At Pascal’s Manale, famed uptown eatery with the funny name, fresh seafood is paired with robust Italian accents for a seriously tantalizing result. A sign on the door reads “proper attire required”—business casual—but once inside, formality is replaced by a familiar, friendly vibe. Diners are invited to have a drink before dinner in the charming wood-paneled bar and watch fresh oysters being shucked while catching up with neighborhood friends. Carmen Provenzano, Pascal’s sous chef for the past 12 years, meanders the dining rooms to check on customers when he’s not sautéing, roasting, or grilling.
I visited Pascal’s on a Friday night, when the bar was hopping with thirty-somethings unwinding after work. The restaurant’s busy hum lessened as I was seated in an intimate dining room, softly lit and elegantly simple. I started my meal with a sampling of appetizers and soon realized it would have been a sin to skip over them. The shrimp Dryads included thin, fried eggplant medallions topped with whole shrimp in a spicy vodka, cream, and marinara sauce. Try this dish even if you don’t like to eat your vegetables—the eggplant flavor is tempered by the crunchy texture of the rounds and the creamy, zingy sauce. As it turns out, sauce is one of the restaurant’s many strong suits.
The combination pan roast of pureed oysters, crab, and shrimp proved to be another successful appetizer. The buttery, stuffing-like creation is excellent spread on flaky French bread. For the less seafood-adventurous, the gumbo soup is light and free of strong fishy flavor. The focus is on the thickened broth and blend of meat and vegetable flavors. As for greens, the best is the chilled Caprese salad of sliced buffalo mozzarella cheese and giant Creole tomatoes. A sprinkling of balsamic vinegar and julienne basil adds the perfect kick.
The restaurant’s most famous entrée is its barbeque shrimp, which aren’t actually barbequed at all. The name refers to a signature lemon, butter, and spice blend splashed over the shrimp after they’ve been steamed. They arrive in a bowl of the butter, with the shells still on, but are certainly worth the effort of unpeeling.
Pascal’s puts its own spin on crab cakes, too. They are grilled to a deep brown and arrive atop a huge bed of fettuccine alfredo. The cakes are denser and softer than what Provenzano refers to as “Northern style,” which uses mayonnaise instead of egg to hold the cakes together. The pasta features another memorable sauce of cream and lots of cheese, with lump crabmeat throughout as a delicious surprise. This thick alfredo sauce contrasts with the cream and wine sauce on the crabmeat and scallops pasta. The latter sauce is lighter and thinner, adding delicate flavor to the seafood chunks and linguine.
After the richness of each appetizer and entrée, it was tough to find room for dessert. Provenzano insisted, however, and I’m glad he did. The pecan pie is hot and gooey, with crunchy pecans peppered on top and a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. The warm bread pudding was nearly indescribable, but “buttery” and “melt-in-your-mouth” come close to summing it up. Plump raisins dot the fluffy concoction and a sweet drizzling of sauce tops it off.
Appetizers, sides, salads, and desserts at Pascal’s range from $5 to $10. Entrees are available for $15 to $22. Prices are a little higher than the Maple Street restaurants students may be accustomed to, but the attentive service and atmosphere is well worth it. The restaurant is accessible to campus and provides a great excuse to dress up and go out. To sample all of the fabulous flavors, try ordering several appetizers to split with friends, and save room for dessert.
Bottom line: Pascal’s Manale enhances the freshest seafood with sauces and seasonings blended to perfection. The restaurant provides a warm, comfortable atmosphere and a menu to please any palate.
