Explore Global Seafood at Union Market's New Tarì Trattoria
- Janna Karel
- Jun 23
- 4 min read
Tarì Trattoria launched on Thursday, June 19, with a concise menu of dry-aged and whole cooked fish, which are also presented semi-raw, simmered in rich broths, or transformed into exquisite sauces (300 Morse Street NE).
A newly established Italian restaurant, focused on seafood, has opened on the ground level of the Gantry apartment building in a somewhat overlooked area of the Union Market district.
In contrast to its understated predecessor, Marcellino Pane & Vino, Tarì asserts its presence with a striking black-and-white, double-sided sign, an expanded patio seating capacity, and outdoor speakers that will refrain from playing Italian music. Francesco Amodeo, the founder of D.C.’s renowned amaro manufacturer Don Cicco & Figli, is the driving force behind the modest trattoria, which he assures will be “small but good” (with 32 seats indoors and 40 outside).
The contemporary Amalfi Coast cuisine at Tarì originate from his upbringing in the quaint town of Furore and many kitchens throughout Southern Italy. His father was employed at his uncle's restaurant in Positano, his grandpa owned multiple restaurants, and his grandmother served as the executive chef at a hotel for more than 40 years. He commenced his career in the wine industry at the age of 14 and attained expertise in the food and beverage sector, ultimately becoming a master sommelier by the time he arrived in Washington, D.C. in 2005. While establishing his Italian liqueur empire, available for tasting at the Don Cicco & Figli distillery in Ivy City, he has consistently aspired to open a restaurant.
“The concept has resided in my mind for approximately 20 years,” he clarified. He created this iteration of Tarì within six months after fellow Italians Antonio Matarazzo and Matteo Venini (Stellina Pizzeria) informed him that the location would be available.
“It will lead you to the coast and enhance your appreciation for fish in an unprecedented manner,” states Amodeo. The Northeast neighborhood is currently seeing a seafood surge, highlighted by the recent opening of Cordelia Fishbar just a few blocks away.
Fish availability fluctuates nearly daily due to dry-aging processes and seasonal variations, with whole fish delivered in ice packs and fully processed in-house. Fish are processed, descaled, and portioned into various recipes, utilizing approximately 95 percent of each fish.
“We are procuring from Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, North Africa, and the mid-Atlantic region.” “It is contingent upon the freshness,” states Amodeo. The menu will frequently change, but three fish will consistently be featured: kingfish, hiramasa (yellowtail amberjack), and turbot (a flatfish), along with stargazers whenever available. However, his own fish supplier is seeking more exotic species, such as scorpion fish, sea robins, and red mullets, which are seldom found in the majority of seafood-centric restaurants in the city. He hesitates at branzino, salmon, and rockfish, asserting that utilizing exotic fish can be more economical than purchasing mass quantities of "regular fish."
The concise menu consists of three appetizers, three pasta dishes, three main courses, and three desserts. A "scarpetta" bread service is offered, featuring sourdough from James Beard-nominated Pluma Bakery, accompanied by sugar-infused fennel and olive oils designed for plate cleaning and palate cleansing between courses.
Initial appetizers feature a tartare composed of delicately seared black-spotted seabream accompanied by a house-made smoky sauce derived from concentrated tinned anchovies. The pasta and main dishes exemplify this dedication to highlighting lesser-known seafood, featuring a remarkable pasta composed of seven distinct fish, reminiscent of the Italian-American tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. Four distinct fish and their bones are simmered in a tomato sauce and accompanied by calamarata pasta, followed by a secondary sauce featuring octopus, langoustine, and cuttlefish, which is added tableside. Rotating mains feature a special of kingfish accompanied by escarole, anchovies, capers, and a herb-infused sauce known as “salmoriglio.” The menu features two meat-based dishes, one of which is a straightforward ziti dish prepared with rabbit, accompanied by potatoes, sweet peppers, and marjoram as a main course.
The most appealing aspect of Tarì is that the restaurant caters to amateur fish enthusiasts. The menu features symbols indicating whether the fish is dry-aged or fresh, and Amodeo aims to establish a welcoming environment for innovative fish selections. To encourage visitors to explore novel options, fish will be showcased in three dry-aging coolers (with an additional three coolers forthcoming) as well as in a bespoke display case at the bar including ice-cold coils. Whole fish will gaze at patrons, challenging them to request them prepared unadulterated.
Desserts feature a lemon sponge cake adorned with candied fruit, which Amodeo characterizes as “similar to a distinct leches cake, yet lemon-flavored,” alongside a lesser-known dried eggplant delicacy enrobed in chocolate ganache and garnished with preserved fruits and almonds. Numerous cocktails will prominently feature Amodeo’s Italian herbal liqueurs, Don Ciccio & Figli, in addition to classic spritzes, Negronis, and a fennel-infused gin martini.
In addition to the meticulously selected fish and beloved family recipes, the restaurant features thoughtful elements inspired by Amodeo's life. The menu's typeface is his handwriting, and the logo originates from a spaghetti cake business he intended to establish in Union Market before to the pandemic, symbolizing the twisting vortex motif commonly found on pottery from the Amalfi Coast. Indeed, ceramic artisans in Italy produced bespoke olive oil vessels, limoncello shot glasses, and salt bowls for the restaurant.
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