It was my friend’s 21st birthday. She wanted to have a dinner in celebration of this momentous milestone, and she wanted to have it at her favorite restaurant. Sure enough, it proved to be a restaurant I had always meant to try, but had never gotten around to: Pazo, down in Fells Point. It is right around the corner from Ra Sushi, which I reviewed a few months ago.
The space is breathtaking to say the least. It is architecturally and decoratively spectacular. Cavernously composed, the restaurant is essentially one giant space. This unites diners in their Pazo experiences and allows for a view into the open kitchen.
In searching for a location for this dinner party, it proved difficult to find a restaurant that was willing to accommodate upwards of 15 people. Pazo not only welcomed us hospitably, but the staff also created a customized three-course prix fixe menu for $56 per person. For those of us with less ravenous appetites, we were able to split the prix fixe with a fellow diner.
There were three options to choose from for both the starters and entrees, and there were two options for dessert. Still recovering from the caloric intake of homecoming, a friend and I split the prix fixe. I was dubious as to how Pazo would handle this, but they followed through with great success.
Already on the table when we arrived was Pazo’s signature Sunflower Seed Tuile. The recipe can actually be found online, and it is essentially sweet crackers made of egg whites, sugar, butter and most importantly, sunflower seeds. There is salt served on the side to sprinkle on top of the crackers, which makes for a salty-sweet mix.
Before everyone arrived, the staff sent over complimentary samples from the tapas menu. We first dabbled in shrimp skewers. The order consisted of a plate of four skewers with a marinated shrimp and roasted tomato on each. Next was Pazo’s take on a mini-bruschetta. This is not your quintessential bruschetta of a seasoned tomato salad sitting atop a crostini. Rather, it was a small crostini dipped lightly in olive oil that held thin slices of salami. Perhaps the best tapas were the pork and veal empanadas. Small dumplings of thick, flaky dough were filled with chopped pork and veal. They were about three bites big and set the bar for the larger dishes on their way.
To start, we chose what is ultimately a cheese and green apple salad. Pazo calls it the Manchego & Manzana “2.0” made of sheep’s-milk cheese, green apples, dates and Marcona almonds. I would estimate that half of the table ordered this option. It was light, fresh and perfect for the start of spring.
Thin slivers of sliced green apples are mixed with small, delicately-sliced rectangles of Manchego cheese. Marcona almonds can be found throughout. There are a few shreds of what tastes like dried, sweetened dates sprinkled on top of the salad. Overall, it is a culmination of contrasting textures and flavors that somehow deliberately and deliciously balance each other out. The tart sheep’s-milk cheese against the “toasted” nature of the almonds, and the slightly sour-sweet green apple and sickly-sweet dried date is a flavorful powerhouse of fresh ingredients. It is a great option to start lightly and enjoy the flavors of spring. Other diners ordered this or a competing salad choice and asparagus soup.
In between the appetizer and entrée courses, servers brought over piping hot sliced loaves of thick wheat bread. They put an appropriate amount of olive oil on our bread plates to dip the bread in.
Next, the entrees arrived. For the entrée, we had the choice of a seasoned vegetable medley, Asian-fusion inspired seasoned salmon over fresh vegetables and hanger steak. My dining partner and I chose the salmon. If I could have this dish and/or a variation of it every evening for dinner, I would. A perfectly-sized piece of fresh salmon was plated atop mixed vegetables. The vegetables consisted of spinach, onions and green beans of some sort. Atop the salmon were long, thin tempura crunch pieces, which added a lovely “crunchy” texture juxtaposed against the smooth nature of the salmon. Best of all was the sauce. My best guess is that it is a light take on some sort of teriyaki sauce. Moreover, this sauce was undoubtedly mixed with a traditional savory flavor. The experimentation worked perfectly.
For dessert, we opted for hazelnut and chocolate bars with mocha ice cream. These were skinny, log-shaped bars filled with a crunchy hazelnut concoction and coated with dark chocolate. A candied hazelnut was served on the end of each bar.
On a typical Pazo night that does not involve a large party prix fixe, there is a diverse array to choose from. The restaurant boasts a normal dinner menu with the option of a prix fixe, or one can order off of a tapas menu. There are suggested wine pairings for each dish on both menu options. Highlights from the dinner menu include but are not limited to the lobster salad sandwich on a toasted brioche with avocado, bacon, and tarragon alioli ($11) and the kobe beef brisket ravioli with white button mushrooms and sage ($10). This restaurant is without a doubt one of my new favorites.
