After being closed for two weeks for renovations, Bethesda’s Trattoria Sorrento re-opened Friday, August 26.
Giovanni DeSimone, whose family has been running the restaurant since 1991, said the place was “dated and needed a little upkeep.” The result, DeSimone said, is an eatery with a “warmer feel,” that includes new cabinetry for wine bottles, a new floor, new restrooms and a fresh coat of paint. In addition, a wall that divided the space has been removed, meaning that a larger, more wide-open area will be available for the restaurant’s opera nights. On the first Sunday of every month, Trattoria Sorrento offers live opera along with a four-course prix fixe dinner for $50 a person. (Because of the Labor Day weekend, the first post-renovation opera night will be September 11.)
DeSimone said he did a lot of the work himself, along with two helpers. “I’ve been here everyday from 6:30 in the morning until 10 in the evening,” he said. “For a while I asked myself, what am I doing? That was for a split second. It’s done and we’re fine. We’re ready to go.”
Trattoria Sorrento, 4930 Cordell Ave. 301-718-0344. www.trattoriasorrento.com