Yes NOM fam, I finally, FINALLY got to try L’ardente’s famous 40-layer lasagna.
I’ve been meaning to go for quite some time, but as you can imagine, my must-visit list of restaurants is ridiculously long, so it took me a while to get here.
Better late than never though, right?
So, was it delicious? Hell yes. Was it the highlight of the evening? Not necessarily.
I definitely went easy this round, but trust me when I say I’ll be back to try more (MUCH more) of their menu.
Before we get into food though, we need to briefly discuss decor because the interior was absolutely stunning.
The restaurant’s super spacious, and I was immediately taken aback by the striking color scheme. Love, love, LOVE the deep blue seating and lavish chandeliers.
I wanted to take photos so I requested a table by the window…which gave me a clear view of the infamous sign: “please don’t do coke in the bathroom,” haha.
Everything sounded good, but I was in a bit of a rush so I limited myself to one starter – I know, weak sauce.
I’m a sucker for prosciutto so I decided to kick things off with that – it came with fig preserves and grilled focaccia. Next time, I’m definitely getting their meatballs and arancini.
I thought about getting a pizza and pasta, but I decided to get two noodle dishes this time ’round…because I’m a fatty and carbs are life.
The 40 layer lasagna was a must, but picking a second dish was challenging.
Pappardelle’s my favorite pasta so I ended up getting that, but I was torn between that, the bucatini, and the linguine. My server told me to get the linguine next time, too.
So, why exactly did I say the lasagna wasn’t necessarily the highlight of the evening? As good as that was, I honestly liked the pappardelle better.
The pasta was insanely tasty (al dente, OF COURSE), and it came in this crazy good white ragu with veal, mushroom, and green chili. The peppers were such a nice surprise.
I’m big into heat, and that added a touch of spice that I really enjoyed.
Next. Freaking. Level.
The lasagna was great too, though. It came with short rib sugo, truffle mornay and sottocenere cheese, and the flavors were hearty and comforting.
It was definitely one of the best lasagnas I’ve had in a minute, and it’s literally made for the ‘gram, so that’s a plus for foodie photographers like me.
I’m glad I tried it, but I probably won’t get this again.
I wanted to end dinner with their flaming tiramisu, but I had to catch an uber to the Batman premiere at Regal so I called it a night.
Really bummed, though, because the presentation looked off the hook, and apparently, it’s stuffed with passion fruit? Color me intrigued.
Have you guys been to chef David Deshaies’ newest spot yet? Let me know by leaving a comment below, and make sure y’all stay tuned for more content coming your way.
In the meantime, make sure to check out my DC tab for more nom eats! Until next time – eat all the tings.
