September 19 is "Talk Like A Pirate Day." My Mensa friends, who love a good joke, pun or excuse to be a little silly, set up a lunch by the water (Lake Erie) to celebrate. I'd never heard of Lake House Restaurant in Lakewood before, but it was a "fun to play with" discovery yesterday! Sadly, I didn't get any photos of the attendees, some of whom sported their Pirate finest, but ARGGHH did we have a great, inexpensive meal accompanied by a four star lake view despite the gloomy weather! The restaurant is a physically old, old-school diner-like space in a mid-rise residential building, with close, free parking, that serves up classic (and a little newer school) comfort food and diner grub, with beer if desired, six days a week.
I loved that so much of the food was made from scratch (or nearly so), though my first taste, of a Guinness Pretzel Bite served with a cheddar cheese dipping sauce ordered by a table-mate, definitely felt Sysco-y (though warm and tasty).
But it was mostly uphill from there.
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| House-made Clam Chowder |
Our group numbered over a dozen, so I can't really fault them for serving this lovely soup a little to the cold side. But the microwave would have rubberized the beautifully tender clam meat, so we enjoyed it as served. Nicely done.
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| Cajun Pasta |
Bob just had four teeth extracted, and so was limited to mushy food. Lake House Restaurant offers several pasta dishes that come by default with meat and/or seafood, but which can also be ordered "plain" - this option served Bob well: penne pasta tossed with a cajun spiced alfredo sauce and tomatoes. Topped with parmesan cheese, it tasted creamy with a little bite, and "gave" nicely without being mushy. I enjoyed my bite even without the chicken that normally accompanies it.
I took a flyer on the signature dish - Fresh Lake Erie Perch: Lightly breaded and fried, served with sautéed onions & parmesan topped pierogies, and coleslaw. Experience has taught that a dish like this would either be very good or very bad. Happy to report the former!
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| House made cole slaw |
What a difference fresh-made makes! Creamy, clean and crisp. Half came home for dinner.
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| Fried Perch, Pierogies, Tarter |
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| Another perspective |
Half of this portion came home for dinner; it was a lovely value at $16 plus $2 for the cup of soup. The fish glistened with freshness under it's hot, crispy coat, cleverly plated over iceberg lettuce strips to keep it from getting soggy on the plate. I didn't get to learn if the pierogies are made in house or sourced, but they were fresh not frozen and the sauteed (not deeply fried) dough had a delightful pillowy lightness, encasing freshly mashed potatoes. The onion topping was nicely caramelized and accented with grated cheese and parsley. I would return for this meal again and again if I lived nearby!
Other diners in our party sampled various diner-style comfort foods, including patty melts served with house-made chips, wraps, salads, and one peanut-butter cup encrusted dessert that looked lovely. Service was exuberant and attentive, another reason to return for more.
Lake House Restaurant is open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Tuesday-Saturday, and Breakfast and Lunch only on Sunday. A great little fun place to play with your food with a view!
