3411 Washtenaw Ave., Ann ArborA family owned restaurant situated in the heart of Strip Mall Row: Washtenaw Ave., Paesano's is a startling beauty amidst the Arborland Mall and the odd new complex containing the vitamin store and Jimmy John's and whatever else people who buy vitamins and eat at Jimmy John's in the same trip purchase. Truthfully, I've often avoided Paesano's just because of my twisted perception of it being difficult to get to (you know what I'm talking about, that damn middle lane where cars are always trying to merge eastbound and often cut my car off (a tad resentful)). I'm sorry Paesano's; it turns out that you aren't painfully difficult to get into and your parking lot is quite a bigger than apparent from the road (bonus points: as I get older, parking becomes more important, especially when the ol' hip is acting up).
An authentic Italian restaurant committed to true Italian lifestyle and culture; Paesano's sees itself as more than just a place to eat. Offering cooking classes, Italian language classes, wine education seminars and winemaker dinners, this place is a cornucopia of all things Italian. (or at least of all things regarding Italian language, food and wine - and possibly interior design, but not knowing anything about Italian interior design, I am not able to verify this for sure) If you are interested in this cornucopia, they've got a pretty good website (paesanosannarbor.com) where you can check out the menus, find out about events (just noticed the totally awesome Don Giovanni Opera Dinner!), learn about the staff and a few more neat little Paesano's bobbles. (Do you feel a positive review coming on? Just wait...)
My Meal: Coffee, Palate Teaser of zucchini mousse with mint and raw sugar, Caprese (fresh mozzarella, basil, tomato and balsamic reduction), House Salad, Grilled Garlic Pork Chop with spring onion barbecue sauce and chive roasted potatoes
My Cost: $40.81
Atmosphere: I'm going to refer to the style of the interior space (notice the subtle language change from normal to "snooty") as "quaint elegance." The main dining area is large but feels cozy, comfortable and modern without being gaudy (I totally love that I just got to use that word!). The room did not appear overcrowded (though all tables were occupied) and our table felt relatively private though we were seated next to other diners. The lighting was dim enough to mask the dirty jeans and the fact that I had not bathed that day, yet I could still read the menu without taking off my glasses (note to reader: I have very bad vision and will take away points from restaurants whose menu fonts are tiny and/or their dining rooms are too dark to see the silverware). I did get a chance to visit the restroom this time (Yeah Christy!) and found it to be warm, inviting and very clean with a fresh scent (bonus for the great photos of Italy (Check it out Jess E.)). Bonus points are also awarded for the sweet middle section of the ceiling with the rustic wooden beams and the Italian language class being taught to a table of customers by Salvatore Bisaccia while we ate.
Service: Lisa, Robin and I were served by Dani. Dani was okay. She did warm up after a bit, becoming more personable and funny. She was adequately attentive and answered all of my specific questions (thumbs up for this as it tends to annoy servers in some establishments - and that is why I test them out on it). I enjoy that she brought up the palate teaser (for free! I'm poor so that's great) and made me feel really special about it. Frankly, I really like feeling special. I do have to say, however, that I was a bit disappointed that she did not know what was in the palate cleanser and politely argued with me about the mint (I was right, not that I need to be right (but I was))
Rant: I understand servers at your local dive not knowing (and/or caring) about every product, but damn man, that is part of what you pay for at the "fancy" places. Step it up people! Get to work. Sorry, rant over.
I will give credit to all the other employees I passed on the way to and from the restroom. Everyone said hello and smiled; that must get tiring and I appreciate it.
Taste: Again we conjure my philosophical food dilemma and a possible topic to explore throughout this journey: I am picky and critical (some say hypercritical) about food. As I stated in my opening blog, I am required to ask my server what she/he recommends and/or what is popular. I am then required to eat said item and remain objective regardless of my personal feelings towards said item (remember hot dogs? they'll be coming, don't you worry).
So, I ask you friends, what do you do in this hypothetical situation:
Let's say we ask a server, we'll call her Dani for convenience sake, what she recommends. She immediately tells you the Grilled Garlic Pork Chop is great and states, and I quote(hypothetically, of course): "If there is one thing Isabella (the hypothetical chef in this hypothetical situation) cooks well is a fantastic pork chop." Okay, so you get the pork chop and find it to be the best seasoned piece of cardboard you've ever tasted. Great sweet and smokey barbecue flavor with a little bit of heat accentuated by the light flavor of fresh spring onions smothering all those layers of paper. What do you do? How do you remain objective (hypothetically) and not take double points away now that you have had your hopes and dreams of eating the best pork chop of your life so viciously dashed? I mean, imagine that this thing is like eating a fantastically seasoned phone book. Now, when I say phone book, of course I am referring to a small town phone book, but still! Could you bring your own phone book and pay half price? How do you cut through your phone book with just a steak knife. Clearly, I am disappointed (hypothetically). Am I an a***ole for expecting something remarkable when told I would get it? Am I being too critical just because she told me it would be great and then I was disappointed? Was it great and I am just too picky? These are questions I will ponder while jogging and playing sudoku.
Anyway, the rest of the meal was excellent in quality, preparation and taste, so I gotta give 'em credit. The ingredients were incredibly fresh, crisp and flavorful. The seasonings had a great balance. My coffee was even great and bonus points for having raw sugar! I highly recommend the balsamic reduction on the Caprese Salad and found my potatoes to be totally edible and actually tasty (not a potato fan - you will find that I am not a fan of a lot of foods and should possibly seek out other lines of work where I do not have to encounter such foods). Damn you overcooked pork chop! It would have been a stunner if not for you.
Value: Tough. Disregarding the pork chop, this was a great meal and worth every penny. Unfortunately, I cannot disregard the pork chop as it was my entree! Good seasonings, good products, a little rough and the pork chop cooking. I should have eaten more bread and drank more coffee to make up for the expensive phone book.
An authentic Italian restaurant committed to true Italian lifestyle and culture; Paesano's sees itself as more than just a place to eat. Offering cooking classes, Italian language classes, wine education seminars and winemaker dinners, this place is a cornucopia of all things Italian. (or at least of all things regarding Italian language, food and wine - and possibly interior design, but not knowing anything about Italian interior design, I am not able to verify this for sure) If you are interested in this cornucopia, they've got a pretty good website (paesanosannarbor.com) where you can check out the menus, find out about events (just noticed the totally awesome Don Giovanni Opera Dinner!), learn about the staff and a few more neat little Paesano's bobbles. (Do you feel a positive review coming on? Just wait...)
My Meal: Coffee, Palate Teaser of zucchini mousse with mint and raw sugar, Caprese (fresh mozzarella, basil, tomato and balsamic reduction), House Salad, Grilled Garlic Pork Chop with spring onion barbecue sauce and chive roasted potatoes
My Cost: $40.81
Atmosphere: I'm going to refer to the style of the interior space (notice the subtle language change from normal to "snooty") as "quaint elegance." The main dining area is large but feels cozy, comfortable and modern without being gaudy (I totally love that I just got to use that word!). The room did not appear overcrowded (though all tables were occupied) and our table felt relatively private though we were seated next to other diners. The lighting was dim enough to mask the dirty jeans and the fact that I had not bathed that day, yet I could still read the menu without taking off my glasses (note to reader: I have very bad vision and will take away points from restaurants whose menu fonts are tiny and/or their dining rooms are too dark to see the silverware). I did get a chance to visit the restroom this time (Yeah Christy!) and found it to be warm, inviting and very clean with a fresh scent (bonus for the great photos of Italy (Check it out Jess E.)). Bonus points are also awarded for the sweet middle section of the ceiling with the rustic wooden beams and the Italian language class being taught to a table of customers by Salvatore Bisaccia while we ate.
Service: Lisa, Robin and I were served by Dani. Dani was okay. She did warm up after a bit, becoming more personable and funny. She was adequately attentive and answered all of my specific questions (thumbs up for this as it tends to annoy servers in some establishments - and that is why I test them out on it). I enjoy that she brought up the palate teaser (for free! I'm poor so that's great) and made me feel really special about it. Frankly, I really like feeling special. I do have to say, however, that I was a bit disappointed that she did not know what was in the palate cleanser and politely argued with me about the mint (I was right, not that I need to be right (but I was))
Rant: I understand servers at your local dive not knowing (and/or caring) about every product, but damn man, that is part of what you pay for at the "fancy" places. Step it up people! Get to work. Sorry, rant over.
I will give credit to all the other employees I passed on the way to and from the restroom. Everyone said hello and smiled; that must get tiring and I appreciate it.
Taste: Again we conjure my philosophical food dilemma and a possible topic to explore throughout this journey: I am picky and critical (some say hypercritical) about food. As I stated in my opening blog, I am required to ask my server what she/he recommends and/or what is popular. I am then required to eat said item and remain objective regardless of my personal feelings towards said item (remember hot dogs? they'll be coming, don't you worry).
So, I ask you friends, what do you do in this hypothetical situation:
Let's say we ask a server, we'll call her Dani for convenience sake, what she recommends. She immediately tells you the Grilled Garlic Pork Chop is great and states, and I quote(hypothetically, of course): "If there is one thing Isabella (the hypothetical chef in this hypothetical situation) cooks well is a fantastic pork chop." Okay, so you get the pork chop and find it to be the best seasoned piece of cardboard you've ever tasted. Great sweet and smokey barbecue flavor with a little bit of heat accentuated by the light flavor of fresh spring onions smothering all those layers of paper. What do you do? How do you remain objective (hypothetically) and not take double points away now that you have had your hopes and dreams of eating the best pork chop of your life so viciously dashed? I mean, imagine that this thing is like eating a fantastically seasoned phone book. Now, when I say phone book, of course I am referring to a small town phone book, but still! Could you bring your own phone book and pay half price? How do you cut through your phone book with just a steak knife. Clearly, I am disappointed (hypothetically). Am I an a***ole for expecting something remarkable when told I would get it? Am I being too critical just because she told me it would be great and then I was disappointed? Was it great and I am just too picky? These are questions I will ponder while jogging and playing sudoku.
Anyway, the rest of the meal was excellent in quality, preparation and taste, so I gotta give 'em credit. The ingredients were incredibly fresh, crisp and flavorful. The seasonings had a great balance. My coffee was even great and bonus points for having raw sugar! I highly recommend the balsamic reduction on the Caprese Salad and found my potatoes to be totally edible and actually tasty (not a potato fan - you will find that I am not a fan of a lot of foods and should possibly seek out other lines of work where I do not have to encounter such foods). Damn you overcooked pork chop! It would have been a stunner if not for you.
Value: Tough. Disregarding the pork chop, this was a great meal and worth every penny. Unfortunately, I cannot disregard the pork chop as it was my entree! Good seasonings, good products, a little rough and the pork chop cooking. I should have eaten more bread and drank more coffee to make up for the expensive phone book.
Breakdown
Atmosphere 1 2 3 4 5
Service 1 2 3 4 5
Taste 1 2 3 4 5
Value 1 2 3 4 5
OVERALL: 4
Service 1 2 3 4 5
Taste 1 2 3 4 5
Value 1 2 3 4 5
OVERALL: 4
After all my pork chop ranting, I've got to say that I will definitely be eating at Paesano's again. It's a good Italian place with quality ingredients and excellent atmosphere. It feels like the type of place you go to when you want something better without having to put on the heels (though you could if you wanted). Great date restaurant or special occasion venue with friends and family. I'll just stay clear of the pork chop!
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