PRESS ROOM

Washington’s local dining association on Monday announced the finalists for its 38th annual Rammy Awards, highlighting some of the best participating restaurants, bars, and chefs across the D.C. area.

(Washingtonian) As coronavirus shut down the city, Masseria and Officina chef-owner Nick Stefanelli was forced to cut all but three of his employees. On top of that, he needed to flip the business from fine-dining to takeout and delivery—overnight.

(Travel + Leisure) On a Wednesday afternoon, there were few people strolling its waterfront walkway, but I found a cheerful crowd as soon as I entered Officina, chef Nick Stefanelli's three-story Italian marketplace-restaurant-rooftop bar. Like the rest of the Wharf, Officina still has a just-out-of-the-package shine, from the marble counters to the glass case displaying house-made sausages.

(Washingtonian) “The flowering garden, chic lounge furniture, and fire pits make this partially canopied terrazza feel like a luxury Italian vacation...Of all the Wharf’s rooftops, you’ll eat the best here."

(Bon Appetit) You know those people that say, I was born in the wrong era? The ones that wear tie-dye headbands or scratchy wool pants that they call slacks? Yeah, well they are missing out—but only if they haven’t drank vintage amaro at Officina in Washington, D.C.

(FSR Magazine) Last October, Washington, D.C., restaurateur and chef Nick Stefanelli gifted District residents with Officina, a three-floor trattoria, café, and market. The name, which translates to “workshop,” deftly describes the venture, which marries craft and creativity in various outlets. From a library of Italian liqueur and a specialty product shop to an expansive outdoor terrace and more traditional dining area, Officina is capitalizing on its mixed formats and Italian roots.

(Eater) The chef and owner behind Michelin-starred Masseria will open a second location of his Officina restaurant this year, expanding the franchise from the three-story multi-purpose space that opened on the Southwest Waterfront last October to a one-story cafe at 1615 L Street NW downtown.

(The Washington Post) To visit Officina is to marvel at the chef’s ability to woo us day and night with a ground-floor cafe, bar and market; a second-floor trattoria whose best tables look onto the neighborhood’s past; and a rooftop terrazzo with fire pits and a forthcoming aluminum cover that will allow for year-round toasting.

(Eater DC) Three weeks after opening Officina, chef Nicholas Stefanelli stands in red Nike high tops and a short-sleeved chef’s coat and explains how opening a restaurant is like working on a sports car.

(Food & wine) The one-stop emporium is not just for Italian-food lovers; it’s for devotees of Italian culture.

(Brightest Young Things) Calling Officina just a restaurant is not exactly accurate. The venue, which is located at the Wharf…

(Washingtonian) Nicholas Stefanelli is a lucky chef. Many cooks dream of having an Italian restaurant on the water—let alone…

(Michelin Guide) Chef Nicholas Stefanelli's Italian "workshop" has been a work in progress for 5 years. "I was actually working on this project before I opened Masseria…

(Washington Business Journal) When it fully opens next month, Officina, Masseria owner Nick Stefanelli’s multifaceted Italian eatery and market at The Wharf, should have…