2024 Best of Lake Erie: New Italian

Regional Italian cuisine prepared with locally sourced and imported ingredients, wines from close to home and around the world, and multi-course tours of a curated menu are just a few hallmarks of Chef Alex Asteinza’s “relaxed-elegant” Lago Enoteca in Ashtabula, Ohio.

Here are three dishes to try:

1. Traditional Arancino fried risotto ball ($13) rises to the occasion with fresh ricotta, pecorino and truffles. 

2. The Mezze Rigatoni ($29) begins with a butter-soaked pasta, which is topped with short rib tomato sauce and truffle cream.

3. Capesante scallops ($33) are paired with pea puree, prosciutto and herbs.