It’s “Za Za” dahling

Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.

Due to this whole crazy Covid-19 situation, Nancy has resorted to virtual shopping. She is becoming quite adept at ordering things she see’s on Amazon, Groupon, and Facebook ads. Who would have thought that some items are not exactly as they appear on the internet? Such was the case with a Local Flavor coupon we purchased for a restaurant. We drove up to what we thought would be a fine dining restaurant, and to our surprise, it looked nothing like it did on the internet. We looked at each other and decided not to enter this seedy hole in the wall restaurant for fear of our personal and intestinal well being. We locked the car doors and burned rubber to our next coupon destination. We didn’t meet Donnie at Walburger’s, maybe we’ll meet one of the Gabor sisters at Za Za’s Tavola Italiana in Lake Barrington, dahling.

Even though this restaurant is located in a strip mall, it has an upscale look to it. Afterall, this is Lake Barrington. Walking in, it was refreshing to actually see white tablecloths and an ambiance to match. This is the sister restaurant to one of our favorites, 750° Cucina Rustica in Cary.

The waiter brought over a basket of warm crusty Italian bread, a bowl of olive oil, and a bowl of parmesan cheese. Remember that people? It was a welcome memory from more normal times.

Since it was mid-afternoon when we arrived, we ordered off the lunch menu. To begin our Italian feast, we decided on Arancine

Siciliani ($9.90) for our appetizer. This was two crispy saffron risotto balls filled with bolognese, peas, and mozzarella. They were absolutely delicious. The crispiness on the outside made the appetizer exceptional.

Nancy’s eyes bugged out when she spotted the Lobster Ravioli ($17.90) and had to have it. This was ravioli (5) filled with lobster and ricotta in a tomato vodka sauce with spinach. She thought the spinach was in the ravioli, not on top of it. She scraped the spinach off into a mountain on her plate that Popeye would be proud of. These were excellent, and she was actually chewing lobster, not just ricotta and pasta.

Jim decided to have one of his favorites from days gone by. He went with the Braciole ($26.90). This was rolled prime sirloin filled with prosciutto, cheese, herbs. It was braised in a red wine and tomato sauce, and served with cavatelli pasta and grana cheese. The sirloin was fork tender and the cavatelli pasta was delicious. We can’t be sure, but the pasta looked and tasted homemade.

You get a choice of soup or salad with your entree. Jim chose the minnestrone soup, and I chose the Caesar salad. The soup was tasty with big chunks of veggies. The waiter brought over the pepper mill and ground fresh pepper on the Caesar salad that was delish. This was a welcome change from the Covid-19 salt and pepper packets. There is nothing better than fresh ground pepper to make a Caesar salad pop!!!

A good way to cleanse your palate after a heavy meal of pasta is with a Tartufo Lemoncello Gelato ($6.90) for dessert. This is lemoncello gelato rolled in a crunchy lemon sugar with a lemon surprise inside. We shared this dessert, and our dueling spoons was not a pretty sight. We really should have ordered our own.

Like it’s sister restaurant 750° Cucina Rustica, they complied with all the Covid-19 restrictions. The waitstaff should be commended for doing this and providing excellent service. They can’t do enough to accommodate their patrons. It felt good to have some semblance of normalcy and it did wonders to lift our spirits.

The price for our Italian feast was $72.13, Pre-Covid-19 flashback, priceless…

Jim’s take: My meal was excellent, but I was disappointed Zsa Zsa wasn’t in that day.

Nancy’s take: Loved this restaurant and the staff!!! I felt like Zsa Zsa … pampered.

Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com

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