Lorenzo's Southside — Restaurant in City of Amsterdam

Grilled octopus? More like grilled kraken.

Was feeling the urge for some sea food this week and luckily Lorenzo's had me covered with their new Feast of the Seven Fishes menu, I've never been here before as I was trying to hold out until I could actually eat at the location, but this menu was just too good to pass up.

Ordered over the phone going with the Grilled Octopus and the Fritto Misto, coming to a total of $53 before tax and tip. I had heard that Lorenzo's is on the pricier side so I had expected as much, still, not as bad as I was expecting or have experienced before.

Back home I found the two items I got also came with a side salad and a couple slices of bread, which really helped make everything feel like a complete meal. First up was the octopus which was huge! I have never seen octopus tendrils this big before, and they were so meaty! The suction cups adding a little crunch from how they cooked, and the flavor was so mild and unoffensive that the accompanying lemon, tomato dip, and small peppers were bursts of flavor. Then came the Fritto Misto, which is just a fancy was of saying fried dish, as it had fried jumbo shrimp, fried haddock, and french fries. Of course it was super, the fish was flaky and not greasy at all, the shrimp was impressively tough but not a chore to chew, and even the fries were so well seasoned I ate the lot of them. While I was not a fan of the cocktail sauce, being a fair bit too strong for me, I was loving the tartar sauce which was banging with the fish. And while small, the salad was refreshing and crispy. I did have to toast the bread a little as it was so plain and doughy alone, but once toasted it had a wonderful crunch to it. I think for future takeout they could look into toasting the bread a little with some garlic butter, and then wrapping it in tinfoil. I could see that working well.

Overall I was very satisfied with my meal, even at the asking price, with nary a complaint to be made. Given how close they are I could totally see coming back, but, maybe only for special occasions and not a...

Lorenzo's Southside Pizza & Pasta is definitely worthy of the five star review. It is one of the Five restaurants owned and operated by the Lanzi family in the Adirondack area. They have carried on the family tradition for more than 100 years. They brought their family recipes from a small village near Rome, Italy more than a century ago. Over the years they have not only stayed true to their craft, but continued to add excellence and excitement to every dish they prepare and serve. The younger generation has studied from renowned culinary experts in New York City and have become masters of Neapolitan Pizza, which happens to be the Southside's signature dish. The Americana doesn't disappoint. Everything, and I do mean everything is hand made onsite. It was a privilege and an honor to tour the kitchen, look at the pasta & bread machines. Seeing an 80 lbs parmesan cheese wheel, was just the start. My time with members of the Lanzi family, is a time I will never forget. Thanks again, and I will definitely be back. When you go, I would highly recommend the stuffed eggplant parmesan, along with the tiramisu. Giacomo, great job with the pasta making young man. Also check out their other locations, and read about them in various publications.

I cannot say enough good things about this establishment, so definitely...

I had dinner here while riding the Erie Canalway Trail on my overnight in Amsterdam. The restaurant has a large covered outdoor patio area, which was a very pleasant seating area. The waitstaff was attentive and friendly.

I ordered the three meatball appetizer and the Caprese salad. The meatballs were delicious. The salad was okay — not the greatest tomatoes, very little basil, and way too much mozzarella. It wasn’t very balanced or what I expect a good Caprese salad to be.

All in all the atmosphere, service, and food made the dinner a pleasant experience. However, when I got my check, I got a huge shock. In addition to my food order, I had enjoyed three glasses of club soda (carbonated water). I was charged $3 for each glass of club soda, for a total of $9!!! NINE DOLLARS!!! Let’s put that into perspective — I could have bought TWO GALLONS of gasoline for that price! Most places don’t even charge for club soda, and the ones that do offer free refills. With the food, and not including the tip, my dinner cost $35, so nearly one-third of the cost was for the club soda.

I would have rated the restaurant higher, but I just cannot get over being gouged on carbonated water. If you go there, make sure to ask about soft...