Little about Tortino calls attention to itself. Save for some red umbrellas outside, the facade is not one you’d remember. The chef’s name isn’t attached to a cookbook, a dining empire or a Top 10 list. The short menu reads like those at dozens of other Italian restaurants. Raise your hand if you’ve seen beef carpaccio and fettuccine alla Bolognese on the same list before. (I thought so.)

I adore the place. Get past the door, and you’ll discover two small rooms whose red or yellow walls are enlivened with paintings that depict a bucolic Italy. Noé Canales might not be a household name, but since he left El Salvador for Washington in 1990, he has cooked in such popular establishments as Tosca, Al Tiramisu and Cafe Milano.