Mai Tardi - CLOSED

• Cuisine(s): Italian, Northern Italian, Pizza
  Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-12am
  Price: $$$ $$$
  Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards
• Attire: Casual
  Features: Takeout, Private Party, Wheelchair Accessible, Kid Friendly, Vegetarian Friendly
  Serving: Dinner, Lunch
  Alcohol: Full bar
• Reservations: Accepted, Highly Recommended
  Parking: Meters, Valet

Description

This Design District gem offers a casual menu of brick-oven pizzas, homemade pastas, and just a few rustic Italian meat, poultry, and fish entrées. All can be enjoyed while informally lounging on a sprawling patio beneath ancient white oak trees. The compendium of starters ("Italian tapas") is fairly concise but covers a wide swath - grappa-cured salmon, venison stew, deep-fried artichokes, sesame-crusted scallops, and shrimp piri piri to name a few. Then again, this is an ideal spot for sharing a platter of imported charcuterie with some glasses of wine (well-valued bottles are categorized according to price, beginning at $20 and rising by $5 increments to $40). Pizzas and pastas are strong suits - the former afforded with all manner of toppings, the latter including ethereal potato gnocchi and spinach pappardelle noodles with oxtail ragù. Prices are even friendlier than those at Tardi's modest Design District competitors: Starters run $5 to $12, pizzas $9 to $15, pastas $13 to $16, main courses $16 to $24. A "Beat the Clock" special runs daily from 5 to 7 p.m., meaning show up at 5 o'clock and two pastas and three pizzas are just $5 apiece; arrive at 6:20 and grab one for $6.20. Truth is, Mai Tardi represents a fine deal any time of day.