Pagliacci's

<2010-09-02 Thu>

No. 95

In online-reviews, Pagliacci's is a well-liked restaurant, but I don't understand why (at least at lunch time).

In the positive side, the place is one of the most interesting to visit. Every cranny is filled with a photograph or art work that is worth looking at. No matter where you sit, you cannot stop looking around.

This is also one of the densest restaurants in town. Your table is right next to another two or three. I don't mind it, and actually, I sort of like it. It makes it feel alive. Not only it has lots of tables, the place is packed all the time. It is not uncommon to have to wait for a table. I was there at 1:30 and it was still full.

I ordered their Chicken Chickadee. This dish is chicken breast served
on pasta, with a soup.



The soup was lentils, and it was ok. It had the acidity common in canned tomatoes; the parmesan garnishing was a very good accent to an otherwise forgettable soup. It was accompanied with slices of focaccia; unfortunately it was oily and very salty and I didn't enjoy it.

The chicken was served with a sauce made with shrimp and artichokes. It looked very good. As I usually do, I smelled it. And smelled it again. Something was wrong: I had to get very close to the dish to really feel any significant smell. This was odd. My brain was telling me that this had to smell, yet it barely did. Was my nose loosing it?

I started eating it and discovered that it not only lacked smell, but it lacked flavour. How in Earth, could they create a dish so rich in ingredients, and make it taste so plain? The only words I have to describe its flavour is frozen food. The chicken chickadee tasted like a frozen dinner.

The food was abundant. In terms of amount it sounded like a good deal, but it was flavourless. Why is Pagliacci's so popular beats me.

Verdict: Lunch that tastes like frozen dinner. Avoid.

Paid: 14 dollars + tip

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