Trattoria da Paccagnella is a serious eatery with minimal signage, few frills, well worn but well maintained surfaces, and very simple facade. Staff are friendly but you are there to eat and they are there to feed you. We were greeted warmly but not effusively and shown to a table. We had reservations but wouldn't have needed to on a Wednesday in late September at the 19:30 opening time.
We were given menus but not a wine list and were told that they will frequently pick the wine paring for the diners. I asked to look at the wine list and it was as extensive as any I saw in Italy with about 10 multi-listing pages, broken down by varietal. I decided to see what would happen if they chose the wine. We gave the things we wanted to order and stated a preference for a Chardonnay and a Ripasso. We were given 2 open bottles of cooled Chardonnay and Refosco, a northern Italian varietal I had not tried before, for the table . I tasted it and said to the server, "It is like a son of ripasso." He replied with a smile, "That's why I picked it for you." We were told to refill as many times as we wanted after we were served a 3 oz pour and that we would be billed based on how much we drank. Both wines were excellent and exactly what we hoped for. We both refilled once and our wine charge came to 9 euro. That was the best combination of flavor and value I have ever had. This place doesn't use wine as the usual profit center. They brought us a bread basket with two commercial packs of bread sticks and 4 twisted rolls prior to the meal but after the wine. Again, no frills.
We started with an antipasto of flash fried, pumpkin flowers stuffed with grilled vegetable flavored mozzarella di bufala. There were about 3 that were slightly larger than zucchini flowers with a tempura like egg batter and accompanied by 4 fried, 1/8 inch (3mm) thick, slices of zucchini, also in a tempura style. The visual impact of the flowers was blunted by the batter coating but the effect was a warm,crunchy, thin, coat around a soft, subtly, flavored cheese center.
I next had mezzi paccheri, a large tubular pasta, usually up to 2 inches (50mm) long, but cut in half for this dish served with a branzino sauce. Branzino is a dense white fish similar to sea bass that was broken down to shards for this sauce and served in what tasted to me like a reduction of vegetable broth. I cleaned my plate with the bread.
My wife had a spaghetti with mixed seafood, including 2 whole scampi, about 6 steamer clams, 2 razor clams, and about 4 mussels in a small tomato and roast pepper sauce. This was called "al misto scoglio" which google translated as, " the mixed stones." Both were pleasingly al dente with excellent flavor.
We followed with fegato di vitello, a thin sliced calf's liver sautéed in a beef broth reduction with white onion pieces. It was tender and flavorful with about 1 cup (240 ml) of meat pieces.
We finished with tiramisu, about 1 cup full (240 ml) which was more creamy than cake and with excellent flavor and an apple strudel with a vanilla cream sauce that was 3/4 inch (18 mm) thin by 2 inches (50 mm) wide by 6 inches (150 mm) long. It had a cinnamon roast apple flavor and the crust was light and flaky. The cream was subtle but moistened the strudel pleasantly.
Service was professional with the main server (also possibly the owner and wine chooser) describing the entire menu for the English speakers at each of the early tables and then answering questions about the dishes in fluent, efficient, English. read more
