{"id":10080,"date":"2026-04-25T17:32:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T17:32:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/10080\/"},"modified":"2026-04-25T17:32:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T17:32:26","slug":"inside-downtown-dcs-new-italian-restaurant-by-restaurateur-ashok-bajaj","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/10080\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside Downtown DC\u2019s new Italian restaurant by restaurateur Ashok Bajaj"},"content":{"rendered":"

Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj has gone back to the drawing board in order to reconsider the concept of one of his restaurants \u2014 this time in Downtown D.C.<\/p>\n

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Inside Downtown DC\u2019s new Italian restaurant by restaurateur Ashok Bajaj<\/p>\n

Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj isn\u2019t afraid to stop, rethink and flip his concepts.\n<\/p>\n

In late 2024, Bajaj closed Rosedale in D.C.\u2019s Van Ness neighborhood in order to reopen it as the coastal Indian restaurant Malabar<\/a> in January 2025.<\/p>\n

Once again, Bajaj has gone back to the drawing board, reconsidering the concept of one of his restaurants. But, this time, it\u2019s in Downtown D.C.<\/p>\n

In the former location of Modena \u2014 and before that Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca \u2014 is now Rosselli<\/a>. Bajaj, the owner of Knightsbridge Restaurant Group, told WTOP the new concept, while Italian, is unique from its predecessors.<\/p>\n

\u201cDowntown has been struggling in the last few years, and so the idea behind (this) was to do a new concept, freshen up the restaurant, bring a new chef and add a great dining scene to Downtown D.C.,\u201d Bajaj said.<\/p>\n

Colombia-born executive chef Carlos Cardona is leading the kitchen. He previously worked at Michelin-starred NOI by Paulo Airaudo in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

The menu balances tradition with creativity through dishes like focaccia paired with a tomato gel, maitake ash, cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche and bone marrow butter. The pastas include agnolotti del plin with sea urchin, brown butter and sage, as well as a linguine alle vongole with Manila clams, guanciale and white wine.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, mains range from braised veal shank ossobuco that is cooked for 48 hours with risotto and Calabrian gremolata, to a pollo al forno \u2014 a chicken breast paired with a salsify puree and arugula.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery dish of his has an element of surprise, sophistication and refinement, yet you feel like you\u2019re eating Italian food with a slight bit of elegance in the cuisine,\u201d Bajaj said of Cardona\u2019s menu.<\/p>\n

The design of the space is inspired by grand historic apartments from Milan and Rome with ornate moldings, gilded frames and velvet drapery, with expansive windows throughout.<\/p>\n

Bajaj said that the renovation of the restaurant took about a year with a budget of over $1 million. With this big bet on Downtown D.C., Bajaj said, \u201cWe need the businesses back, and we need restaurants to thrive the way they used to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bajaj\u2019s restaurant group is behind several other local concepts like Rasika, Bombay Club and Bindaas. Rosselli opened in early April and is located at 1100 New York Ave. NW in D.C.<\/p>\n

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