MVT: Michael Schlow to Open Alta Strada at 4th and K Streets NW - 3rd DC Restaurant (TICO & The Riggsby)

Award-winning chef Michael Schlow, owner and operator of TICO on DC’s 14th Street corridor, and The Riggsby in the Carlyle Hotel in Dupont Circle, will soon bring his popular Italian restaurant, Alta Strada to Mt. Vernon Square’s City Vista development at 465 K Street, NW. The 3,900 square foot space, designed by Brian Miller of Edit Lab at Streetsense, will also feature a separate crudo bar. Opening is slated for March 2016.

Alta Strada’s Washington location will offer antipasti, thin crust pizzas, authentic house-made pastas, and seasonal secondi, all served in a casual and approachable setting. Chef Michael Zentner has relocated from Boston and will follow the much beloved recipes from which Schlow has learned through working and traveling in Tuscany, Piedmonte, Emilia-Romagna, and Campania. 

“These are the dishes I learned in Italy; they are simple, incredibly satisfying, and have become classics for a reason,” said Schlow. “This kind of cooking doesn’t need any of my ‘creativity’ to make them better. My job at Alta Strada is to recreate these dishes the way they were taught to me, hopefully transporting the guest to a simple, authentic restaurant in Italy. My ultimate hope is that Alta Strada becomes everyone’s ‘neighborhood restaurant.”

The beverage program, overseen by veteran bartender, Anthony Marlowe, and sommelier, Eric DiNardo, will boast an extensive all-Italian wine list, well-chosen wines by the glass, and both craft and classic cocktails. The menu will also feature Amaros, Italian liqueurs as well as Italian craft beers.

Schlow will transform a separate part of the space to create a unique crudo bar, which will have its own identity and separate name from Alta Strada. The small, intimate 25-seat space will have a rotating selection of international crudo, as well as other imaginative offerings, depending on the season and the chef’s whims. The crudo bar is scheduled to open after Alta Strada, with more details to follow. 

In the warmer months, Alta Strada will open a sidewalk patio. The restaurant will first open serving dinner only, with plans to soon add lunch and Sunday brunch. Final food and beverage menus, along with operating hours, reservations, and other information will be made available closer to opening.