I make no bones about it: Palena in Cleveland Park just at the exit of the Metro, is my favorite Washington DC restaurant. And one of my two favorite in the world.

And in early summer 2011 it grew bigger, with a new expanded cafe. If you haven't been, go, from Tuesday to Saturday. Every night.

Of course, Frank Ruta's contemporary Italian restaurant has always served a 'cafe-style' menu in the front of the original restaurant which remains next door to this new space on Connecticut Ave NW. But it was so popular that something had to give. Namely, the walls between it and the Magruder market next door.

Frank must be the only chef in town to make not just his own hot dog, but the pickle, the mustard, the roll, and all the trimmings. And other chefs scratch their toques to wonder how he gets his organic roast chicken out in that short time at that low price. The Washington Post called him The best chef you've never heard of. (Ruta is so retiring that on the Palena web site, the Chef section giving his background is illustrated by a piece of the furniture's fabric.)

Go.

I'm not biased. I just like good food. And Ruta's is great food, whether from the cafe or from the menu of Palena's more complex and considered formal dining room.

Palena, 3529 Connecticut Ave NW, 202 537 9250