italian, not so plain and simple (cafe lago, montlake)

It's not often that I find myself craving dinner at an Italian restaurant, but dinner at Cafe Lago is an exception. This charming, neighborhood restaurant in Montlake exudes comfort and familiarity and serves the best of rustic Italian cuisine. It has a wonderfully casual yet sophisticated atmosphere, as evidenced by the diners who fill the tables: on any given night, you can easily find families dressed in their favorite fleeces seated next to couples dressed up for a night out.

Cafe Lago: 2305 24th Avenue East

I first visited Cafe Lago a few years ago after reading an article by Molly Wizenberg in the September 2008 issue of Bon Appétit. A fellow Seattleite and co-owner of Delancey in Ballard, Wizenberg hailed it as her would-be neighborhood restaurant if she lived in Montlake and raved about the pomodori al forno. After reading her mouthwatering description of this basic dish, I had to check it out.. and I've been happily returning for the past three years.

On this particular evening, we started off with the pomodori al forno (of course) and the City of Seattle eggplant. I don't know why I ordered that way, since it really was an unfair pairing -- the eggplant didn't stand a chance next to the pomodori, though on its own I would have been perfectly happy. The eggplant is grilled to create a charred outer skin and marinated in olive oil, tomato, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and parsley. It's served slightly chilled with a wedge of tangy gorgonzola cheese. When it arrives, it sort of looks like a pile of mush in the dim lighting in the restaurant. But it is tasty. Just try to order it with something other than its beauty queen sister, the pomodori.

City of Seattle grilled eggplant with gorgonzola.

The pomodori al forno is the perfect tomato antipasti dish. Four slices of deep red, slow-roasted San Marzano tomatoes are fanned out between expertly toasted slices of crostini. In the middle of the plate is a ball of herbed goat cheese, a perfect complement to the sweet tomatoes and fruity olive oil. The cheese spreads easily over the golden crostini, which is just the right size and thickness for the slices of tomatoes. It's no wonder that Wizenberg dedicated an entire article to this dish.

Pomodori al forno: Slow-roasted San Marzano tomatoes with
herbed goat cheese and crostini.

For our main courses, we wavered between two orders of the lasagna or one lasagna and the special pasta. We decided on the latter, again setting up an unfair competition against a clearly superior dish. The special pasta of the evening was a tagliatelle carbonara con radicchio, consisting of fresh handmade pasta, pancetta, radicchio, garlic, parmesan, egg, and freshly ground pepper. The noodles were excellent, but overall the flavors of the dish were not of the outstanding quality that I have come to expect from Lago.

Tagliatelle carbonara con radicchio: Fresh handmade pasta, pancetta,
radicchio, garlic, parmesan, egg, and freshly ground pepper.

The lasagna, however, was its typical, spectacular self. Surprisingly thin sheets of handmade lasagna noodles are layered between creamy ricotta, smooth béchamel, and rich and fruity tomato sauce. Combined, it is perhaps the most luxiously light, creamy, and flavorful lasagna I've ever tasted. I'm not sure how "creamy" and "light" can go together or how any pasta can avoid being heavy, so this dish is like magic to me. It's also vegetarian, which makes it absurd that I love it so much.

Lasagna with layers of fresh egg noodles, ricotta, béchamel,
and tomato sauce.

For dessert, we ordered the lemon tart. The flaky almond shortbread crust is filled with creamy lemon custard, and it's topped with a dollop of honey whipped cream and confectioner's sugar. It's not fancy, but the flavors are just right. This is the way I wish my lemon tarts would turn out at home!

Lemon tart with an almond shortbread crust and honey
whipped cream.

I think what I appreciate most is that Cafe Lago serves seemingly simple, traditional Italian dishes, packs them full of flavor, and executes them well. The marinara sauce is light yet complex in flavor, and the fresh pasta noodles are just the right consistency. Even the basic fettucine with meatballs are outstanding. The menu doesn't really change, so you'll always know what to expect and can have your favorite dish every time (for me, that's the lasagna). The special pasta and pizza offerings are another story -- sometimes they're on par with the regular menu items while other times they're just so-so.

hhf says: Cafe Lago is easily my favorite spot for rustic Italian food. If you go, you'll definitely want to try the pomodori al forno and the lasagna, although any dish made with the marinara sauce is usually excellent.

Manolo Blahnik pointed-toe Mary Jane heels in grey flannel.

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik pointed-toe Mary Jane heels in grey flannel. It was only 35 degrees outside, but at least it wasn't raining!