[Newbiesaukee]

We like to dine out, it is probably a large area of our recreational spending. Ambience, service, food, the total experience is what we look for.

The early reviews on Lavinia's have been mixed. The place is lovely and IMO the changes that Luke instituted last year with mixed and more affordable menu choices was a positive. The problem was inconsistency in food preparation.

We went last night for the first time under the new owners. It does appear that at least some of the staff is still there. Overall, we had a very enjoyable experience. The criticisms so far on the Forum have revolved around portion size and price.

The new menu , which is online, is kind of a mix of old and new. There are small plates and entrees and enough choices for most people. There were no specials but it wasn't very busy and it was a Thursday.

The drinks were a good "pour" and were 8 and 9 dollars for premium liquor. The bread was excellent and came with grated cheese and a rosemary olive oil. Only one variety of bread was served.

We are not large portion eaters but the plates seemed full. My wife had the burger. Yes $16 is a lot of money for a burger but it does have a lot of good stuff on it and the fries were great. A lot of folks will shell out $16 for a pasta dish with a higher profit margin and not bat an eye. I had the chicken confit ($25) which was a large leg thigh perfectly prepared with herb spaetzles, rain bow carrots, braised cabbage, smoked onions. A full plate and all excellent. Whoever was in the kitchen knows what he/she is doing.

The desserts looked good and were in the 6-8 dollar range. I had a good espresso.

Kim, our server, was efficient ad knowledgable about the menu.

All in all a very pleasant dining experience. We will return. As far as consistency, that remains to be seen as well as performance when it is busy. A few fish/seafood specials would be nice.

At this point Lavinia's seems a good addition to the higher end dining scene.

I have no association with the restaurant but the early reviews have been confusing and many of the comments have been from folks who have not been to the restaurant.