Hot Dish Review

Opening a fine dining restaurant during the worst of economic times doesn’t sound like a smart business move, but somehow Pacci has survived and thrived. Perhaps it’s chef Keira Moritz who has gained notoriety and respect among her mostly male peers. Maybe its location in one of several new, trendy midtown hotels brings it the automatic business that hotel restaurants rely on, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner to guests.

Or, it could be that it simply kicks ass. It is fairly common knowledge that I rarely eat Italian food. But I acquiesed on this assignment for AFD because I liked that a successful female chef was running the show.

ST and I valeted the HotDishmobile last Friday and walked in to Pacci. There was Geno! How fabulous, I hadn’t seen him since his days at Spice Market. We sat newlywed style on a banquette with a view of the expansive and dark dining room, lit by sets of enormous globes that hung from the high ceiling, shaded by long black fringe. The burgundy velvet and wood tones of the decor are puncuated by light blue and cream jacquard armchairs, one per table. Elegant.

Geno started us out with a couple of specialty bellinis, one with vanilla liqueur and the other with passion fruit. Then he brought out an amuse bouche of butter lettuce with seafood salad, light and fun.

After some discussion, Geno recommended a wine flight for me….a trio of 2007 pinot noirs from Sequana Vineyard, each with a distinct character. I ended up ordering another glass or two of the spicy Dutton Ranch.

The kobe beef carpacio was our first course, dressed with capers, tapenade, and baby arugula. Their bread service was an assortment of crispy wafers, focaccia, and cracker-like bread sticks. Problem with that is, I love authentic Italian bread and would prefer to have that at an Italian restaurant, with sweet butter please.

For our second course ST chose the lobster and butternut squash bisque with creme fraiche. Smooth and creamy, I don’t recall any chunks of lobster but the flavor was rich, reminiscent of she crab soup.

Naturally, I ordered the duck confit. A perfect example of this cooking method, the meat was succulent, falling of the bones, while the skin was super crispy. Served over soft polenta with bits of gorgonzola and blackberry marmalade, it sounds like a foolproof combination. But somehow, the four main components were not integrated. I found the gorgonzola unnecessary and while I do love a sweet accompaniment to duck, perhaps the dish would have been even better with mascerated blackberries. Nevertheless, it was damn awesome.

Eating our way down the menu, next came pastas. ST tried the shrimp fettucini with creamy pancetta sauce, Spring peas, and a soft fried egg on top, a.k.a carbonara. Rich, rich, and delicious. I ordered the sweet potato ravioli (how predictable!). Four raviolis came topped with gorgonzola and speck with brown butter. Rich, rich, and delicious.

More? Yes. The pork chop with fennel, roasted yam, and pomegranate-basil pesto had my name written all over it. One of the best chops I have had in recent memory, very tender. Pesto provided a little Italian flavor, but it was the roasted yams, sliced into thin disks with crispy caramelized edges that were amazing!

ST got the dry aged New York strip, medium, with a side of cannellini beans. Big steak. Good steak. Guess what we had for breakfast….steak and eggs.

Desserts include the quintessential Italian tiramisu and panna cotta, but we opted for the straightforward sweets, chocolate strata and rum bread pudding. I cannot say no to bread pudding! Pastry chef Elizabeth Matheson’s version is baked in its own small casserole dish topped with caramel and a little dollop of vanilla gelato. Personally, I would drizzle the caramel on the hot pudding so it would remain gooey rather than on the cold ice cream, but no matter, it was fabulous. ST’s chocolate strata was a huge slice of chocolate cake layered with chocolate mousse, served with vanilla gelato. Pretty presentation, pretty chocolately.

We were stuffed! Despite a couple of minor complaints, Pacci made a great impression on both of us.

866 West Peachtree Street NW 678-412-2402

With an evening flight one never knows if dinner will be served. I booked my trip to Rio too late to upgrade so I was resigned to an overnight coach flight. Hense the drinks and stash of pills. Who the hell can sleep sitting bolt upright? After my extravagant meal at One Flew South, I didn’t really care if they served Spam and Twinkies.

So, did I happen to mention that I’m the luckiest bitch in the world? As I boarded the Delta flight I resigned myself to my lot for the next 9.47 hours in seat 24A. But there was someone seated there, he showed me his boarding pass with that assigned seat. Hmmm, baffling. I checked my boarding pass and it said 2F. Score! I had been bumped to first class. I love first class.

I sat next to a guy named J. We were greeted with champagne, about to dine like kings on real food. With real utensils. Along with a noise canceling headset, cozy socks, chapstick, moisturiser and other sundries found in the seat pocket, there is a menu. Passengers are asked to order while still at the gate, sipping champagne. I kicked off my Nikes and relaxed.

I know from experience that you get all of the appetizers, regardless which one you request. No matter, eat a bit of each. J and I ordered and proceeded to love the cream of asparagus soup. However, we were also presented with the cured salmon with seaweed salad and the greek salad of feta cheese, cucumber and olives with balsamic vinaigrette. Ten minutes later, the only thing that remained on my plate were the sliced cucumbers. You all know I hate cucumbers.

There were four entree selections; seared mahi mahi with lemon butter sauce, asparagus and paella rice, three cheese vegetarian spaghetti carbonara, or the grilled fillet of beef bearnaise with mashed redskin potatoes and sauteed green beans for the hot entrees, and roast beef, herbed shrimp with a deviled egg and grilled peppers and artichokes for a chilled choice.

J ordered the fillet which I’ve had before and is truly the best option, however, already laden with pork and still not feelin’ the fish, I opted for the carbonara. It was alright but J’s entree was much more photogenic (see above). He was one of those guys that doesn’t eat veggies so I ate a few of his green beans.

I enjoyed several glasses of the 2008 MontGras Carmenere Reserva from Chile with my meal. Remember….the wine glasses, although made of glass, are tiny, about the size of a tasting glass. J had a Coke.

Dessert offerings are always the same in first class….your choice of cheese and fruit with crackers or a standard ice cream sundae with all the fixin’s. Vanilla with chocolate or strawberry sauce, chopped nuts and whipped cream, garnished with a pirouline cookie. I usually get both but having already had a three course meal I opted for just the cheese and fruit. And more wine.

No sleeping pills required as I fully reclined, covered with my thin comforter and plush pillow. About 6.25 hours later J said “somebody got some sleep!” as I awoke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and bacon. Breakfast Miss P? Yes, please! Coffee, scrambled eggs (nuked,of course), bacon, and bagel or croissant (I had both), plus French toast. I could have had the oats of honey granola with yogurt or just fruit and bread. I could have had the whole lot had I asked for it. Did I mention that I love first class?

After a riotous week in Rio, a glorious get-away in Gloria, a brief love affair with Leblon, I was (almost) ready to go home. Sure, I’d miss the acai and the frango fritters, the agua de coco and the copious canned cerveja, but it was time to say goodbye to Brazil.

Would I, could I be so lucky on the return flight? 35G. As I made my way to the back of the plane my fate was sealed. Dinner was a choice of chicken or pasta. I chose the chicken served with gnocchi, a tomato-ish sauce, sauteed spinach, a small salad with a packet of Italian dressing and a cracker with cheese spread, and bread and butter. I paired my meal with a can of Miller Lite. A chocolate chip cookie in a wrapper for dessert. Classic.

Breakfast? I slept through it (yes, this time I had to take the sleeping pills and sleep curled up like The Bunny on the seat), however woke just in time to walk to the back of the plane and get the nuked croissant, banana, granola bar, OJ, and a coffee before landing.

I was dreaming of farofa and favelas….monkeys in the rain forest and men wearing yellow feathers in the subway. I was dreaming of Brazil.