I was recently invited to a special dinner at Locanda del Lago celebrating the wines of Italy!  In honor of Cantine Provenza of Lombardia, Italy, Michelin-starred Chef Gianfranco Minuz prepared a four-course Lombardian dinner perfectly paired with wines by Provenza.

We were warmly greeted by one of the winemakers, who introduced each wine with the start of every course.

It was a lovely dinner in one of the mainstays of the Third Street Promenade for over 20 years, Locanda del Lago.  That’s a feat in L.A., considering how often wonderful restaurants turn over.

The restaurant itself prides itself on being a window on Lake Como.  Having visited the region several years ago, the ambiance, the food, and the people certainly reflect the hospitality and charm that I remember well.

Even the tiniest touches of decor were thought about with the “Italian newspaper” lining the bread basket.  Fabulous!

Now, let’s get to the dinner itself!

The menu’s first course was originally a pork spare ribs with soft polenta that sounded amazing, but they were happy to substitute this beautiful asparagus dish due to my dietary restrictions.  This is a special they were serving for their Valentine’s Day menu, so we had a small taste of that as well!

The asparagus was paired with this beautiful wine, which was a surprisingly complex white.  It had a nice acidity, which paired very well with the asparagus.

The dish was fantastic!  Risotto is such a tricky dish, and the flavors were both subtle and complex.  The frog leg was a a succulent morsel in itself, but I adored the bright peas to contrast with the creamy rice.

Rosé wines often get a bad rap, but recently I have found more and more varieties that I truly enjoy!  The color itself was absolutely gorgeous, and it was made using four different types of grapes from the Lombardia region.  On looks alone, I thought it paired well with the risotto, but it truly was a lovely complement.

Once this dish was placed on the table, it certainly had the wow factor.   The beautiful colors and the perfectly cooked fish meant that I had to pilfer more than a few bites from my dining partner!  Absolutely amazing, and we loved the sweet peppers underneath.  The wine pairing was with the Lugana Bianco above, which really is a lovely wine with seafood.

A simple dish of meat and potatoes was really elevated by the high quality olive oil and the addition of anchovy, as well as the impeccable cooking method.  Also, the meat itself was not overwhelmingly portioned, which was perfect for the special four-course dinner.

The negresco was so fantastic that we took home two bottles with us!  The same combination of four grapes from the rosé were used, but obviously made as a traditional red.  Typically, we select earthier wines with our red meat, but this was a nice change for a multi-course dinner that needed a lighter red wine!

I am in love with cornmeal in desserts, which the Italians use so well.  I was a bit skeptical about the tart only having nuts, which I sometimes find to be overly sweetened in desserts.  However, both the flavor and the presentation were absolutely gorgeous!  An absolutely sweet ending to a lovely dinner.

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner along with the new Lombardian wines we tried, and we were even invited to stop by the winery if we happen to be in the area!

Locanda Del Lago
231 Arizona Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90401
www.lagosantamonica.com
(310) 451-3525