lemon | Page 4 of 7 | Mass Food & Wine

This was my first trip to Le Mirage and I love middle eastern food so I was excited to try this place. The place is cute but nothing about the decor was exceptional and it honestly—lacked charm for me. When we looked at the menu it was an interesting mix of middle eastern and Italian foods. We knew there had to be a story behind that so my husband asked about it. We were told by our amazingly charming waitress that it was all in the family; Mom from one side, dad the other and they each influenced one other, of course!

I love Port Saiid so I talked my hubby into ordering the beef version of this and the hummus. I loved the hummus. It was different than other places and felt homemade with all its yummy creaminess. The pita bread was good and chewy as well, the perfect utensil for the homemade hummus.

When the Port Saiid came I was excited and could not wait to dig in. My first bite was a bit disappointing though. I have had this dish before and usually the lemon, allspice, and cinnamon is easily identifiable on that very first bite. But that was not the case here. It was obvious to me that they “dumbed” it down to fit a more normal palette and this was disappointing. I’m a foodie afterall and want to taste all the spices and citrus mixed together. I had a bit of the beef in my next few bites and that was pretty good. Not over cooked at all and added a nice flavor to the mix. Overall, the wateriness of the rice and the lackluster spices made this a miss for me. But our waitress was exceptional and looking around the place at other dishes being served I think I would go back again for a go at the Italian side of the fare. -DD

We started with the hummus at Le Mirage and I have to say this was very creamy and exactly what I was looking for in a homemade hummus. The pita was great too. For dinner, we shared the Beef Port Saiid; the portion of beef was large in this dish and definitely splittable. The sautéed beef tips were well cooked and absorbed the flavor of the mushrooms and garlic butter, there was a lot of lemon flavor in this dish that helped compliment the freshness of the ingredients. -SE

On our first trip to Le Mirage we were seated in this larger than expected restaurant tucked away on June St in Worcester. We were greeted by a pleasant waitress who sat us and went over the menu and specials. Familiar with the usual fare, like grape leaves and kibbee on the menu, I opted for the Beef Port Saiid: a beef and mushroom dish with a lemon garlic butter sauce served over bed of rice pilaf. The dish lived up to it’s description and was well prepared and the flavors came together quite nicely. My only suggestion would have been a little more seasoning beyond the garlic butter sauce.

Overall the atmosphere seemed nice, the desserts looked like they would be worth a visit by the self to try, and the family run business seemed very accommodating pleasant. On our next visit we would also be interested in trying some of the more Italian Mediterranean dishes. -DO

Lago Ristorante is a smallish place tucked into a small strip mall next to the Coes Reservoir on Mill Street. The sign is small and hard to find, and I ended up driving past it the first time.

Once inside, I found the place a little on the dark side, though I suppose you could call it cozy, but I felt I had to strain a little to read the menu. The interior is nice and comfortable and I really liked the overall atmosphere of the place, though it could use a tad more light.

The service was fantastic. From the hostess, through the waitress to the bus staff, I felt very well taken care of the entire night. They worked hard to make sure I had everything I wanted and was happy.

For an appetizer, I started with the Mozzarella en Carroza. This was a four or five silver dollar sized medallions of mozzarella lightly breaded with a panko mixture and cooked to pretty much perfection. It was light, mild, and very tasty while not being overpowering in the least. It was served with a side of marinara sauce that complemented the cheese perfectly creating a great taste together. The size was plenty large enough for a couple to split and have enough to hold you over until dinner. Overall, an excellent appetizer.

Next up was a Caesar Salad on a nicely chilled plate. The chilled plate kept the salad at a great temperature and the lettuce crisp throughout. The dressing was nice and quite thick, with what seemed like very little oil. It stuck quite nicely to the leaves and croutons with a nice crisp flavor. I did find the portion to be a tad on the small side and I would have liked just a little more when I was done. Overall a good salad, not great, but good.

For my main course, I chose the Pesche Spada (Lemon Pepper Swordfish, over pasta). I have to say I was disappointed in this dish. The swordfish was plated on top of a plate of cooked dry pasta, with no sauce of any kind. There wasn’t enough of a sauce on the swordfish to cover the pasta as well. The pasta was cooked nicely, but it was plain and drab. My fish was slightly overcooked as well. I expect swordfish to flake when I pull at it with a fork and I had to cut this to get a bite. The lemon pepper flavoring was very nice though, but not nice enough to save an otherwise bland dish. Overall, a below average plate that I would not order again.

My overall reaction to Lago is positive though. The appetizer and salad were both above average and the service was excellent. I would certainly go back and try a more traditional Italian dish. –DL