Ama, Navy Yard’s all-day Italian affair from husband-and-wife industry vets Micah Wilder and Johanna Hellrigl, is rooted in love (that’s what “ama” translates to, after all). Hellrigl pays tribute to her northern Italian heritage along the Ligurian Sea and mountainous Alto Adige region, all while tapping into her integrative nutrition training (watch her recent TEDX talk on the elimination of plastics in restaurants here). She’s always been on board the anti-additive train in a non-bipartisan way, and Capitol Hill power players from both sides of the aisle are known to break (bouncy focaccia) bread here.
Covered in Venetian plaster, copper pots, and lustrous woods, the charming dining room and bar recreates the romance of a Milanese cafè. In short, Ama is giving Valentine’s Day and Italy’s Winter Olympic Games year-round.
You can make a whole day out of Ama starting at 8 a.m. daily, when the front wooden bar fueled on Caffè Vergnano (the oldest coffee roaster in Italy) joins pastries and that fabulous focaccia. During its 3 p.m.-to-6 p.m. aperitivo hour, all beverages (including goblets spritzes for $10) come with complementary Italian snacks.
Dining and Cooking