Ardent (1751 N. Farwell Ave.) is celebrating a couple of achievements – its recent birthday (10 years!) and the completion of interior changes that make the restaurant, known for its multi-course tasting menu experience, more accessible.
What does that mean? You can go to an all-new tasting room and still have that by-reservation-only, white-tablecloth, prix-fixe meal. Or you can head in to the restaurant’s new lounge space, no reservation needed, and grab a seat in the bar/lounge and nosh on some small plates, a smashburger or hot dog, pasta or something larger like roasted half-chicken.
With the new lounge format, they’ve adapted the “same mindset as Ardent but now do it more casual and more fun,” says chef/owner Justin Carlisle. Small plates include charred brussels sprouts, a simple salad, hamachi and Lady Edison ham ($11-$16). Spreads such chicken liver mousse, smoked trout and beef tartare are available with various breads ($13-$18). You can get a Wagyu beef hot dog with Nueske’s bacon, celeriac-truffle relish and shaved foie gras ($16), or a single or double smashburger ($14 and $18). There are two pastas – a ricotta gnocchi and tajarin (thin pasta strands) with squash, brown butter and sage ($19 each). Larger plates include roast half-chicken, and hamachi collar with fermented plums and turnips ($22-$28).
The bar/lounge’s official opening is Friday Nov. 17 at 5 p.m. Its hours going forward are Tues-Sat 5-10 p.m.
As for the tasting room, they made aesthetic changes to the adjacent former Red Light Ramen space, which Carlisle closed in July. That space, featuring four tables and two-to-four bar seats, is now designed to feel “more elegant, more special” than the more stripped-down approach that Ardent was formerly known for. Now, what does that mean? Linen-covered tables, table crumbers and more. To see a menu and make a reservation for a tasting room dining experience, click here.
