Lago di Como — Restaurant in Live Oak

This is definitely one of the best Italian places I have been to in the tri-county area. I would have preferred the ability to give it 4.5 stars, but there are no half stars. I came w/ 2 friends.

The Italian Soda needs to be served with a straw, or something to stir the drink with. Due to the fact there was no stirring utensil all of the syrup for the drink was at the bottom, so there was little flavor until the end. Italian Soda is supposed to have the carbonated water and syrup mixed together. We also made the mistake of not asking for a straw as well mind you, and the friend who ordered it believe it was meant to be that way. I am hoping that this was a simple oversight/mistake that we also forgot to correct. This is the main reason I couldn't bring myself to give the restaurant a 5 star rating.

My friend ate the Minestrone with gusto, so I assume he enjoyed it. I forgot to ask

The Gnocchi was delectable from the piece a friend gave me. It had a great texture which was a combination of soft resistance and creaminess of the wrapping, cheese, and sauce. This dish was not too grainy or watery at all, and went well above my expectations. This restaurant actually does a great job at making Gnocchi I have gone to too many places that have an overly grainy and/or watery texture, which this restaurant did not have an issue with. Flavor-wise there are no complaints from me, although I think a hint of pepper may have improved the dish some.

The Bolognese Penne Pasta was made fairly well. I personally felt that the pasta was under-cooked slightly, but not by too much. It was just one stage away from the desired Al Dente I prefer. This pasta had slightly more resistance than I am used to, but I did not request for an alteration due to being unsure whether "authentic pasta" is meant to have that much resistance. That being said I believe they did a great job with their sauce. The meat did not have its entire flavor sapped from it during the cooking of the sauce, which happens fairly often in my experiences with this sauce. The texture of the meat was excellent as well between a stewed and seared texturing. The flavor of the sauce itself was good as well, but not outstanding. I think there needed to be a little more chopped vegetables in the distribution of the sauce it would have added more texture and flavor diversity into the dish. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish and would be willing to order it again.

The Chocolate Soufflé had a nice flavor and texture to it. The quality of the chocolate was nice and rich without being overpowering. One of them did, however, come out deflated. This is something that can happen fairly easily, so I don't think there is too much reason to complain over it, but it does need to be noted. I feel if they used higher cacao content it would have been even better. I feel higher cacao content would have been better because it would have had a stronger flavor, and some powdered sugar on top could help alleviate the bitterness. The amount used definitely suits the average person's palate more.

I ordered the Tiramisu. I enjoyed the dish quite a bit, and my friends seemed to like the share I offered them as well. It did need a little more coffee flavor in it. I enjoy a contrast between strong bitter and slight sweetness. I believe they put in just enough chocolate for the dish to accentuate the flavors of the mascarpone and coffee. The texture of the lady fingers was just right, and absorbed the flavors of the surrounding ingredients well. I feel there should have been slightly more lady fingers in the dessert itself, but there was just enough to not be too dissatisfied by it. I think the whipped mixture was done incredibly well having a good balance between airy and thick the way it was meant to be.

The service was magnificent. Our waiter Dan did a great job with his attentiveness and check timing. He and the staff kept our bread and waters filled.

I would recommend this place to a friend, and come back again myself. I think it is one of the better restaurants in this county, especially...

If you've ever dreamt of the feeling of cruising from Bellagio to Varenna on a ferry on the tranquil summer waters of Lake Como in Northern Italy or sought to find that perfect rebirth of an exquisite gastronomic experience you had while on vacation 20 years ago, look no further.

I know it sounds like a lofty goal or an unreasonable expectation. But here, and only here you will find the flavors, wines, sounds, and distinguished service providers of a true Italian family and their hospitality. Oh yeah, and the telltale sign of a well taken care of restaurant, staff, bar, and general hygiene... CLEAN BATHROOMS!

Things you won't find; snooty waiters, trash-talking employees, flavorless or cold food and over-priced and over-decorated dishes.

ok, The food! I heard they had Pasta Nero di Seppie, squid ink pasta, something most restaurants stay away from because patrons might think its "yucky", tough for them. In fact, it's incredible. My wife and I shared a dish on a cold wet winter night in Venice some many years ago. And like any big fish story, by now, we made this dish out to be the holy grail of seaboard Italian food. so, yes, high expectations. So we made the reservations (highly recommended), and went!

We walked in and were sat down quickly, the restaurant was at the end of a moderately busy Friday night. We brought a bottle of red and the corkage was less than most, $15. Our waiter looked over the bottle, made some recommendations on pairing, opened it, offered a tasting pour, and moved forward. We ordered an app, "Burrata, Pomodori e Prosciutto" I must say it was particularly amazing. Fresh and delish Burrata, Prosciutto so thin it's almost see through but rich with flavor. I could have had this for a meal, but 3 of us shared, (i was not happy to share).

Our mains: The Ravioli of the day, a walnut and Gorgonzola. So rich and amazing if I had only one Ravioli the rest of my life this might be it!

Linguine al' Nero di Seppie, Just as the menu describes it, "Fresh homemade squid ink linguini sauteed with calamari, prawns, mussels, clams, olive oil, garlic, white wine, & chili flakes" Everything good that comes in a shell and more. This paired with a Pinot noir was great. Not too heavy and exactly what we wanted and expected. All the seafood flavors powered through. Also, It was refreshing to know someone can cook the shellfish with such perfect timing and accuracy not to overcook or undercook.

Spaghetti Vongole e Pesto, also as its described in the menu, "spaghetti pasta with fresh clams, garlic, white wine, & pesto sauce". So simple but so perfect.

In every detail in our dinner, the chef was acutely aware of how the kitchen staff was creating perfection, we could see it from our table. Be it a hot, loud, dangerous and sometimes caustic environment masterful things come out into the expos hands to the tables.

Overall this place gets mostly the highest rating from me!

** side note, A lava cake is NOT a Chocolate Souffle'! I'd advise changing the menu name or sticking to the five other amazing...

I think this is the first review I’ve ever done of a restaurant, and I feel especially inclined to review Lago di Como because of how close they come to being a top-notch dining experience. My girlfriend and I shared our anniversary dinner here, and having heard good things about this place, I had high hopes! The hostess was very friendly and attentive, seating us upon arrival despite being early our reservation, and once seated we were given complimentary bubbly ! That was all wonderful and much appreciated. Our waitress was absolutely lovely, and throughout the meal had great attention to detail, providing us with water refills etc. as needed. We ordered the calamari to start; it was super tender, lightly breaded, and came with two delicious sauces for dipping. Unfortunately, this is where things began to go downhill… For the sake of concision, and because my partner’s tortellini were pretty tasty, I’ll comment solely on my personal experience with the food. I ordered the paella which came with a grilled octopus arm. First, the good: the octopus was cooked perfectly tender and nearly melted in my mouth (places that exercise less care often overcook the octopus), and the presentation of the dish was beautiful. Unfortunately, the rice was very salty and oily, and the primary flavor was salt and nothing more! It was too salty to eat. The spices were just not up to par. Making some simple changes to the recipe would elevate this dish so much especially since all the cooking itself was perfectly executed. Once I requested it be returned I ordered a pasta with guanciale, peas, scallop, and mushrooms. Unfortunately, once again, there was not a lot of flavor save the saltiness and the standout flavor in the dish was the peas! Additionally, the guanciale was cut in such small pieces that it did little to nothing to compliment the dish and instead ended up being tough little bits of meat that disturbed the overall texture of the dish. I also felt as though the scallops did very little for the dish especially when paired with something as fatty as guanciale. With some minor tweaks to the size of the guanciale, some minor adjustments in salt and seasoning, this dish too would become great!

Overall, this place was great in terms of service and vibes, but for the price the food was simply disappointing and lacked in depth of flavor.

This depends entirely on the time of day, as we were seated around 5:25, but the sun was directly in my eyes, so it would be a good idea to put something in the window to reduce light exposure to...