The Lumache here is a clever blend of land and sea and perhaps a more clever homonym for the restaurant’s name. Lumache means snail in Italian which of course straddle land and sea as the “tide” turns and aptly describes the shape of this pasta. It’s an increasingly popular one as cooks recognize the diverse sauce sticking properties of its exterior grooves and single pinched end.
To be clear, there is no seafood in this dish. Instead Tied House centers the plate on a jumbo slightly tubular version of this pasta that evokes both the shell and the slug of extra large escargot.
In stark relief to the dramatic depiction of this french sea staple (lumache cane from the western Italy towns on the French border) is the decidedly terrestrial lamb presented here almost like tiny coarse meatballs perfect for nestling inside the open end of the pasta. Binding the two is a chunky, mild gardiniera - the signature condiment of this region also known for both its vast interior sea coast and the fertile lands beyond our urban breakwater.
But not only does the dish work as a multilevel play on the restaurant’s name, it succeeds most as a terrifically thoughtful composition of the fresh ingredients found throughout the menu. The juices from the lamb infuse an umami like savoriness into the coating oil of the gardiniera which then takes a well proportioned ride on its diced vegetables to commingle with the lamb inside the pasta or attach outside like barnacles to its hull (or I dare note again like snails on a rock). The dish might run the risk of becoming too oily if it weren’t for the only component not drawn to the shells - the large cauliflower chunks which absorb and slightly sweeten the remaining oil and keep the dish light enough to pair its spice with a Viognier or even Lambrusco but hearty enough if splitting a Chardonnay or Cab with your companion. Perhaps most usefully by not relying on pasta as the only amphibious vessel, it leaves you feeling breezy enough to go out or full enough to stay in - wherever the “tide” takes your night after ordering from Tied House.
It’s a 5 star dish rich in meaning and flavor that exemplifies the best of what might be Lakeview’s best overall restaurant.
(also I seriously doubt anything above was intentional by the chef. Door Dash just asked me what I personally liked about my order).
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Hannah C
Emerging Expert • 7 contributions
Liked
• 4/25/24
• DoorDash order
Absolutely delicious (except I would not recommend the Mac & Cheese--you can get much better elsewhere for much less $) but MINISCULE portion sizes, making the pricing pretty outrageous.
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Adam T
1 contributions
Loved
• 5/19/23
• DoorDash review
The menu is awesome, I've ordered a couple of the salads and the pastas in the past, they are gooood.
