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| - By far one of the most seamless restaurant opening nights I've ever experienced. Bravo!
There's a buzz about this new Lago and it's made of classy, sophisticated, modern elegance and energy you can feel! Don't get me wrong, I'll always hold the charming, warmth of the old Lago location near and dear to me, but it's great to see a local business growing and evolving with the Cleveland culinary scene.
Located in the new Aloft Hotel (which is another Cleveland win in its own right), Lago is the official restaurant for all catering and room service in the building. And considering the delightful dishes I tasted, I seriously think the guests are lucky! The new menu boasts fresh, modern takes on authentic Italian cuisine, mixed with traditional family recipes you don't want to miss.
When we arrived for our 8PM reservation, the place was packed to the gills with excited patrons waiting to experience the new Lago. It was a little loud and crazy, but I think as the new location excitement wears off, it will level off to a comfortable, intimate-yet-fun vibe. The service was great, not too uppity, not too lax--just the right amount of attention and talkative-ness. I think just about my only complaint of the evening would have to be the 15-20 minute wait for cocktails--which was explained to us by our server as a computer malfunction they were working on as we spoke. These kinks happen on opening nights, so I didn't mind. And when we did get our cocktails I was blown away by the clementine-esque (I forgot the exact name) one with sago. Let's just say it was my own fault for slugging it down too quickly for my own good. Also, I asked our server to bring me an "easy drinking red with no oak" and he brought me the most perfect wine--middle of the road price range, too! Again, great service.
On to the food: I may be biased since Italian food is probably my favorite cuisine and I've starved myself of pasta for about 4 months now--but ohmygod, yes! This is the old Lago I remembered, but even better! First, the menu looks rather large, but don't be intimidated. There's an extensive selection of cheeses, meats, olives and other antipasto to choose from that makes it look bigger than it is. I loved that they now offer smaller plates for two to share and also half orders of their homemade pasta dishes. We opted to try a bunch of lighter items and decided on the Salerno Family Meatballs (for two), Scallops with manchego polenta (for two), the chef's seasonal salad (which was big enough for two to share) and a half order of the mushroom cavatelli.
First, the Salerno Family Meatballs are something the owners really wanted to keep on the menu and I'm so glad they did--these are some damn good meatballs. They're packed with flavor from a mix of ground meats and spices, plus the homemade marinara sauce is to die for. The two scallops were fresh, perfectly seared with a light lemon-y zest. The crispy kale and the cheesy polenta that accompanied those two beauties were also delicious. Next came the salad, which was arugula simply dressed with pickled watermelon, truffle, parmesan and was fresh, light and delicious. The mushroom cavatelli was a winner with homemade pasta and a selection of wild shrooms all dressed in a creamy, cheesy sauce that was surprisingly light! Not overly salted or garlicy, which was an unexpected plus. Lastly, since it was opening night, the Chef visited our table and brought over a trio of dessert samples, including a handmade cannoli, lemon cheesecake and my favorite, a white chocolate truffle milkshake. Yes, I'm talking about truffle, like mushroom truffles. It sounds strange, but oh dear jeezus did it work.
A side note on parking: There is free street parking, $6 lot parking (cash only) or you can park in the hotel garage and pay with a credit card on the way out--it's super convenient!
Overall, an incredible experience that I can only expect to get better and better as we return again (and again!) Kudos, Lago!
**Just FYI: Keep in mind I'm not a professional food critic and I did actually pay for my meal and drinks.
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