Lo Porto - Troy (NY)

2 /5 Jun Simons: Disappointing and overrated italian restaurant. Some of the most basic dishes, like the carbonara, were really bad, though there were a few decent entrees that maybe I would come back for some day. Firstly for appetizers, the bread and salads were good, the oysters were bad quality and needed a lot of lemon to be nice to eat. The calamari were somewhat okay, they had little flavor and a light breading. Perfectly edible but not comparable to good calamari at other restaurants. The entrees were where things got really inconsistent. The carbonara, one of the most basic staples at italian restaurants, was the most egregious dish of the night. The sauce was separating, and the heat in the pan was too high so it had lots of fried egg bits. Looked like something a college student might make in their dorm for a quick dinner, or as my friend said… it looks like a science experiment where you try to separate all the ingredients of a carbonara! The only real flavor it had was salt. There was no smooth creamyness like any decent carbonara would have. (Look at my pictures to see what i mean) The chicken milanese sauce was bad, tasted mostly just sour from the lemon, and was a mess of soggy vegetables and chicken on the plate. Chicken picatta was edible but similarly messy and not great, but it was cooked well at least Fortunately, there were a few good entrees. The eggplant parm was decent, and the mancotti had good béchamel. The red sauce used seems pretty standard, not sure it its jarred but likely is. The fettuccine con cognac sauce was simple and enjoyable with nicely done mushrooms. Im a fan of the big portion sizes, I feel like if the entrees were better it would be a nice place to come share plates. Unfortunately given the inconsistent food its a risk ordering outside of the basic red sauce pastas. Our male waiter had a bit of a strange attitude but was refilling our water, and i appreciate that they box the leftovers for you. The female waitress seemed nice and took a picture for us. Definitely disappointed by Lo Porto, its not the worst but I think theres better dinner spots for the price both in Troy and especially across upstate NY.

5 /5 Jeremy Gibbs: Probably the best Italian food that you’ll get in New York State. That includes taking a trek down to New York City, you still won’t find a better place than LoPorto. The atmosphere is old-school, the food is better than spectacular, the people, you feel like you’ve known them forever. If you’ve never been, or you’ve been questioning going, go! You’re welcome.

5 /5 Lynn Brandow: There are many Italian restaurants in the Capital District and this is the best. From the fried calamari and wonderful oil with basil, garlic, herb and Parmesan cheese for dipping bread started the evening perfectly paired with Pinot noir wine. Then we continue on to veal cutlet Parmesan with a sauce full of flavor. Others in the party had tried a variety of items and enjoyed all. Finish off with expressions and lemon mascarpone cake with berries. Excellent meal and service

5 /5 Scott Hall: The BEST Italian fare you will get literally anywhere. Old school, la famiglia! I literally cannot recommend it any more strongly. If you are in the area, it is a MUST visit!