RESTAURANT REVIEW: Locanda del Lago

231 Arizona Avenue | Santa Monica, CA 90401 | 310-451-3525 | locandadellago.com | Prices: $$$

By MICHAEL AUSHENKER | Contributing Writer

Locanda del Lago is not only one of the best Italian restaurants in Santa Monica, it’s one of the most patriotic–on a municipal level, that is. Loyal to the Santa Monica community, it often participates in such local traditions as the weekly Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Currently, Lago is taking part in the Santa Monica chamber’s annual Eat Well Week, joining such neighborhood legends of the field as Fig, Sushi Roku, Border Grill and The Albright in crafting health-conscious culinary fare.

Yes, 2016 has been designated as the Year of the Artichoke.

The choice of vegetable could not be more apropos, especially given how delicious an artichoke—whether fried or cooked—can taste in the hands of Chef Gianfranco Minuz, the Italian cuisine maestro running Lago’s bustling kitchen.

The rock star of Lago’s Eat Well menu is a Life’s a Choke artichoke. The spinach hails from Gloria Farm, the potatoes and garlic come from Weiser and the raspberries are courtesy of Harry’s Berries.

Lago’s artichoke extravaganza begins with a Cuori di Carciofi Fritti, a handsome plate of delectable fried artichokes drizzled with a salsa di pomodoro of vinegar and tomatoes and cilantro pesto ($14 a la carte; $45 as part of Lago’s three-course prix-fixe menu or $55 for the four-course menu).

Risotto con Carciofi e Burrata, an organic carnaroli risotto with burrata cheese and Parmesan ($21 a la carte), is almost soupy with artichoke parts bobbing in its stew. The resulting pudding, a hefty bowl, is very tasty.

Enter the Mediterranean sea bass. Lago’s Branzino in Umido con Carciofi ($29 a la carte) delivers a hefty plate’s worth of white wine-soaked poached fish in a triumphant heap, piled on top of a small mound of cooked spinach and sliced artichoke.

This was easily the highlight of my meal; the skin deliciously cooked, the fish meat fluffy, nigh creamy and never salty. The house suggests pairing this entrée with a MacMurray Pinot Noir and I can verify, the two go hand-in-hand.

On the meat side, try the Scaloppine di Vitello with prosciutto and carciofi atop a house-made purée di patate (mashed potatoes) that is pure purée delight.

The Eat Well menu even offers a decadent dessert: Torta di Cioccolato ($11), a flourless chocolate cake with raspberry sauce and a house-made Gelato di Vaniglia (vanilla ice cream).

A rich alternative is the restaurant’s amazing signature dessert: a chocolate-encased Tiramisu topped with a strawberry flower. Both are coffee-worthy delights, however the tiramisu is popular for a reason.

Prefacing every Lago meal: a savory house-made trout paté and breads made from scratch, save for a nice ciabatta from Celestino Drago that, with a touch of burro and aioli, harmoniously accompanies the bulk of your meal.

We were also lucky enough to enjoy plates of frico—thin, flowering wafers of fried Parmesan. The restaurant imports a Grana Padano Parmesan from Italy.

All of this fanfare is housed in an ambient and classy ristorante that’s easy to find at the mouth of the Third Street Promenade on the northwest corner with outdoor patio space to boot.

Of course, there’s never a bad time to dine at Lago, which is constantly revising its menu to accommodate what’s in season. For example, the trattoria offers a two-course Silicon Beach Lunch Monday through Saturday for $16 and $19; as well as a daily Happy Hour with $4 beers, $5 glasses of wine ($8 premium) and $9 market-driven cocktails.

Monthly, the elegant restaurant notably hosts its revered Morso Della Bestia, a.k.a. “Bite of the Beast” dinner series, on the last Thursday of every month.

Highlighting a specific animal as the key ingredient of a five-course dinner, Jan. 28’s edition will be all about the venison—a lean, juicy deer meat that is lower in calories, cholesterol and fat than pork, beef or lamb.

An all-natural Kansas venison from Underhill Farms will be employed to make Venison Loin Tartar with pickled cucumber, capers, brandy, toasted brioche and a cranberry compote; a Venison Soup with savoy cabbage and shallots; Homemade Pappardelle with Braised Venison Saddle replete with juniper berries and Parmesan; Venison Shoulder marinated with herbs, spices and red wine in addition to a polenta cake; plus a Pastiera-Neopolitan Farro and Ricotta Cake for dessert. (All items on this $55 menu come with suggested wine pairings: an additional $18 for free-flowing house wine; $28 for premium wine.)

February’s Morso della Bestia dinner features Cinghiale (wild boar) and the epicurean narrative for March’s Morso is Porchetta (suckling pig).

But time is of the essence to partake in Lago’s annual menu, as Eat Well Week ends this Sunday. So what are you waiting for? Grab your appetite and head down the hill.

For more information on Eat Well Week, visit santamonica.com/eatwell.