The latest Bice — more than 30 are scattered around the world — is in downtown Bethesda. The spacious restaurant seats about 190 guests in an elegant, modern, comfortable setting with generous space between tables.
On the walls are framed black and white pictures of Italian movie stars. Large flower arrangements, an oversized mirror, crisp white tablecloths, and examples of Italy’s Murano glass are part of the decor that seems inspired by the 1930s. That would have been a few years after Beatrice “Bice” Ruggeri opened the first Bice, a Tuscan restaurant in Milan.
Chain restaurants often get the bad rap they deserve: uncreative, trying to please the masses at the expense of imagination, and going for bland to over spicy in everything from decor and service to ingredients and presentation. Bice, however, has been successful because its concept and quality are known, and the Bethesda restaurant continues the tradition.
Bice has great service from friendly and knowledgeable waiters — in black trousers and white jackets — who have perfected the ebb and flow of restaurant service.
We were seated and received our drinks quickly and then ordered about a half-dozen dishes, on which our waiter commented intelligently. A short while later they arrived in all their abundant glory (the portions tend to be surprisingly generous; upscale often means minuscule portions).
The potato gnocchi with tomato sauce, cream and Genovese pesto was a melt-in-the-mouth delight and our favorite starter. Some said there was too much sauce, that such perfect gnocchi should stand alone. Others said “perfetto.”
Our least favorite was the Caesar salad, probably available in Bice’s U.S. restaurants and not in Italy. The romaine was fresh and the thinly sliced Parmesan was fine, but the croutons were dry and tasteless.
Rating somewhere in-between was the beef carpaccio with truffle and Dijon dressing. The nicely seasoned beef slices surrounded a basket of arugula salad and were drizzled with dressing. It looked nice, but good carpaccio does not need a salad.
The fried calamari, prawns, zucchini and mushrooms were lightly battered and flash-fried.
The homemade fettucini with fresh Maine lobster offered a nice combination of flavors and textures, but it was a tad too al dente. And what’s with the cherry tomatoes? About half the dishes we ordered had some form of tomato, but chef Paolo Buffa does most things right.
The ossobuco with saffron rice was excellent. The large portion of veal shank — with its fall-off-the-bone meat — arrives on a smooth, creamy bed of saffron risotto. The tender veal Milanese covered the plate, the meat pounded thin, breaded and sauteed in butter with the rib bone still attached. Delicious, but it was accompanied by a salad of arugula and cherry tomatoes. Yes, tomato again.
Of the desserts, the highlight for any chocolate lover was the torta morbida di cioccolata con gelato alla nocciola (everything is in Italian with the English translation below.) This super soft chocolate cake combined perfectly with hazelnut ice cream.
The skizza claudia, a kind of dessert pizza with carmelized pear, shaved almonds, Nutella and gelato, is more fun to look at than to eat.
Overall, though, our dining experience was top-notch, due in equal parts to great service from our German-born waiter and to the food preparation. Bice is pricey and for many is a special-occasion restaurant. As such it could do great, except for the tricky location. Will non-Bethesdans make the trip? We hope so. It’s well worth it.
The lunch menu also features panini del pranzo (sandwiches) served with fries and mixed greens, from $7 to $10. Express lunch is $14 for an appetizer and entree. Bice is not easy to find, especially at night. It seems hidden in the Chevy Chase Bank building at 7501 Wisconsin Ave., but it is worth the effort, for the elegant setting — and some of the best gnocchi around. RESTAURANT: Bice Ristorante, 7501 Wisconsin, Ave., Bethesda, 301/654-2250
HOURS: 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 5 to 10:30 p.m. Sunday
PRICES: First courses $7 to $24 (lunch), $9 to $24(dinner); main courses $18 to $42 (lunch), $27 to $42; dessert $6 to 10 (lunch), $8 to $10 (dinner)
CREDIT CARDS: Major cards
PARKING: Limited street parking or parking garage
ACCESS: Wheelchair accessible
METRO: Bethesda (Red Line)
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