Coppi's Organic

[JennyUptown]

Saturday night stress: three friends and I heading out to dinner. No reservation. Faux Veg's sister is the pickiest eater ever (yes, even worse than yours truly). No Indian ("ew, curry!"), no Mexican ("too spicy"), no...anything it seemed for awhile.

Italian is her default, however she's also poor and in DC, it's not the easiest thing in the world to find an inexpensive Italian.

The post-dinner plan was to attend a party at 16th and Swann. I cursed Kuna for being closed for renovations or whatever, all the while knowing I wouldn't have been able to get a table with such short notice anyway.

I have been less than impressed with Local 16's food (blech, and overpriced too), Utopia's too (though I like the atmosphere). "Coppi's? Is that what it's called?" I thought to myself. Checked the Washingtonian Cheap Eats issues - good for something finally - and called. Although they couldn't make a same-day reservation (??), I was told the restaurant wasn't terribly crowded.

That decision made, the troops and I headed over to 1414 U Street, not sure what to expect. Faux Veg's sister (let's call her "Eye Roller") was already on my last nerve so drinks were on my mind. Good thing, because when we arrived at Coppi's, it was PACKED. We settled in for what the hostess estimated would be a 45 minute wait. As long as I could get a glass of wine and some of the housemade bread I saw others picking on, I was fine. Eye Roller rolled eyes.

45 minutes turned into 60. Honestly? I didn't mind. The small bar area was warm from the eat of the open kitchen and its wood-burning oven. I had been enjoying my other two companions' conversation and watching the chefs do their thing.

As soon as we were seated (by the door alas - chilly breezes from the cold Saturday night outdoors had us eating with our coats on), a server took our drink orders and when he served them moments later, announced that they were on the house due to our long wait. Wow! Totally unexpected and it changed the mood, even that of Eye Roller.

Faux Veg and Eye Roller had pizzas (small plain pizzas run around $11, I think?), one margherita, one with various vegetables. My other friend and I shared a full portion of a pasta dish ($23, if memory serves) as an appetizer and a pizza with pancetta as our main.

The pasta...so rich, so good, perfect for a cold night. I'm totally vague on the details but recall the following: trenette, butter, cream, bacon, yum. The pizza...yeasty crust (neither think nor thin), fresh chopped tomato, pancetta (I would have enjoyed that even more if it had gotten crispier in the oven, but whatever).

We were late for the party, so rats! No time for dessert. While we waited at the bar, I saw one of the chefs make a nutella "calzone" that looked great, and the dessert menu also had something with stewed apples, always one of my favorites.

Guess I'll have to try again. No complaints from me. Coppi's was a tasty bargain in a cozy space.

[iamthestretch]

Used to live around the corner and go all the time. Standard operating procedure was dinner at Coppi's, usually the white pizza with red onions and Canadian bacon, followed by drinks at Utopia next door. (Do not be tempted to reverse this order, as the food at Utopia has always fallen well short of the Platonic ideal.) Since we moved away from the U St. corridor, we've been getting our pizza fix at 2 Amys and haven't been back to Coppi's that much. I'm glad to hear it's still going strong and that Elizabeth Bright is still doing some of the excellent Italian wood oven cooking she used to turn out at the late, lamented Vigorelli up on Connecticut Ave.

[morela]

I always liked that place when it was snowy. Something about the wood and the brick (pizza oven and walls), and it was a short litttle walk from everything else. Not a bad option when you're low on cash (and want less of bar feel than some place like Sette).

I liked some chic pea fritter. I do remember that...

[frogprince]

i first had the nutella calzone at the late lamented vigorelli in cleveland park. but now that i know that coppi's serves it. should it be as transcendent as i remember:

then everyone should go now and have one. maybe two. all will seem alright with the world afterwards. i promise.

[hillvalley]

squashblossom and I were there a number of times last winter, including that rediculously cold few weeks we had in January. The last time I was there was at the end of my blog. She was the farm manager at New Morning Farm at the time and delivered their weekly wood supply for the oven. When we walked in the owner (can't remember his name) yelled ouy "It's the wood woman!"

Their oven fried parsnips are out of this world. The ultimate warm comfort food. I've tried to recreate it at home but have not had any luck.

If only the front half of the dining room didn't get blasted with outside air every time someone comes in.

[oliveDC]

I really like Coppi's food but I have to say that I've put myself on a strictly takeout basis there after having horrible service over and over again. Sure there's been the occasional exception with a half-decent waiter, but the bad nights have been often enough to discourage me from going, much less bringing unsuspecting friends along.

Slow nights, we've had to get up to find a waitress to ask for water or another drink, and wave them down (I hate being reduced to that) when we're ready to go. Busy nights, we've patiently waited after being seated for some waiter to notice we are eagerly looking around, ready to be waited on. Upon being asked if someone could find our waiter, servers have relplied, "we all wait on the tables." So why is no one waiting on us?!? It's like the bystander effect at its worst.

But none of that can even compare to what goes on next door at Utopia...but alas, I digress...

[morela]

I remember no-so-good service, but it never got to me really...

Got the impression that they never had enough servers on the floor (maybe on purpose?).

[dmede]

My wife and I ate at Coppi's for the first time last winter. We weren't overly impressed. The food was fine, but we were kind of peeved at both the service and especially the wine list. Sometimes you just want a pizza and a simple, relatively inexpensive bottle of wine. We had a hard time finding that at Coppi's and left wondering how (and why) we had just spent $80 for a couple of good-but-not-great pizzas, an appetizer, and a bottle of wine.

[frogprince]

i apologize for three-rific post; no idea why it did that.

"oh where, oh where can my mod-er-ator be?

that post, took three away from me?"

[i thought it was a literary device. Rocks.]

Edited November 17, 2004 by DonRocks (log)

[frogprince]

[i thought it was a literary device. Rocks.]

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[edsz]

I was really impressed a couple of weeks ago when the staff opened the restaurant 20 minutes before the posted time and served us happily.

[smayman]

I haven't been there in a while, but I used to *love* the nutella calzone. They put practically a whole jar of nutella in there, and it's all warm and melty. Mmm.