J S.
Yelp
After checking out several locations and giving multiple choices to Jen, my wife, this is where she made the decision to go for our sixth anniversary, and let me tell you we are so happy we chose la Padella. Everything here was fantastic; from the food, to the drinks, to the service and atmosphere. Just absolutely perfect. We weren't one-hundred-percent sure we had made the right choice based on some of the other unfairly biased reviews here on Yelp, but we definitely did. This was one of the best Italian experiences that we have had in a very long time, and we are obsessive about our Italian cuisine.
Like usual, we over-ordered and both started with a drink from the bar that quickly turned into three. The bartender knows what he's doing, and my negroni was made to perfection- not too bitter nor too sweet. Jen said her bellini was exactly how they tasted when she visited Italy, and said it may have been the best she's ever had. The drinks paired perfectly with the antipasti plate and the smoked pork flatbread, which was a special menu item for that night. Normally, when visiting a restaurant where you expect to pay a high dollar ticket, the portions are a bit lacking, but this fell perfectly into place. Both the plate and flatbread were more than enough food that we could have just ended our dinner there, but not been overly stuffed. However, we ordered our main course and were completely blown away by what arrived.
Jen ordered the scallops, perfectly-braised, so succulent, soft, and sweet they would be at home at a three-star michelin rated restaurant. I only tasted half of one of the six she received, but it was heavenly. They came atop a bed of Israeli-style couscous, mixed with a beautiful tomato sauce with just a bit of a zesty spice that we couldn't help but finish the whole plate. She also ordered a side of their spaghetti in sauce because all of their pasta is HOMEMADE, and absolutely worth all of your money. It was so fresh, tender, and perfect that she commented to me that she could simply eat their pasta every evening for dinner and be satisfied for an eternity.
I opted for another special menu item for the evening and ordered the grilled/seared cobia. Having never had this fish before, I was excited, as I am all about trying new things. It was a lovely white flaky fish, with a slightly higher oil level than something like branzino, and was cooked to perfection. It was extremely juicy, yet still flaked apart when cut with a fork, but somehow still had enough structure to stay together as a filet of a "steakier" fish like swordfish would. Served over a huge bed of linguine, topped with their butter-tomato sauce, I couldn't get enough. The sauce reminded me of a rosa-style sauce but without the over-the-top creaminess that usually reserves those kinds of sauces for things like gnocchi.
We even had a chance to speak to one of the owners, who was extremely nice and took the time to have a REAL conversation with us, which turned into a half hour back and forth about the area, the food, the restaurant, and everything else. All in all, la Padella has become our new staple place when it comes to high-end Italian and we will be returning here many times in the future. I hope they have continued success and recommend that if you're thinking about a nice Italian meal in and around Media, that you go here. You will not be disappointed at all!