Chef Stefanelli Shares Story Behind Georgetown's Officina

GEORGETOWN, D.C. — This summer, Officina opened as a pop-up in the Via Umbria space at 1525 Wisconsin Ave. Northwest with a mercato, cafe and trattoria. Since opening, Chef Nicholas Stefanelli has added curated collections of specialty items and ingredients, picnic kits, an in-house butcher, a wine shop, ceramics from Via Umbria, housemade pastries and breads, a traditional Italian espresso bar and classic Italian dishes, according to the Georgetown Business Improvement District.

Officina A Casa has a weekly dinner menu available Wednesday through Sunday and now offers Officina Provisions, a free weekly delivery service. He told Georgetown BID he chose to open in Georgetown when he saw Via Umbria had closed. He also opened up in the middle of a pandemic in the hopes of bringing joy to people. The chef's goal is to open the second floor for dining in an outdoor space. Read more about his restaurant venture.