Aria Trattorioa

While I would like to be a guy who's glass is half full and point out all the wonderful things I experience or see, I'm having difficulty coming up with something for this restaurant experience.  The one positive is that if you're going to National Theater, as we were to see West Side Story, that this restaurant validates free parking in the Reagan building right across the street.  As a matter of fact, that's the primary reason I chose this restaurant, so I shouldn't expect anything else.  If you're affected by negativity, stop reading.  For the rest of us -- this place was terrible!  Aria is the third restaurant to be in this location since Michael Jordan's restaurant left.  It's such a great location, but afflicted by the fact its inside an office building and not 'known.'  location, location, location.  So why was it so bad?  Lets start with the ambiance.  Bland, all around.  There was no vibe.  The people were tourists. The lights were bright and the sound was quiet.  Once sat, the maitre'd immediately insulted my mother.  I'm sure he was just an idiot and didn't mean to basically call her an old bag, but that's the result.  Perhaps it was lost in translation.  I don't know... but he was a moron.  Next... food.  I was happy with how the menu sounded... but don't be fooled.  You'd do better at a hotdog stand.  my Sister ordered the pasta prima vera... which was more like soup in a butter broth.  Butter.  With little veggies swimming in it and some pasta.  Did I mention the butter?  Mine... the pasta bolognese... Bolognese is a red sauce cooked with sausage and meats filled with the flavor of those meats.  This sauce had no flavor.  I could have opened the chef boyardee myself and eaten at home.  The special... Fillet Mignon.  Now, to their credit -- Mom's steak came out very nice and tasted great... she ordered medium.  But because Damon ordered medium rare and his came out well done... they switched.  Mom decided the well done was too done and sent it back. This is a good transition point to talk about the service.  While up to this point the service was ok, at this point, the service went in the crapper.  Our waiter... who was clearly serving a theater crowd on a schedule off their theater menu... never came back!  Could you imagine?  He delivered the desert menu only after prompting... (for which they were out of their advertised theater menu desert), and then didn't return for 7 minutes.  At this point, we were ready to leave, even if we wanted desert.  If I were to return to this restaurant, it would only be for the theater proximity and free parking... I'd go in, order an appetizer off their taster menu for $10.  Validate and leave.  But I think I'd rather just pay the $10 to another close parking garage and eat at home, avoiding the dissatisfaction.