This weekend, I decided to venture into the heart of the Main Line to try out Arde Osteria & Pizzeria. Arde serves authentic Italian lunch and dinner in a corner restaurant next to the Wayne train station. The restaurant is located among some of Wayne’s most popular restaurants. If you’re ever at a loss for dinner ideas, this is the strip to check out, and Arde is definitely a restaurant to hit. 

I visited Arde on a Friday night at 7:45. The restaurant was packed with only a few open tables and did not empty out by the time I left at 9:00 p.m.. The restaurant has only one large room with large bay windows, and a full view of the kitchen. The biggest downfall was that the restaurant was fully situated in one area, making it very noisy. However, because the restaurant had an open floor plan and large windows, the noise added to the atmosphere of the lively environment. If you don’t like noise, stay away, but if you can get past it, don’t let this scare you off.

I mentioned in last week’s review that I’m a huge Italian food buff. I eat it often, and I eat the authentic stuff. Arde was not a letdown. I had three courses. For my appetizer I tried the bruschetta. I was in the mood to start light, followed by the Roman specialty bucatini all’ amatriciana for my main course and classic tiramisu for dessert.

Surprisingly, I enjoyed each dish. The bruschetta was pretty close to perfect, except it was a little salty for my taste. The tomatoes were fresh. The toast was well-toasted, and the plate was stacked high. My companion and I were satisfied by the end and eager to find more bread to finish off the remainder of the tomatoes. 

Bucatini all’ amatriciana is a Roman specialty that is largely absent from menus. The dish is pretty simple: tomato sauce, guanciale (a fatty pork meat) and pecorino cheese.  I ate this dish in Rome at least four times this summer, and I have to say Arde got it right. The sauce was fresh, the guanciale nice and salty, and honestly when is cheese bad? Oh, and did I mention that the pasta was homemade? 

Since the first two dishes went well, I had to get dessert. Obviously. I was extremely torn between tiramisu and a Sicilian cannoli. I opted for tiramisu purely because it’s a harder dessert to master and therefore more review-worthy. I am happy to report that this tiramisu has topped my list. When I first saw the dish, I had my doubts. It looked dry—a big no-no for tiramisu—but looks are not everything when it comes to dessert. I took one bite into this and didn’t stop until the plate was cleared. My companion was also incredibly pleased with her dessert choice of lemon sorbet. Served in a hollowed out lemon, it was the best sorbet my friend has ever had. 

Italian food is what you make of it, and Arde makes it right. If you want a true Italian specialty, I recommend you put this place at the top of your list in the area. It’s only a short ride from campus and it’s the best Italian food I’ve found yet. Be warned, though, that this is a Main Line joint, so it is filled with an older crowd, some families, and will be pricier if you order three courses. But all in all, it was definitely worth it. I’ll be returning soon, but after I explore a few more of the Main Line’s offerings.