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By Laura Freeman
When my friend Jan told me I had to try Willoughby's Pranzo! restaurant, I reached for my fork. Jan and I share a love of good food so I knew I was in for a treat. On a cold, snowy night in November, seven of us converged upon Pranzo's unsuspecting chefs and staff of two -- an excellent server named Armando and a bus person. 
In his knowledgeable and enthusiastic way, Armando helped us order. "When you come to Pranzo! you have to pace yourself. I'll tell you if it's too much or not enough."
Editor's Note: Pranzo moved in September 2009 from Vine Street to a new location at 4066 Erie St. in downtown Willoughby.
What follows are six reviews for the price of one -- you don't have to take my word for it. We all had a chance to try everything on the table. We agreed the service, ambience and food was well above average. As you'll see, some of us were more loquacious than others.
Lynne Transky, former resident, visiting from Down South
Like me, Lynne knew she was in for a treat. She took her cue not from Jan, but from the bread instead.
"My first indication of a well-prepared meal is the bread which I found to be an attractive presentation and tasty," she said. The triangles of bread are served in a wire basket with olive oil for dipping.
Lynne found all but one of the meals to be "incredibly delicious" and said her lobster ravioli was faultless.
"I thought the sauce was excellent, the portion was perfect with big chunks of lobster in the pasta. I would return for the lobster ravioli alone -- it was truly one of the best meals I have ever had."
While Lynne "loved the sauce on Jeri's pasta," thought the pasta was prepared "just right," and the side of brussels sprouts "addicting," she thought Donna's shrimp pesto was "a little overkill -- the sauce was just way too ... PESTO."
She also was a bit worried about the restroom location, past the kitchen and down the hall. For me it was a sneak peak into the chef's frantic, fragrant world -- a better excuse than nose-powdering for a visit to the ladies room. She didn't let it affect her overall impression.
"The atmosphere is the most important for me ahead of sauces and service," Lynne says. "I loved the intimacy of the dining room as well as the warmth of the staff. The service was almost too perfect, if there is such a thing."
I overheard her say as we were leaving, "I'd stay in town another month just to eat here again."
Tim Green, IT guru, frequent fine diner
Tim was impressed with the number of dishes on the menu he described as "challenging for the chef and mouth-watering for the patron."
"The menu is full -- this restaurant pulls it off though -- meeting the challenge posed by the menu," Tim said.
He said the food was "beyond good -- it was gourmet quality."
"I doubt that there's anything on their menu which isn't superb. This is the place where you try something you've never tried. And it's the place to see how your favorite dish tastes when it's done by a truly talented chef."
He remembers the lamb he had on his first visit.
"It was the best ever. I had rib-eye the second time, also great -- but lamb is notable in that it's harder for a restaurant to make good lamb than it is to make good rib-eye," he said. "The mussels and clam appetizers were as good as I have had anywhere. The desserts were wonderful."
Other thoughts from Tim included: Decor: plain; Table setting: classy; Atmosphere: warm, convivial.
"What more can you ask for?" he asked.
Jerie Green, frequent fellow foodie
Jerie takes herself back to the moment and shares her impressions: "I feel like I'm in an intimate, sophisticated downtown restaurant, not Vine Street in Willoughby!"
She reveled in the fresh, smoky-tasting mussels.
"We dipped our bread in the garlicky wine broth," she remembers. "No stinting on the garlic bread sticks."
Once Jerie discovers something good, she likes to confirm her first impression. She had the veal limone last time, and this time.
"It was a little too lemony this time but still tasted great: fork-tender breaded veal in a lemon sauce."
Her side of pasta with tomato sauce made the rounds. Everyone enjoyed the chunks of cooked tomato with its intense, fresh flavor.
Jerie wasn't sold on the bread pudding which she said was too dry in spite of the ice cream served with it. The tiramisu was a different story.
The layer of whipped cream and mascarpone cheese atop a liqueur-soaked sponge cake was "yummy, cool, sweet and light."
Bill Fitzmaurice, retiree, Y gym rat & good food addict
Bill ordered the rack of lamb, maybe due to Tim's glowing description from the last visit.
"It was hot and encrusted with delicious seasonings. The juices flowed from the meat," he said.
As Lynne did, he found the ambience and the company paramount.
"The atmosphere was pleasant and quaint," he said. "The service was very good and the timing seemed to be perfect for the group. I had a great time."
Donna Vernier, Chicago-ite, NEO returnee
Donna didn't agree with her friend Lynne on her meal. She describes her scampi pesto farfalle as "succulent."
"The scampi was cooked to perfection and the pesto sauce had a wonderful flavor, nice and creamy. I truly enjoyed everything I tasted," she said.
Donna and Lynne agreed on Jeri's pasta side however.
"The sauce was very tomatoey and fresh tasting," she said.
Jan Fitzmaurice, Pranzo! expert, moaning at a table near you
Jan and the afore-quoted Bill have now visited Pranzo three times.
"Neither I, nor anyone who has joined us, has yet to be disappointed," Jan said.
She was delighted to be dining with six others as it provided an opportunity for her to taste even more of Pranzo's offerings.
"Now it will be more difficult to decide what to order on my future visits; everything has been just so ... moan-able," she said.
She appreciated Armando's input and suggestions.
"On a previous visit he suggested we order the specialties as opposed to the usual Italian fare, Marsala, Parmesan, etc. On one occasion, I ordered the chicken Marsala. Though it was delicious, I have found that the specialty items are exceptional."
Some of her favorites are found on the appetizer list.
"I have enjoyed the calamari on all of my visits to Pranzo! Great calamari -- not greasy or rubbery -- is hard to find. On each occasion, I found myself using bread to soak up the tomato sauce that accompanies the dish."
She was surprised to find the salad is included with the meal.
"That's a rarity at a restaurant of this caliber," she said. "It has always been fresh though somewhat average, lacking the flavorful distinction that other Pranzo! dishes offer."
This time Jan ordered the butternut risotto scallops.
"The risotto was outstanding. It had a distinct butternut flavor and was seasoned nicely, slightly sweet without being overpowering with a faint taste of cinnamon providing a unique touch. The risotto was crowned by five large juicy scallops that were sautŽed to perfection."
Lack of a liquor license may put some off, but it didn't faze us. Since you're able to BYOB, it has the effect of substantially reducing the overall cost of the dining experience.
"Pranzo! definitely holds a place on my list of top 10 favorite area restaurants. Food, decor, service and value all receive an A+."
I couldn't have said it better myself.
According to FreeTranslation.com's online translation, pranzo means "I lunch." Funny name for a restaurant only open for dinner, I thought. While I still don't completely understand the name, I now understand the exclamation point -- it's what you'll put at the end of the sentence when you tell someone you've eaten there.
Pranzo! is open from 5-10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations are recommended by calling 440-946-7827.
Written by Laura Freeman,
editor of Lake County Business Journal.
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