Zenzero

You’d expect to have good Italian food when you come to a small town in Italy. Zenzero exceeded all of my expectations. The evidence is in the kitchen– the chefs in the small and quiet town of Porlezza take caution in adding little dabs of olive oil here and there along with fresh herbs and ingredients. Don’t believe me? Walk in and look in the kitchen. Quite frankly, this was some of the best Italian food I have had as of yet. And the scenery, being lakeside, is an added bonus.
Ambience:
This place is off the beaten path, tucked away in Porlezza, a quiet city by Lake Lugano. That being said, it’s worth ever extra ounce of gas spent to get there. Gorgeous lakeside view with outdoor seating and avoids being packed with tourists. Today was the first time I heard another American in Porlezza.
Food:
Italian restaurants in America need to get there act together. This was, by far, the best Italian food I have ever eaten. Fresh ingredients, superb execution and made from scratch. The evidence in in the kitchen– you can walk in and see it past the counter. I had the housemade gnocchi which was creamy and soft, melting away in your mouth. The salmon for my second course was just as good– perfectly mixed with olive oil, seasoned well and baked enough just to fall apart with my fork. Crème brûlée with berries to finish– not much else to say other than it fell in line with how good the rest of the food was.
Drinks:
It’s Italy and so comes along the 2 euro glasses of wine. Love it.
Service:
Our food was a little slow to the table but now I know why. Well worth the wait to have fresh food. Other than that, we were very content with our service. Friendly and welcoming to all the guests, including the ones that are criminally pitiful at speaking Italian.