Al Dente

Date
7/12/2011

Location
925 2nd Street SE
Ix Building

What I ate
Asparagus cream soup
Carpaccio with arugula, parmigiano, olive oil, and truffle oil dressing
Parmigiano gnocchi with arugula and caramelized onions in a gorgonzola cream sauce
Braised leg of lamb with rosemary and figs

Who went
Kelly, Meghan, Matt, Patrick, and Miles

Website
Ristorante Al Dente

Thoughts
After missing out on three consecutive Restaurant Weeks, I finally made it back and it couldn't have been any better.  I found a handful of friends who would be around or passing through and we went to place that was new to all of us.  The Ix building was a little tough to find - it's easier to go by way of 6th Street - but it's a really nice spot.  Al Dente is off in the corner and has a pretty garden with some trees screening your view of the construction on the other side.  The restaurant itself is a nice, little space and everything, from the furniture to the silverware, is old; they make it work well.  Our waiter did a great job of being around only a little bit and making light conversation when he was there, but letting us talk and eat uninterrupted most of the time.  While we never wanted for a conversation topic, it did take a little while between some of the courses.

Most importantly, there was food!  I need to mention how this menu is different from other RW menus (and it's not even Passover!) - not only did we get a bowl of soup in addition to the three courses, but they offer a traditional Italian dinner menu, giving us an appetizer, a pasta course, and a meat course.  Sure, we missed out on dessert, but we had a lot of great food; I'll take that trade.

The big stalk of asparagus in our soup was a little cumbersome, but was a nice touch when I figured out how to cut it using my spoon and the side of the bowl.  The soup itself was delicious and a really nice way to start the meal.  While looking at the RW menus, it was tough to differentiate between things that looked delicious and things that looked really tasty.  Then I stumbled across something that has been on my "to eat" list for a long time.  The carpaccio did not disappoint!  To say it tasted like the best rare roast beef I've ever had is an understatement.  The bite of beef, parmigiano, and arugula with the dressing was just awesome.  If I can find beef I trust around here, I'm going to try to recreate this dish.  The gnocchi were quite good and, had this not been a fancy dinner, it's entirely possible I would have eaten the sauce with a spoon.

Yes, I usually talk about all of the food in one paragraph, but the lamb deserves some special attention.  I've been craving figs ever since our fig trees at home started showing fruit.  This hit the spot and then some.  The lamb was tender, the figs were sweet and delicious, and the sauce was a great way to tie them together.  There was something awesome on the side that I can only describe as a "squash hash".  All in all, it was just a really tasty plate of food.

Recap
Pros - great food, relaxed but still refined atmosphere
Cons - a little too long between courses
Overall - This was such a good meal; I'd call it one of the best dinners I've had in a long time.  I can't believe I hadn't found this place in 5 years of living in Charlottesville.  If you live there or are just passing through, you should seek it out and have some outstanding Italian food.

P.S.  Meghan had some interesting chicken-filled rice balls.  They had a nice crispy texture but there wasn't that much taste to 'em.  I told her I'd mention them, but you should look for her comment.