When dining at an Italian restaurant, the word authentic is always front and center for what people are looking for on the menu. Many Italian restaurants claim to bring old-world flavors to their menu, but Nardò in Culver City does this to the highest level. They bring recipes not only from Italy, but recipes that have been passed down for 150 years and give you a sense of the flavors of Italy you won’t find many other places in the states.
The menu is a beautiful homage to classic Italian cuisine, bringing flavors from northern and southern Italy. The Nardo menu features a variety of pasta dishes, wood-fired pizzas, and fresh seafood dishes. While it isn’t a stretch to say that you will be supremely satisfied with anything you order at Noard, the pasta is a must-order with any meal. If you had to pick one signature dish from Nardo, it would have to be the fettuccine al cinghiale. This is a very classic dish with a recipe that was brought over from Italy. The homemade fettuccine is prepared flawlessly, but what you are not going to find in many restaurants is the Chianti red wine reduction sauce that is made with San Marzano tomatoes. The sauce contains wild boar that is slow braised for 24 hours. The other unique pasta dish is the linguine tarantine, which is a homemade squid ink linguine that is loaded with cut jumbo scallops, clams and roasted garlic. Nardo also makes sure to take of vegan diners with their ravioli vegani, which is a gluten free vegan ravioli filled with asparagus, garlic, cherry tomato sauce and fresh basil. Regardless of what pasta you order, you can taste the freshness and quality with each bite.
While classic pasta dishes are a highlight of the Nardo menu, the seafood dishes set them apart. The Zuppa di Pesce is a seafood stew that gives you a different flavor in every bite as this stew features; clams, calamari, shrimp and fresh fish in a light spicy tomato broth. Nardo also grills a beautiful branzino, a wonderfully flavorful fish from Italy that you won’t find served in many Italian restaurants. The branzino is butterflied and served with a salmoriglio sauce (Italian herbs, garlic and E.V.O.O.).
Nardo has also brought wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas to Southern California and their versions bring some incredible Italian flavor to each bite. You can choose a red or white sauce version, but whichever sauce you go with will complement the beautiful and fresh crust from dough made fresh daily. Nardo has a great list of specialty pizzas highlighted by the Nardo pizza, with the crust being filled up with ricotta cheese and topped with basil pesto, vine-ripe cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and prosciutto crudo. They also have the very unique fried pizza, which is their classic calzone, but fried to give it a different texture than you would come to expect from a calzone. Regardless of the dish or pizza, the ingredients are always fresh and that comes through in each bite. To finish off your meal, Nardo will take you to Naples to try the classic Italian dessert, the mini baba. These mini sponge cakes are soaked in rum and gives you a bite that is light, yet packs a powerful flavor.
Nardo has recently started serving brunch on the weekends, the brunch menu is available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Culver City location is truly a perfect brunch spot for any group size as the outdoor seating is very spacious and gives you a great view of all the happenings in the neighborhood. Nardo has taken several classic brunch dishes and put an Italian twist on them. Nardo put together a wide-ranging menu for brunch, one of the highlights has to be the UOVA benedict, which is composed of poached eggs, grilled ham, spinach and a rich parmesan cream sauce. To go along with any dish, they also got creative with the cocktails as they have mimosas with peach, prickly pear and passionfruit as well as they always popular orange juice. But the drink that was made for brunch and puts you in an Italian state of mind is the spritz, which you can choose from, Aperol, limoncello or amaro importante. There is no better place than Nardo to enjoy your weekend brunch.
Nardo really takes care to make sure every dish is memorable. They even took broccolini to another level as they sautéed it and served it with olive oil, garlic and Italian chilies. Nardo managed to make this the best version of broccolini you will find anywhere and while this is a dish that might not wow you on the menu, it is a dish that is so memorable it will be one your order every time you visit.
There is almost an endless list of Italian restaurants in Southern California, but just claiming to be Italian does not always equate to an authentic meal that brings out the flavors of Italy. Nardo is that rare Italian restaurant that takes every little detail from the long history of Italy and brings that experience to their restaurant and to your plate.
Nardo also has locations in Huntington Beach and West Hollywood. For more information, visit: Nardo
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