurant that’s already successful, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. But introducing a cheese wheel, well, that couldn’t hurt. That’s what Antonino Di Nicola, executive chef and partner at Ciao Osteria, was thinking at the start of 2020 when he began serving fettuccine with lobster out of a wheel of Parmesan.
The blockbuster is still a periodic special at the 11-year-old restaurant. Di Nicola grew up in a small town outside Palermo, Sicily, where he says, “There’s a feast every week.” The same can be said for Ciao.
While spot-on dishes on the regular menu such as crispy arancini made with saffron-yellow risotto may touch the hearts of traditionalists, much of the chef’s following comes from his creativity with the specials menu. On a recent Thursday, Di Nicola said, “I just got in a bone-in swordfish for the week.”
The chop is grilled and roasted, then served on a wood platter in a rosemary-lemon-caper sauce with spinach and potatoes. In both size and spectacle, it’s a spiritual sequel to another popular special, the tomahawk steak. Using prime beef from Creekstone Farms, Di Nicola presents the searing, oversized cut at the table on a hot stone. “We’re always doing new things,” he says.
Still, it’s often the older things that compel diners to visit. Before opening the restaurant, Di Nicola trained in the art of making Neapolitan pizza to the high expectations of the Vera Pizza Napoletana Association (which certifies the restaurant).
But on blessed occasions, the Sicilian makes his own style of pizza, too. Sfincione, the thick-crusted, tomato-and-onion-topped inspiration for what Americans calls Sicilian pizza, is an occasional special, too, which often comes at the request of one of his many fans.
Di Nicola’s large following means much of the chockablock dining room is typically full of regulars. “It’s a very friendly environment,” says Di Nicola. “It’s like a family. That’s what brings people back.” That and the food, of course.
Ciao Osteria: 14115 St. Germain Dr., Centreville
Feature image by Michael Butcher
This story originally ran in our March Issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
