Pasta Mia

There are two things you can be assured of when you go to Pasta Mia: long lines and large portions. Situated at the top of Adams Morgan's 18th St, Pasta Mia is a DC establishment that, for some odd reason, remains one of my favorite places to eat. I'm not sure why. Sure, the portions are big, but I don't have a huge appetite, so big portions have little value to me. The food itself is mediocre. I can, and often do, make much better pasta in my own kitchen. The house wine is terrible. And, while the food is cheap, you have to wait a long time for it, and I'm not sure that the time cost justifies going to Pasta Mia on economic grounds.
In spite of all of these short comings, I always find dining at Pasta Mia to be an extremely satisfying experience. For some reason, the bad table wine seems to go perfectly with the supersized dishes of pasta, checked tablecloths and cramped quarters.

Whenever Abby and I go here, we start with the prosciutto and mozzerella. This is one of our all time favorite appetizers and something that we often make at home.
After eating this, we order whatever pasta looks good. This time around, Abby ordered the papardelle bolognese and I had grilled chicken ravioli with a pink sauce.
Both dishes were good, but not great. Even so, I really liked them. A meal at Pasta Mia isn't about refined flavors or precise technique; it's about comfort.