I've eaten here twice and the 2nd time was to please others who wanted to come. I'd bestow a straight up 1 star review but I can't be that mean spirited when the place isn't malicious....no actually I can and must be true!!
Paisan's is almost country club-like in that it feels sorta like the people there know you and country club-like in that the food is really really really lackluster--like the reason you're there is to relax not have a good meal.
The pizzas are tolerable--but there's no reason to eat mediocre pizza when you can find it within a mile in any direction sans heading into Lake Monona. And the pastas taste microwaved and mushy. That someone wrote they are homemade on here I find shocking. The sauce too isn't hearty and herbal like an Italian sauce seemingly might be.
"Allegedly" the food used to be better which sounds to me like distorted memories fond of the lake view.
Skip this place at all costs, walk over to Ian's or Gino's than go look out on the Terrace on your own.