Luc Hertling
Period 1
14 May 2023
hello@damerestaurant.com
LIL’ DAME: The Price Is Right
When you spend a lot of money, you expect good things. You get your
money's worth at Lil’ DAME.
When walking into Lil’ Dame, a rich, savory
aroma immediately permeates into one’s
nostrils. This is a pleasant surprise considering
the establishment is known for its wine rather
than its food. To go along with the excellent
smells, an excellent ambience is created as
well. The lighting and sound combine to create
an enjoyable atmosphere. The open kitchen,
situated in the dining area, spreads the smells
and sounds of cooking throughout the venue.
Lil’ Dame is a small restaurant located on the
corner of Killingsworth and 30th. I visited Lil’
Dame on May 14th of 2023, a day that also
happened to be Mothers Day. Despite visiting
on a day like this, which would seem to be one
of the busiest days of the year, my mother,
My main dish, the Manila Clams with Saffron tagliatelle.
brother, and I were seated in seconds. We were greeted by a friendly host who answered all of
our questions, and even asked some of her own.
The menu at Lil’ Dame is spectacular. It felt like every item on there was a revered dish
in the food industry. From tartare made from wagyu beef ($17), to Manila Clams with Saffron
tagliatelle ($21). The food was expensive, But not too expensive for a special occasion. On a
Yelp-like scale I would probably give it $$$$, or four money signs out of five. That being said, I
do think it was worth the price, not just for the taste, but also the experience. Since the dishes
they serve are all very sophisticated, it was me and my family’s first time trying many of these
things, which made us very excited.
As a family, we ordered quite a few different things. We started with marinated olives
($5), which were good, but nothing special. We were then served their grilled flatbread with
ricotta and olive oil ($9), something I consider to be a standout on their menu. The concept is
very simple, bread and cheese and oil, but the flavor is profound. The entire plate, with 8 pieces
of bread, was gone before the server's hand even left the platter. Ok, maybe not that fast, but it
was fast. The ricotta was cool and rich, perfectly complimenting the crisp and light flatbread.
The olive oil was just the cherry on top. Mixed with cracked pepper and fennel pollen, it brought
everything together. 10/10 would
recommend.
Next was a new experience to everyone at
the table, the tartare made with wagyu
(pictured on the right). Those two words are
both held in high regard, so to see them
combined was very intriguing. The dish
came to us with three pieces of bread kind of
covering the main piece. After we split the
bread and took it to our own plates, the
masterpiece was revealed. Not only was
there a perfect egg yolk sitting atop the
wagyu, but there was also black truffle. We
mixed all these ingredients together, put that
mixture on our pieces of the bread, and took
our first bites together on the count of three,
at my request. If you’ve never had tartare,
the taste is definitely weird to describe. The texture was cool. That's all I can describe it as. The
taste was reminiscent of a burger, which I guess shouldn’t surprise me that much, as they're both
made of beef, but it did nonetheless. In all, I thought it was interesting. I can’t say for sure if I
would order it again. That is no knock on the restaurant, but rather something coming from my
own tastes. It did taste good, but I don’t think I would go to the restaurant just to try tartare for
the first time. That being said, if someone already knew they liked tartare, I would definitely
recommend it. 7 for taste, + 1 for experience = 8/10.
Next, the main dish. I ordered the Manila Clams with Saffron tagliatelle ($21). It was
served with spicy fennel sausage and grilled bread. This was also a new experience for me, as it
was my first time trying clams. I have to say, I would order this again. I quite enjoyed the clams,
they were perfectly warm, and tasted like the ocean. The sausage was a little on the dry side, but
still really good. The pasta was excellent, and the saffron fused well with the dish as a whole.
Not much to say about this one. It was very solid and I liked it. 8.5/10
Overall, I really enjoyed this restaurant. It was pretty expensive, but the taste lived up to
the expectations set by those prices. You could say Lil’ Dame talked the talk and also walked the
walk. The atmosphere, value and service were all really good, so I would definitely recommend
this restaurant to anyone not afraid of spending a good amount of money. 4.5/5 stars.