Ristorante Piccolo after the October 2008 fire

The cozy date night favorite of yesteryear Ristorante Piccolo, which a two-alarm fire virtually destroyed last fall, is set to reopen in 2010 according to We Love DC.

“[A]ccording to a recently displayed banner on the restaurant’s door, the eatery is scheduled to reopen in early 2010. No word yet on final opening date, or on what changes have/will take place to the menu, staff, or decor,” blogger Rebecca writes.

Ristorante Piccolo has been an empty shell since a fire in early October of 2008 caused $1 million worth of damage and drew over 110 fire fighters and 50 pieces of fire-fighting equipment.

“Before the fire, the upscale Italian restaurant, which was established in 1986, featured a second-floor balcony overlooking the C & O Canal, hardwood floors, three fireplaces, and a strolling violinist to lend a romantic atmosphere to the dining experience,” the Voice‘s Alisha Crovetto wrote.

In the intervening months, the restaurateurs who own Piccolo had a rough time getting some of their plans for renovation approved by various local government groups.

At a January Advisory Neighborhood Commission meeting, ANC Commissioners gave the owner and her mother a hard time about a streetside outdoor dining area. The Old Georgetown Board also recently rejected designs for the streetside balcony the restaurant sported before.

Via Georgetown Metropolitan

Photo by Will Sommer

This entry was posted on Monday, December 21st, 2009 at 5:00 pm and is filed under News, Vox Populi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.