Café Milano meets Forest Hills.
By Deborah K. Dietsch
Photography Jonah Koch
Topped by a slate room, the 1904 stone house is entered from a circular driveway.
Cafe Milano has been called Washington’s version of Rick’s Cafe, the hang-out in the movie Casablanca. The popular Georgetown restaurant, which celebrates its 14th anniversary this month is similarly frequented by politicians, diplomats, celebrities – and the folks who like watching them.
Behind Cafe Milano’s longevity and success is its very own Rick, Italian-born owner Franco Nuschese, who looks more like Napoleon Bonaparte than Humphrey Bogart. Nuschese’s welcoming charm, applied equally to celebrities and less famous guests alike, is part of what keeps people coming back to the crowded eatery night after night.
