I haven't done any restaurant reviews recently mostly because while I've been places where the food/wine selection was good. I haven't really been blown away. Now, I have two to do.

The first is Il Fornaio at Reston Town Center. The menu has a great selection food including an incredible Ravioli Alla Lucana and mouth watering Pennoni Alla Vodka.

Their wine list is lengthy and it includes several Il Forniao-labelled house wines. We had the Chianti Classico with dinner and it was a good complement with a medium-bodied, earthy wine with hints of cherry.

The second is my new favorite wine bar, Vinoteca. If you are a DC native, this is a little out of the way -- though still conveniently located a block from the U Street / Cardozo Metro station. The wine bar is in an area that is being revitalized and it is really nice.

The wine selection is diverse, I especially enjoyed the Tamari Malbec Reserve:



A very intense wine in both taste and color with a strong spicy taste and flavors of blackberry and plum.

Their menu is also very good, they have 4 different cheese flights all of which are excellent and their sliders sandwiches are great. The atmosphere is cozy, not too loud, but bright and warm. The bar is a good size, and there are tables in a separate area if you want a more intimate experience.