Paggi House

It was the midst of happy hour on a pleasant evening on a Thursday in March.  The valet was swift and complimentary.  The place was packed.  The outdoor areas were teeming with cool people drinking cool cocktails.  I eased to the back bar to meet my party who were enjoying martinis in a standing room only space.  I was able to quickly order a French 76 from their familiar bar menu with excellent drinks and apps for half off.  I was pleased that our bartender remembered me - he had served us before and we affectionately refer to him as “Eagle-Eye” (he looks like Eagle Eye Cherry – I don’t think he likes that nickname, but he humors us).  Shortly after receiving my drink some seats opened up near us so at least the ladies could sit while enjoyed our pre-dinner cocktail. 

I love the outdoor bar at Paggi House.  It’s got a trendy LA al fresco feel.  The drinks are tasty, the by-the-glass wine list interesting, and you can order from the full menu for a more casual experience than the formal indoor dining room.  Indoors the ambience changes drastically to a quiet, upscale experience where you feel compelled to commit to a multi-course meal and a bottle (or two) of wine chosen by their som.  But I love that too – I’m just not allowed to do it as often (although our bar meals often end up quite similar).   

The buzz of the pager indicating our table was ready was timely with our reservation, and we were seated in a desirable back table.  We immediately received ice water and our server was prompt with menus and a wine list.  Knowing Chef Stark’s affinity for fish and given the appealing first course choices, we opted on a white to start and a red for entrees.  Our host ordered a beautiful Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir that I’d never had before – an excellent, excellent choice and match for our food.  I chose a white Burgundy from Montrachet.  I later spotted the sommelier in the dining room speaking with other tables, but we did not see him at our table that night, although our wine purchases well exceed $200+.  Our server opened and poured both bottles.  I was very pleased that she brought glasses for both bottles at once and poured both.  Not only did it allow the pinot to open a bit, but we also could shift between the wines depending on our current food choice. 

As we chatted, we realized time had gotten away from us.  By the time our server asked to take our food order, we had already had been sitting with only our wine for 20 minutes or so.  During that period of time I felt compelled to ask for bread since I was ravished and we hadn’t ordered yet.  After requesting, the bread came promptly, and eventually the ordering process followed.  I appreciate that our server may not have wanted to interrupt the conversation, and thanks to our lively conversation at the table the recurring long waits between her visits were not obvious or troublesome, but we had been seated for a solid hour at that point. 

Appetizers were a tough choice because so many items on the menu sounded tasty.  I ordered the duck confit arugula salad with a poached egg, as did our host.  Ben ordered the sweetbreads, also with a poached egg.  Of course I’m the one who subtly suggested to Ben what we should order those items because those were the two things I wanted most to try.  And we are both suckers for goopy eggs.  Because our hosts had never tried marrow, we ordered one for the table to share.  While we were waiting on our first course, we nibbled on the crusty baguette with black salted butter. 

The appetizers were delectable.  The duck salad was dressed perfectly and the meat had already been shredded from the bone (there may have been just as much meat on the salad as on a leg quarter, but duck confit is one of the few things I actually prefer to get served on the bone.  It feels like more).   The sweetbreads were divine.  It was served as a larger chunk versus the usual small nuggets usually served.  Egg, toast, and a dark, rich, earthy sauce which I imagine was based in cherry or port wine.  Our companions ordered the duck salad and the Bella Verdi butter lettuce salad.  I’ve had the Bella Verdi salad before and it is simple and fresh.  The tender greens are the star.  The marrow was also a hit.  Our two marrow virgins both ate their fair share enthusiastically.  The bones were served split lengthwise and contained quite a generous amount of marrow.  The crostini was soft and garlicky, and the parley salad was not overwhelming sharp. 

The entrees arrived a bit later (quite a bit later).  Both were large portions.  Ben and I opted for the tea-brined duck breast and the cobia.  The duck was beautifully seasoned with the tea.  This was a duck that non-duck lovers would enjoy.  I loved the dish, but missed some of the pure duck gaminess.  It was paired with a soy quinoa.  A nice match with the tea-brine, but the soy was a touch strong.  My cobia was cut into thick cross sections after cooking which left a nice medium rare center.  It was a steaky but mild flavored fish.  The pairing of broccoli rabe gave the dish a nice intensity and contrast.  The fingerling potatoes were a bit too neutral.  We did also get a taste of our companion’s red snapper – fabulous. 

We had to stretch our wine to get us through our last bites.  We had to pour it ourselves more than once during the meal, and honestly if our server had appeared and poured more, we probably would have ordered another bottle.  Since we were all completely out before the plates were cleared, we initiated a request for the dessert wine list while they took the plates and we plainly stated our need for a libation as quickly as possible.  It’s no fun to sit with an empty glass! 

The menus came, and several desserts sound decadent.  We opted for the maple bread pudding and a cheese plate for the table to share.  Also a Hungarian Tokay and a colheita.  I love a good cheese plate after a meal (or before), and I’ve had them at Paggi before and have historically been pleased.  I was skeptical when the server described half of the cheese as coming from a cheesemaker in Houston (not in my mind an appealing cheese source), but they were quite good.  However, the plate was missing a soft, cream-style cheese and also did not have any type of blue or strong cheese.  The expediter did could not describe them when he brought the plate, but our server did a respectable, but basic, job of the names and sources.  She did not speak to the accompaniments, which were quite nice – my favorite is always the honeycomb.  And I ate way too much of the maple bread pudding. 

As the meal wrapped up and the plates were cleared, I excused myself to visit the ladies room and was pleased to run into Chef Stark out in the bar area.  We had asked our server earlier in the evening if Chef was in, but he wasn’t.  He had come back from a sake tasting and was in good spirits.  We exchanged pleasantries and we were able to introduce our guests to him on our way out, which made the experience more special for them. 

All in all, this was a very enjoyable meal.  Chef Stark is very talented and has put together some excellent combinations and preparations of quality ingredients.  My only improvement on the evening would have been the attentiveness of the server.  The wait times between server visits were a bit excessive, but with good company and delicious food, it did not negatively affect the evening.  Paggi House remains one of my favorite restaurants in town.