Enzo’s on the Lake proves attention to detail stands the test of time.

In 1980, Enzo’s on the Lake opened as a lovely secluded lakefront restaurant, built in the style of an Italian villa and has been wowing diners with its cuisine and breathtaking views ever since. The restaurant is dedicated to the idea of simple yet sophisticated cuisine. The freshest fish, meats, fruits and vegetables that can be obtained are woven into a menu that emphasizes a unique and diverse culinary heritage. An extravagant antipasto bar welcomes you to the excitement of the dining room.

There are no frills at the bar—instead they focus on their extensive wine list—so don’t expect a special craft cocktail menu here. They don’t need one! Their Old World Italian theme speaks through every detail of this quaint eatery. I’m sure a jalapeño-infused blackberry liquor Old Fashioned would just feel out of place. So, Jameson on the rocks it is. My wife ordered a bottle of Chianti ($55) and our server, who was quite knowledgeable, promptly poured the wine into a glass decanter and advised us to let the vino breathe a little while to bring out the sweeter notes.

We started with the Antipasti Della Casa ($14), a platter of assorted goodies that our server culled from a table at the back of the main dining room. Note: You are not allowed to go to the table to collect your own selections; it’s not a buffet. Although, waiting for your table, you glare at all the delicious items hoping you can indulge in the wonderfully roasted peppers, olives, roasted eggplant, tangy cheese, and the standout pickled gigante beans and potato. This was an exciting start to our evening.

I ordered the Lobster Bisque ($14), which our server said was not typical with the heavy cream, but equally as rich and delicious. He was correct, it wasn’t heavy on the cream, it was lighter, rich and just as succulent.

A good friend who frequents Enzo’s gave us some handy info about starters: Order a pasta dish as an appetizer and split it. We ordered the Buccatini alla Enzo’s ($24), an oily-rich pasta dish rife with prosciutto, bacon, mushrooms and parmesan. The only issue with this was that it was quite possibly the best pasta dish my wife and I had ever eaten and we wished we ordered two. We are both still thinking about going back to embellish in the perfection.

Our first entrée was the Scaloppini Al Agro dolce ($29), consisting of veal sautéed in extra virgin olive oil with a peppadew, prosciutto, garlic and pinot grigio sauce. This dish had a great balance of flavors and the veal was nicely pounded and seared. It was very tender and the sauce brought all the elements together to create an exquisite dish.

I was going to order the Beef Short Ribs Toscana ($40), until I saw a large Bone-In Veal Chop ($59) walk by. It came to the table tomahawk style and grilled to a delicious medium temperature and served with broccolini and some wedge potatoes. The veal came with an herbed compound butter that glistened down the whole chop. Enzo’s is not a steakhouse but they know how to cook them with precision.

We also had the Sogliola Al Limone ($32). It was a nice piece of Dover sole sautéed in olive oil and lemon. It was served with grilled zucchini and wedged potato. Dover sole used to be on many upscale menus in the ’80s, but has slid somewhat out of the spotlight in recent years. It was as rich and delicate as I remembered, though the dish could have used a bit more salt to really enhance the flavor.

The dessert menu had some old favorites with Enzo’s special touch. First was the Tiramisu ($7); it was a good sized piece, the lady fingers soaked up the coffee liquor and the whipped topping was fluffy and light. Next to our table was the Chocolate Soufflé ($10). I did think it was weird that there was no explanation why the soufflé needed to be ordered 30 minutes in advance to properly cook. As it came out I realized why. The soufflé was more like a molten lava cake. It was still very good, nonetheless, just not a soufflé. The last dessert was the Zuccotto ($8). It was a white sponge cake with light whipped cream and fruit in the center and every bite made me feel like I was in Italy.

Enzo’s has been around a long time now. It’s another testament to the growing sophistication of Central Florida’s diners. When it first opened, locals didn’t understand that what Enzo Perlini was serving was authentic Italian fare— most wanted to know where the spaghetti and tomato sauce were. Slowly, locals came to embrace true Italian food. Many since have enlisted a similar concept but few do it as well as Enzo’s did, and still does.

Enzo’s on the Lake
1130 S. US Hwy 17-92 | Longwood
(407) 834-9872

This article originally appeared in Orlando Family Magazine’s December 2017 issue.