This latest venture by the team that launched The Tavern about three years ago is a tasty little Italian number in the CWE. With the same chef as at The Tavern, Parkway grad Justin Haifley, Cucina Pazzo revamped the old Duff’s spot and is packing ’em in with its intensely flavored Italian fare.
The emphasis appears to be on bold flavors, as everything we ordered was loaded with taste, but never overdone, starting with the ‘Sicilian butter.’ That’s a plateful of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping the complimentary foccaccia, and it’s dotted with crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese and mustard seeds—intense and delicious.
A starter of Pancetta di Pazzo ($7) came as two thick slices of slow-roasted, fat-laden belly pork, sticky-sweet with a maple and black pepper glaze. The texture—crusty on the outside, soft and fatty inside—was especially appealing. It came with a little ramekin of ‘apricot-cherry mostarda,’ a chunky relish that was both sweet and mustardy.
The pasta dishes are mid-sized—not the ginormous servings you might find in old-style Italian restaurants. But in authentic Italian style, these are i primi, or the initial part of a meal, meant to be followed by a smaller meat/fish course. Our Linguini with Shrimp & Clams ($17) had plenty of flavor—spice from the hot chili flakes, earthy pork fat from the soppressata and creaminess from the dairy base. The seafood in there was very tasty, blending well with the stronger flavors.
Maine Lobster Risotto ($16) was creamy, with nutty texture and pieces of asparagus, sliced mushrooms and big chunks of lobster. Delicious and satisfying, its drizzle of truffle oil was the proverbial cherry on top.
Stracotto ($19), beef shortribs with an apple-balsamic glaze, was a nice plateful of food, with its accompanying gorgonzola polenta and caramelized Brussels sprouts. Here again, there was no lack of flavor, especially from the polenta and its blue-cheesey dominance. I was especially impressed by the short ribs, which so often are too fatty to be enjoyed, but not here. These were that wonderful blend of tender, flavorful and meaty, enhanced by the slight tartness of balsamic vinegar. The Brussels sprouts reinforced that pungency with their mild bitterness.
Continuing with strong flavors, Chicken Madeira ($16) had a densely flavored wine sauce, rich and red and dotted with crimini mushrooms. The two chicken breasts were encased in prosciutto and fontina cheese, with appropriate restraint, adding the complexity of salume and dairy to the mix, without overdoing it.
Meriting a mention is the Potato Crusted Scallops ($32), because they had a wonderful basil bell pepper vinaigrette that imparted a sweet-pungent character and enhanced the natural sweetness of the bivalves. An unusual potato pancake (not unlike a giant latke) teetered on top of the dish, essentially pairing scallops with hash browns—a fun idea.
A dessert of Cookies and Cream ($8) offered the best of cold and crunchy, with its mini Tahitian vanilla crème brulee—very vanilla-y—and two almond cookies, two chocolate chip.
[chef chat] >> justin haifley
PEDIGREE | Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park
FAVORITE INGREDIENT | Pepper
FAVORITE LOCAL RESTAURANT | Salume Beddu
FAVORITE COOKBOOK | Mastering Simplicity by Christian Delouvrier
MOST MEMORABLE MEAL | A 17-course meal with chef Roy Yamaguchi at Per Se in New York
GUILTY PLEASURE FOOD | Chewy Spree
[amuse bouche]
THE SCENE | Lively urban trattoria
THE CHEF | Justin Haifley
THE PRICES | Starters $6 to $14, pastas $11 to $16, entrees $16 to $36
THE FAVORITES | Pancetta di Pazzo, Linguini with Shrimp & Clams, Stracotto, Maine Lobster Risotto, Chicken Madeira
392 n. euclid ave. | 314.696.8400
Photos by Bill Barrett
