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
