Lago Features Monthly 'Bite of the Beast'

When I  lived in Santa Monica moons ago, the Promenade was a bit of an eyesore, except for a few places that graced its terrain. One of these was —now celebrating its 20th year. Trendy stores and fine dining now populate the area, and although a few restaurants are currently in flux, it’s nice to see that Lago continues to thrive.

Currently, in addition to its regular fare for lunch and dinner, Lago is offering a monthly whole-animal dinner series called "Morso della Bestia," meaning bite of the beast in English, and a meatless menu on Mondays.

Recently, a New Zealand all natural venison was the featured beast. Chef Gianfranco Minuz, who hails from Pasadena’s Tre Venezie, executed these dishes with flair and finesse. The five-course meal was accompanied by traditional rustic dishes and an endless supply of house wine.

Of the courses I sampled, my favorite was an antipasto consisting of a thinly sliced venison Carpaccio, with sautéed baby beet tops, caramelized onions and walnuts. I could have easily dined on this alone. The flavors were a subtle tease to my famished palate. More please.

Kudos to the braised venison and juniper berry ravioli, with a sage infused brown butter. As we were dining family style, the other couples at the table seemed equally engaged, enjoying every morsel, their iPhones finally parked to the side in silence.

True carnivores will enjoy the heavier whole-wheat spaghetti with venison ragu, along with the brandy-roasted leg of venison with a delightful sweet potato puree, blueberry compote and sautéed Swiss chard.

Between the sweet velvet of the puree, coupled with the tang of the compote and salt of the chard, these side dishes really rounded out the more mild flavoring of the leg of venison. I usually eat lamb chops, but the tame venison flavor I actually preferred over the more gamey lamb chops I usually enjoy. As for the side dishes, I could have easily eaten another portion of each of them.

Hats off to the dessert, a ricotta strudel with Tahitian vanilla sauce that immediately planted itself onto my hips for my lazy ride home. 

Cost for five courses: $60, not including tax or gratuity-definitely a bargain in my opinion, especially since the wine is included.

Upcoming meals include:

• Feb. 23: Muscovy Duck
• March 29: Virginia Sea Bass
• April 26: Capon Chicken

Beyond these monthly “bite of the beast” menus, you can also find soups, salads, pastas, risotto, pizza, and a variety of meat, fowl and fish selections, along with a nice roster of desserts. The patio is an engaging one, allowing diners to gawk at the plethora of people strolling the promenade.

Lago's owner, West Hooker-Poletti, studied at Cornell and has a lineage of experience. He moved to the United State at 18, soon gravitating toward the hospitality industry, cutting his chops at such places as the Mayfair Regent Hotel in New York, The Beverly Hilton, and the New Otani Hotel in Los Angeles. His entrepreneurial experience shows at Lago.

Inside, diners are transported to the charm of Italy’s Lake Como area. It’s easy to enjoy the woodsy atmosphere, engaging bar, some family-style dining options, and of course a dynamite menu.

Locanda del Lago is at 231 Arizona Ave. For more information, call  (310) 451-3525 or visit lagosantamonica.com