Tucked beside The Roost on 14th Street SE, Caruso’s Grocery has become Washington, DC’s beloved homage to old-school, red-sauce Italian-American cooking. 🍝
This legendary dining spot opened on Capitol Hill in May 2021, built around chef-partner Matt Adler’s memories of Scoozi, the restaurant his father ran for a decade in upstate New York.
Between chicken parmesan, penne alla vodka, and a tiny dining room that books up fast, Caruso’s Grocery has become one of the most talked-about Italian restaurants in the entire city.
How Caruso’s Grocery won Washington, DC’s hearts
Caruso’s Grocery is a joint venture between chef Matt Adler and Neighborhood Restaurant Group owner Michael Babin, who first approached Adler in 2019 about developing The Roost food hall. 👨🍳
The idea for an old school Italian restaurant next door came from Babin’s own memories of red sauce joints from his childhood, along with his family’s Italian market in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which lent its name to the concept.
For Adler, the inspiration runs even deeper. He estimates roughly 85 percent of the menu’s recipes trace directly back to Scoozi, the restaurant his father Larry ran in Garnerville, New York, where Adler worked in the kitchen throughout high school.
What has kept Washingtonians devoted to this small Capitol Hill spot, though, is the unapologetic commitment to old-school Italian-American cooking rather than a modern reinvention. 🍷
The restaurant’s tiny dining room, seating parties of up to six with additional first-come seating at the bar, has become part of its charm rather than a limitation, giving the space an intimate, neighborhood feel that regulars specifically seek out.
That blend of a deeply personal family story, a chef with real fine-dining pedigree, and a menu built on genuinely comforting classics is exactly what has made Caruso’s Grocery one of DC’s most cherished Italian dining destinations. 🌟
Food Highlights
- Mozzarella in Carrozza: Layers of mozzarella and bread battered and lightly fried, served over fresh tomato-basil sauce. 🧀
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Chicken Parmigiana: Tenderized chicken breast, lightly battered and fried, served over spaghetti marinara. 🍗
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Penne alla Vodka: Penne pasta in a creamy vodka sauce topped with peas, prosciutto, and Parmesan. 🍝
- Veal Francaise: Egg-and-Parmesan-battered veal cutlets finished with a lemon-butter sauce and market vegetables. 🍋
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Shrimp Scampi: Shrimp sautéed with garlic, zucchini, and chiles, finished with a splash of house-made limoncello. 🍤
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Seafood Fra Diavolo: Clams, mussels, calamari, and shrimp simmered in a spicy tomato sauce over fresh tagliatelle. 🦐
- Spicy Neapolitan Ragu: Beef and pork ragu tossed with fresh bucatini pasta and whipped ricotta, available extra spicy on request. 🌶️
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Trout Piccata: Seared trout fillets in a lemon-butter wine sauce with crispy capers and market vegetables. 🐟
Atmosphere
Caruso’s Grocery leans fully into its red-sauce-joint identity, with red banquettes and Sinatra playing through the speakers rather than a sleek, modern interior. 🎶
The dining room is intentionally small, seating parties of up to six, with walk-in guests typically seated at the bar on a first-come, first-served basis.
That intimate scale gives the restaurant a genuinely neighborhood feel, even as its reputation has grown citywide.
It’s the kind of Washington, DC spot where reservations are essential, and the wait feels worth it once you’re seated. 🍷
Bottom Line
Caruso’s Grocery earns its legendary status through chef Matt Adler’s deeply personal family recipes, a genuine old-school Italian-American atmosphere, and a menu built on comforting classics like chicken parm and penne alla vodka.
Add a tiny, intimate dining room and serious culinary pedigree behind the kitchen, and it’s easy to see why this Capitol Hill restaurant remains one of DC’s most sought-after reservations. 🍝
Address:
914 14th St SE, Washington, DC 20003
📞 (202) 661-0148
🕔 Open Tue–Sat, 5 PM–10 PM; Sun, 5 PM–9:30 PM (closed Mon)