CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Good golly! I recent spent nearly a week in our nation's capital, where the temperature was a sizzling 98 degrees. And while I perspired through a few business meetings, I knew that at the end of the day I would be sipping some lovely beverages. I did just that and then enjoyed an anniversary dinner at my favorite D.C. restaurant.

Washington is a very underrated food town, and that's a shame because the city just brims with a bevy of eateries that rival establishments in some of the more recognized culinary burgs such as New York City, Chicago and San Francisco.

My absolute favorite dining address is the Obelisk Restaurant, on P Street in northwest Washington. There is no sign on the unimposing building housing the small, one-room Tuscan restaurant, but once you've experienced the food, you'll always find your way back for more.

The four-course prix fixe menu is $70 a person, but it is worth every cent and more. The wine list is very small, but well selected with an excellent sampling from Tuscany.

Before the meal began, we were treated to four appetizers that were so good it was hard to imagine that the courses to come could be any better. They weren't -- but they were just as good!

How about these little ditties for starters: imported Italian Burrata (a fresh cheese made from mozzarella and cream) with extra-virgin olive oil, thinly sliced smoked duck breast with black cherries, fried stuffed baby artichokes and cheese-stuffed zucchini flowers.

The meal that followed included porcini ravioli with a sage butter sauce, black bass with peppers and fennel, and lamb chops with sweet onions and rapini. A cheese course and dessert capped off the meal. A bottle of 1999 Podere Brizio Brunello Di Montalcino was liquid silk and a perfect match for the ravioli, lamb, appetizers and cheese course.

Next time you're in D.C., I really hope you give the Obelisk a try. You'll need to call for a reservation, 202-872-1180.

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Warm weather does cause me to alter my usual reliance on red wine as the go-to meal accompaniment. Instead of my usual practice of sipping a glass of white as an aperitif, I am using these cooling beverages with the lighter-styled foods gracing the table Chez Brown.

I am particularly fond of soave, the Italian white from the Veneto. If you are one of the many out there who view soave as an unworthy alternative to the more famous white varietals, such as pinot grigio, you might wish to try these two wines:

2009 Anselmi San Vincenzo ($16): This soave is composed of about 80 percent garganega, 15 percent chardonnay and 5 percent trebbiano. Fuller-bodied than most soaves, the San Vincenzo is full of ripe apple and vanilla custard flavors with a crisp, balanced finish. I sipped this baby recently with a smoked chicken Caesar salad.

2009 Re Midas Soave ($12): This bottling is a more traditional lighter-styled soave with a slightly grassy aroma followed by melon, lemon and almond flavors. It finishes with a little zing of acidity making it a great match with pasta salad sauced with basil.

For more on the art and craft of wine, visit John Brown's Wine Boy blog at thegazz.com.