The Early Word on Bill and Giuliana Rancic's RPM Italian

RPM Italian opened in Mt. Vernon Triangle last month. Owned by reality stars Giuliana and Bill Rancic, the swanky restaurant already has another location in Chicago. The menu from chef Doug Psaltis features Italian dishes like fried olives, raw bar selections, spicy King crab pasta, spaghetti and meatballs, and more. Homemade pasta is a particular focus.

But what do D.C. diners think of this celebrity restaurant? It already has 16 Yelp reviews with an overall rating of four and a half stars. Read on for the early word on RPM Italian:

The Bill and Giuliana News: Blogger Hungry Lobbyist writes, "The Rancics were so sweet and appreciative of everything. It is a true testament to the care they have for their friends, family, patrons, and team." Instagrammer @briannamaehartwell says, "Got to meet @billrancic and he was a complete gentleman." But not everyone is so thrilled to welcome a celebrity-owned restaurant to D.C. One Brightest Young Things commenter writes, "It pains me how much press this restaurant is getting. This is not what the DC restaurant scene has become or is striving to be. "Celebrities" like the Rancics see it as a potential cash cow of a restaurant scene so they move in with their generic concepts and overpriced menus..." [Hungry Lobbyist, Instagram, BYT]

The Lush and Swanky Interior News: OpenTable poster JenandMikeB writes, "Fun, hip atmosphere in a newly improved neighborhood!" DCist says, "The interior is cool, lush, and swanky." Facebook user Laura Lewandowski adds, "Such a great space!" [OT, DCist, FB]

The Melt in Your Mouth Lobster Caprese News: Yelper Kyle H. thinks this dish is worth getting. He writes, "You could taste the freshness of the ingredients. The lobster melted in your mouth. The cheeeeese was creamy and really delivered the fresh mozzarella flavor. The tomatoes exploded with flavor and the pesto brought the whole dish together. I recommend getting a little bit of everything in one bite. Your mouth will thank you for it."But Facebook user Paul E. Pompeo says, "I had the Lobster Caprese, which was swimming in oil and had so much red pepper, I actually lost my voice." [Yelp, FB]

The Silly Good Carbonara News: Yelper Dan S. says, "this pasta was silly good too. They split the egg right in front of you and toss it into your pasta. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed pasta as much as i did here." OpenTable poster mandabuffly writes, "the pasta was perfectly al dente and the black pepper pancetta was still very crispy." [Yelp, OT]

The Carefully Crafted Meatballs News: Foursquare user Sylvie S. says, "The meatballs were great!," and Instagram user @heelsandhotdogs writes, "THE most perfect dish of Spaghetti & Meatballs" Yelper Robert A. adds, "The spaghetti with meatballs … were carefully crafted with a rich series of spices." [FS, Instagram, Yelp]

The Chicken Parmesan News: OpenTable poster ShafiqueK says the chicken parmesan is "excellent." Twitter user @mrskors writes, "My mom said the chicken Parmesan was the best she's ever had!" But Yelper Sylvie S. writes, "Unfortunately, the chicken parm fell a little short. It was a little too heavy with the mozzarella and was boring." [OT, Twitter, Yelp]

The Best Gelato Ever News: Brightest Young Things writes, "The gelato is all homemade. If I could buy the gelato by the pint, I would be very poor and incredibly unhealthy. It is maybe the best gelato I’ve had in D.C." Yelper Evan P. says, "Although it was for 2-4 people, the two of us could not help polishing off the Torta Meringata, a salted caramel and vanilla gelato cake light on fire before your very eyes. It was delicious and the little extra flare added to the experience."  [BYT, Yelp]

The Amazinballs/Inconsistent Service News: Twitter user @adisenberg says the service was "AMAZINBALLS," and Yelper Jason G. writes, "Very professional and quick service." But one OpenTable poster writes, "The maitre'd Frank was very friendly…. Service at the bar was inconsistent, as we initially had one bartender taking care of us then another started taking care of us but they clearly weren't communicating." [Twitter, Yelp, OT]