Arts & Entertainment
Washington Posto
Gifted new pastry chef joins staff of Logan Circle standout
Melissa Taylor and Matteo Venini of Ristorante Posto. (Blade photo by Michael Key)
Ristorante Posto (1515 14th St., N.W.) delivers a fine dining experience with a caring and attentive staff and a menu full of mouth-watering selections. The exquisite dishes send your taste buds soaring, so much so that you forget you’re sitting in a former car dealership.
On a recent Sunday evening, my husband and I and three friends dined there. Our table was located beside the wood-burning pizza oven that warmly fills the back of the dining area. The high ceilings and the rich wood throughout create a comfortable yet elegant dining area. Even at 9:30 p.m., the dining room felt energetic with smiling staff bustling about and diners engaging in lively conversation.
Our waiter approached, greeted each of us individually and asked if we would like to start our evening off with one of the numerous wine offerings. We weren’t sure which bottle to order, so he brought selections for us to try from the Enomatic wine system behind the bar. Thanks to this single-serving wine pouring and preservation system, we were able to select a crisp Kerner white that carried a clean and citrusy flavor.
Posto specializes in classic and modern Italian dishes; its staff works with local farms to obtain organic vegetables and they import Italian ingredients. If you’re looking for an affordable dining experience, you can enjoy one of their delicious pizzas and a glass of wine; if the mood strikes you, though, you can savor a more extravagant multi-course meal.
Chef de Cuisine Matteo Venini unveiled a new spring menu last month. He’s a self–proclaimed “meat guy” and his favorite item is the Antra, a pan–roasted duck breast with pearl onions, dried cherries and spinach in a port wine reduction. We decided on seven entrees from the new menu, which included two different pizzas. Some of our favorites were the Piccante Pizza, the Tonnato and the Cappallacci.
The Piccante Pizza included spicy salami and Italian sausage — a truly delicious thin crust pizza made with the finest ingredients and the perfect amount of heat for a spicy food lover like me. The Tonnato is thinly sliced rabbit loin in tonnato sauce, which was light and fresh but intensely flavorful. The Cappallacci consists of handmade pasta filled with scallops, green peas, with nerodini mushrooms and artichokes and a hint of marjoram. The perfectly balanced earthy flavors of this pasta dish were delectable and the plate barely made it around the table as each diner reluctantly passed it on.
Venini prides himself on providing an authentic dining experience and it shows.
We’d barely finished when dessert menus were handed out. New pastry chef Melissa Taylor was previewing items from a new dessert selection that was unveiled last week. Taylor says she “has been savory cooking all her life, but pastry is her passion.” The item she was previewing was the white chocolate orange semifreddo with blueberry compote and rum sauce. She “loves all of the elements of this dessert” and of the three desserts we ordered, this was our favorite as well.
Other additions to Taylor’s dessert menu include an amaretto-soaked almond cake, a “summery” saffron honey Panna Cotta with passion fruit curd, a tour of chocolate plated on what Taylor refers to as “coffee soil,” and an intriguing chilled cantaloupe soup with tangerine gelee. Taylor said when she began at Posto, Venini wanted a dessert soup on the menu, and that’s how the cantaloupe soup was born.
Venini says he “loves the [Logan Circle] neighborhood and loves the people.” With a dynamic new spring menu that doesn’t disappoint, an attentive and talented staff and a gifted new pastry chef, Ristorante Posto is a treasure in an unassuming location where even the most discriminating taste buds will realize their good fortune.
Theater
Don’t miss summer productions at Clear Space in Rehoboth Beach
‘Cher Show,’ ‘Pretty Woman’ among season’s standouts
“The Cher Show” at Clear Space Theatre is wonderful. I am always amazed at the talent they attract for their summer series. Kudos to Wes Drummond, the artistic director of the theater. “The Cher Show” is written by Rick Elice. Compliments to the talented director, James FitzSimmons, who brought to life this production. His immensely talented cast includes Shannen Hofheimer as Star, Breanna Lemerise as Lady, Abby Lynne as Babe, and Anya Kay, as young Cher. Each is a pleasure to both watch and listen to. They command the stage. Then more kudos to the entire cast and ensemble. Also, the creative team, which includes among so many who make this show a hit, choreographer Shondelle Graulich; scenic designer, David Chappell; lighting designer Brendan Smith; costume designer Valerie Beardsley; and the entire orchestra led by conductor, Jerry Birl.
But the actor who I was looking forward to seeing in the production, was a young actor I had written about, and reviewed, when I saw him at Clear Space two years ago. In this production he is Sonny Bono, and he definitely didn’t disappoint.
Let me introduce Caetano de Sá. I have written about him before, but his resume is worth repeating. It says; Height: 5’7 ½, Eyes: Brown, Voice part: Tenor G2 – C5, Build: Athletic. All true. Then you add to this he speaks Brazilian Portuguese, is certified in stage combat by the Society of American Fight Directors, and is a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo. Then as his resume of roles confirms, he can act, sing, and dance with the best. He does a great job as Sonny and is fun to watch on stage. Here he displays his talents as a singer and actor, and they are as good as I remembered them when I first met Caetano while he was still in school in 2024, and was starring as Frankie Valli in “Jersey Boys,” at Clear Space. At the time he was a rising senior at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee BFA Musical Theater program. I interviewed him, and Harry Sperduto, who played Tommy Devotee, after seeing them in the show, and being amazed by their talent. Since that time, I have followed their careers. When I heard Caetano was coming back to Clear Space for the summer, I reached out, and he agreed to sit down and chat, which we did. I knew Clear Space Theatre was planning a busy summer season. Their lineup of shows included “The Cher Show,” “Mean Girls,” and “Pretty Woman.” They always have talented casts, including the many college students who are getting their first chance to shine, which was the case for Caetano in 2024. Now he is back as a graduate, with more experience under his belt, a little more established. This season he was going to play Sonny in their production of “The Cher Show,” Martin/Coach Carr, in “Mean Girls,” and Mr. Hollister in “Pretty Woman,” and being a part of the ensemble. He told me he really enjoys being at Clear Space, and that his castmates are all talented. He is a lot more experienced than when he was here before, having performed in productions at the Prairie Repertory Theatre, the Emerald Coast Theatre Company, Firehouse Center for the Arts, and the Sullivan Rep, among others. In productions as diverse as “Oklahoma!,” “Mystic Pizza,” “Hairspray,” and “Rock of Ages.” He now lives in New York City and clearly New York is the perfect place for an aspiring actor. He has an agent at Bramante Artists, who is getting him gigs, like the one he had at 54 Below and even a TV commercial for AFLAC.
“The Cher Show” is the second show I have seen at Clear Space this summer. After our chat I got one of the last tickets available that evening for “Pretty Woman.” In that production he has a smaller role, and is part of the incredibly talented ensemble. It is also an entertaining show and its very talented stars, Abby McDonough as Vivian, and Jaiden Leo Riley as Edward, are a pleasure to watch. Kudos to the talented director, Ashley Williams, and the entire creative team.
For anyone living at the beach, or coming for a visit, I urge you to plan a night at Clear Space. You won’t regret it. But know tickets for all the shows, and Sunday evening cabaret nights, sell out fast. So, I suggest you see what’s available online and buy yours today.
The 2026 World Pride March was held on Saturday, Aug. 8 in Amsterdam. Tens of thousands of participants marched from Martin Luther Kingpark to the grounds of the Pride Village at Museumplein.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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The weekly drag show “Daddy Issues” was held at Kiki on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Performers included Evry Pleasure, Indiana Bones and Tiara Missou-Sidora.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
Don’t miss summer productions at Clear Space in Rehoboth Beach
New LGBTQ visitor center slated for Wilmington, Del.
PHOTOS: World Pride March
Tens of thousands take part in World Pride March
PHOTOS: Daddy Issues at Kiki
Continue to engage in community after Pride month
D.C.’s Mary’s House For Older Adults names new executive director
Suzanne Goode is not good for Rehoboth Beach
Calendar: August 7-13
