Lastrade de Pomodoro — Review by KSIĄŻULO

The Dishes

The reviewer ordered an extensive spread of pizzas, pasta, and other Italian specialties. The Quattro pizza arrived with strong gorgonzola, mozzarella, provolone, and grana padano on a thin crust. The Margherita was a classic preparation with abundant cheese. The Delicioza featured generous amounts of mild salami, mozzarella, and pecorino romano. The standout was a pistachio pinsa with mortadella, stracchino cheese, and pistachio that impressed everyone, though priced at 55 PLN.

For pasta, the Carbonara was a highlight with proper technique using guanciale, pecorino, and egg yolk, though at 51 PLN it felt expensive for such a simple dish. The Aglio e Olio was intensely garlicky and well-executed at 36 PLN, made with quality oil and cheese. The Amatriciana featured rigatoni with various vegetables and had an interesting sweet and slightly spicy profile, though less refined than the carbonara.

The Piadina with prosciutto di parma, arugula, and stracchino cheese offered a creamy, mild cheese experience at 39 PLN, though the bread itself was unremarkable and felt like store-bought pizza dough.

The Experience

The reviewer ordered for takeout on a rainy day and ate in the car outside the restaurant. The ordering process was smooth, with staff providing detailed ingredient information when asked. However, there were frustrations with menu items being sold out, including lasagna and certain desserts. The wait time was approximately one hour. No receipt was provided, which the reviewer noted.

Value and Pricing

Pricing was a consistent concern throughout the review. Standard pizzas at 39-55 PLN were compared unfavorably to similar establishments in Warsaw like Pizza Yolo and other renowned pizzerias where margherita costs only 35-36 PLN. Pasta dishes at 36-51 PLN were deemed expensive relative to ingredient simplicity. The reviewer noted that even basic pasta like aglio e olio, containing perhaps 150g of pasta, garlic, oil, and cheese, felt overpriced at 36 PLN. This restaurant appears to have leveraged the Magda Gessler Kitchen Revolutions renovation to justify premium pricing.

Notable Moments

The reviewer highlighted learning about stracchino cheese, a soft Italian cheese from Lombardy with a creamy consistency. The pistachio pinsa with its delicate mortadella was unanimously praised as exceptional. During the tasting, someone made an interesting observation about the restaurant's gorgonzola selection being noticeably higher quality than typical supermarket versions. The group had an extended discussion about egg quality and sourcing practices at restaurants.

The gorgonzola here really hits hard. Not like supermarket gorgonzola. It's much more aromatic and smells incredibly strong but in a good way.

If I'm paying this much for a pizza, I'd rather drive to Pabianice to Zielona Górka. That was phenomenal.

Carbonara is good, really good. I'd say I make it better at home, but for restaurant carbonara in Poland, this is genuinely solid.

The Verdict

Lastrade de Pomodoro demonstrates that Kitchen Revolutions has indeed improved the restaurant's ingredient quality and execution. The pizzas and pastas are well-made with authentic Italian techniques and premium components. However, the premium pricing strategy appears to capitalize on the show's publicity rather than justified by value. This establishment suits diners seeking quality Italian cooking who don't mind paying Warsaw premium prices, but represents poor value compared to equally good options at lower cost. Best ordered for takeout during rainy weather rather than dining in.