I always look forward to dining at a new restaurant. Despite the fact that Worcester has hundreds of restaurants scattered throughout the city, I tend to visit the same circuit week after week. While I had been reading mixed reviews about Lago Ristorante, my palate was ready to visit this new establishment, and form my own opinion. The interior of Lago is dark and inviting with a partial view of the pond. The booths and tables hug the perimeter with a bar extending on one end. The exposed duct work gives the interior an industrial feel without being too contemporary and cold. When the waitress first handed me the one-sided paper menu, I was slightly disappointed. My initial reaction was due to the fact that the menu was unprotected and covered with oil and food stains. At first glance, the options appeared to be limited. Despite all this, I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself torn between not 2, but 4 dishes. After listening to the rest of my table place their orders, I ultimately decided upon the Pollo Al La Vodka. On the menu, the dish is described as twin chicken breasts sautéed with garlic, a hint of crushed pepper, diced tomatoes, and cream served over a choice of pasta – penne for me. Prior to the main course, a small house salad arrived at our table. The menu has a number of salads listed, including one under the specials of that evening, however, no where does it state that the meal includes a salad. Most restaurants will impart this information to the diner, and allow them to choose their dressing ~ not Lago. This salad arrived lightly dressed with a balsamic glaze. The portion was slightly disappointing with only a small handful of greens, a single cherry tomato halved, a slice of cucumber, an olive, and 2 pieces of red onion. Given the size of the salad, I was getting nervous that I would leave dinner hungry. However, when my dish arrived, my worries were quickly erased. The plate arrived with a plentiful portion of pasta and chicken garnished with fresh, green parsley. While the chicken was pounded, sautéed, and moist, it was not as garlicy as advertised. The pasta and sauce however, was absolutely delicious. I usually shy away from cream sauces because they tend to be heavy, however, this sauce was perfect! The texture was creamy, but not heavy, with the lingering kick that is given by red pepper flakes. Needless to say, despite the gigantic portion, I managed to eat almost every single bite with only a little help from the men at my table. Overall, the experience was decent. The atmosphere and main dish appealed to my desire to dine some place new, and the quality of the dish made me want to come back and try something new! -AV
