After a few minor and not-so-minor setbacks (including a fire), Fabio Trabocchi's Fiola Mare opened on the Georgetown waterfront last Friday. Take a look!

Fabio tells us that his inspiration for Fiola Mare is to re-create the experience of dining at one of the many seafood restaurants along the coast of the Italian peninsula. To do so, he's taking advantage of the space's river views. When the weather warms up, diners can sit at tables alongside the boardwalk; year-round, you can take in the view from the glass-enclosed veranda. Fabio is all about offering his guests a show at Fiola Mare: There's an open kitchen, an elaborate seafood market counter display, and a mixology station, all of which give guests a front-row seat to what is usually behind-the-scenes.

Fiola Mare offers high-quality seafood influenced by his native Italy and his wife's homeland, Spain. The lunch menu offers options from the raw bar, salads & antipasti, house-made pastas, and playful entree options like Fabio's take on a lobster roll (with spicy Calabrese mayo and basil). The dinner menu offers more elaborate options in the same categories, like the bucatini with red king prawns and sea urchin. Brunch gets off to a carb-tastic start with a morning pastry basket including croissants, apple cinnamon coffee cake, green olive "panino," and more. One of Fiola Mare's crowning glories is the "Seafood Market Counter," where diners can select their whole fish of choice, which is grilled and then filleted tableside.

Historically, the Georgetown waterfront hasn't always been known as a haven of haute cuisine. It has undergone major transformations, with the addition of a fancy dancing fountain, an ice rink, the makeover of the tried-and-true Tony & Joe's, and the opening of Farmers, Fishers, Bakers. But there are those who still doubt the location's ability to house a thriving fine-dining restaurant. Fabio's too busy running his small empire to worry about naysayers, and we look forward to watching Fiola Mare prove them wrong.