Posto Alum’s New Shaw Eatery San Lorenzo Is Taking Shape

Massimo Fabbri, the Italian chef behind D.C. power dining spot Tosca, gave Eater a sneak peek at the new Tuscan-style restaurant he hopes to open by the end of May in Shaw.

Fabbri, who lives down the street, hired design firm Swatchroom to transform the brick-lined space formerly occupied by neighborhood eatery Thally (1316 Ninth St NW). He says the new look is inspired by Il Maialetto, a Michelin-endorsed restaurant in his native Tuscany where he’s had many “fabulous simple meals.”

The last casual restaurant Fabbri ran in D.C., Posto, lasted nearly a decade. It closed in early 2016. The 20-year-old Tosca has welcomed the likes of former President Barack Obama and D.C. newcomer Ivanka Trump.

“I am going to make [San Lorenzo] very simple and down to earth,” says Fabbri. “I want there to be lots of wood and life to it.”

San Lorenzo’s name is an ode to a famous Tuscan saint as well as Fabbri’s three-year-old son, Lorenzo. The roughly 70-seat spot — with room for 56 in the dining room, plus another 14 at the bar — is projected to feature a piece of commissioned art resembling an olive branch that doubles as a light fixture.

Swatchroom [Official rendering]

Branding throughout will include a laurel wreath with the the crest from his home town. The soundtrack will rely heavily on modern Italian music.

Swatchroom [Official photo]

Georgetown’s Italian market Via Umbria is where he’s buying lots of accessories, including olive oil, wooden bread baskets, and ceramics. He says a table facing the street will be marble, but most of the seating including banquettes will be made of wood elements.

Fabbri garnered a high-profile following during his tenure at Tosca, and he wants to replicate the idea of a private chef’s table tucked behind a curtain wall. He’s hoping many of his regulars, a roster that includes K Street lobbyists and House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, will also join him in Shaw.

Fabbri says he doesn’t want San Lorenzo to become a late-night lounge, floating plans to shut down service around 1 a.m. “I don’t want to be here until 4 a.m.,” he says. He tells Eater that he’s already hired a general manager, but declined to reveal the name. He’s currently interviewing for a chef de cuisine.

The opening menu remains in the works. But Fabbri says he plans to make all the pastas in-house, and expects to showcase lots of “simple proteins.” Potential offerings range from hearty vegetable soups to rabbit and steak Florentine. Posto fans take note: there’s not going to be any pizzas (San Lorenzo lacks the right type of oven for that).

• The Most Anticipated Restaurants in D.C., Spring 2018 [EDC]
• Chef Massimo Fabbri Is Turning Shaw’s Thally Into a Tuscan Eatery [EDC]