Last month I was invited to check out a unique dinner at Locanda del Lago (Lago, for short). The description of it was that it’s not a simple dinner. You don’t merely sit down with a friend or two and order a variety of dishes that fit your current mood. Instead it’s a five-course prix-fixe dinner where you (and sure a friend) sit with 6-8 different people around a large table dinning over a special select meat. The name of the event is “Bite of the Beast” and it occurs on the last Thursday of every month. A monthly event focused around a distinct meat of choice in a gorgeous restaurant? That was more than enough to substantially increase my excitement for the night! I’ll take two seats please.

For this night, the beast we would bite chosen by Chef Gianfranco Minuz was wild boar. I’m not sure if I’ve had civilized boar, but I know for a fact I haven’t had a wild one. So this was going to be interesting. Hailing from Texas, the boar is natural, feral, and caught in the wild. Once processed, the meat is high in protein and maintains a low fat content, making it a healthy alternative to beef. Knowing that, the questions that soon arrived and caused my forehead to wrinkle were: how was this boar going to be served and (most importantly) how would it taste?

The first dish was the Antipasto. Thin slices of herb marinated and roasted wild boar loin was served atop of endive and dressed with horseradish. It was an easy eat, but I found it hard to describe the taste of the boar. The only comparison I can make is, it was cut lean like meat sliced in a deli and the taste was light with a subtle hit on sweetness.

The Primo was a house made spaghetti with a beer braised wild boar Ragu. It doesn’t come with the traditional appeal of spaghetti with a thick sauce. Contrary to the customary, the noodles are gently covered by the soaked boar. I would have preferred a thicker sauce or even a stronger glaze to better bring the noodles and boar together, but the way it was made was sufficient.

The third dish to grace the table was the Piatto di Mezzo. I love risotto, so when I saw it was the base of this course I was thrilled. The risotto was combined with sage, leek, and wild boar sausage. It was creamy, soft, and full of flavor. I truly loved the take on risotto with the bits of seasoned sausage so much that I cleared the plate. I ate it so quickly that I regretted not taking my time with it. But, I ate some from my friend’s plate while he wasn’t looking. *Sings* “That’s what friends are for…”

Next up was the show stopping Secondo. It was a the final presentation of the wild boar which took the chef from the kitchen to the center of the restaurant. Chef Gianfranco had a table set up central to the dining tables with massive slabs of the wild boar. The oversized pot marinated the wild boar shoulder. Once plated, it was aligned with a braised savoy cabbage and covered with a Chardonnay sauce. The boar had the epitome of flavor. The meat was tender, earthy, and delicious.

The last dish was the dessert, Dolce. Another homemade dish, but time it was hazelnut meringue cookies with chocolate mousse covered with chocolate sauce. The cookies were tough so a fork is unnecessary. Treat it like you would Girl Scout cookies you find in June. Grab it with your hands and devour it like someone is going to take it from you. I would have expected the cookie to be a little softer but a tougher exterior only means you can eat it—like a boar. Maybe that was the point? Was that it? Did I win something? I so hope I won something.

Lago may not have invented the unique meat dining experience, but they sure do a great job at it. The five course meal was a unique compilation of dishes with each meat tasting completely different from the one preceding it. I enjoyed the plates and appreciated being seated closely to individuals who I would get to engage in exciting conversations with. Maybe we were seated a little too close together, but it was manageable. It’s a fun night wrapped around food and surrounded by great people. Definitely a night I would recommend trying. Speaking of which, the next event is coming up soon! It’s March 26^th at 7pm. Since seating is limited, reservations are required. To secure your spot, give them a call at (310) 451-3525. Can’t make that one? Don’t worry, there will be more!

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Address: 231 Arizona Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: (310) 451-3525
Hours: Monday to Thursday – 11:30am to 10:00pm, Friday & Saturday – 11:30am to 11:00pm, and Sunday 10:30am to 10:00pm
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