Cane Pazzo: A Mixed Verdict

I went to Cane Pazzo shortly after it opened and left underwhelmed. Since then, it has become hugely popular and well reviewed, so I was happy to give it another shot. I went back with some bright young stars in the Family Court Bar, ready to reconsider my opinion.

The bar area was loud, but we could hear each other, and the high-top was reasonably comfortable. Service was warm and pleasant throughout. The Season of the Witch and Backwoods Barbie cocktails were reportedly excellent. My N/A töst was a little too sweet for me, so I passed most of it to a younger colleague and settled happily into excellent unsweet tea, which was kept filled.

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The complimentary bread made a compelling opening argument. Straight from the wood oven, it had a phenomenal, flavorful char, a soft and pillowy interior, and a proper chew. The tomato butter was wonderful. I would go back for that bread.

Then came the pork belly, which had been cooked to the point of death. It took a steak knife to cut and considerable effort to chew. Nearly all the fat, and with it much of the flavor, had been cooked away. The fruit on top was nice, but the pork itself was a letdown.

My linguine had a lovely light lemon flavor, but the baby lima beans were so underdone they ate like little bullets. I left more than half of it. Noel’s risotto fared better: properly cooked, with nicely done squash, though it needed more seasoning to be truly good. Our other guest made the winning entrée choice with the lumache. The pasta was cooked properly, the bolognese had deep flavor, and all of us kept eating out of her bowl.

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The wood-fired okra was the best thing we ate after the bread and before dessert. The little local pods were tender, the pepper sauce was lovely, and a bit of cheese pulled it together. I ate a lot of it and did not share especially well.

Dessert gave the kitchen its strongest finish. The tiramisu was excellent, with citrus playing beautifully alongside the coffee. The olive oil cake with poached pears was just right, full of warm fall spice. Both were worth saving room for.

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So where did I land? I had a pleasant evening, ate several things I would gladly order again, and was never mad about being there. But a pork belly I could barely chew and an entrée I left mostly untouched are substantial misses. After two visits, I can see why people enjoy Cane Pazzo. I still don’t quite understand why they rave about it. My verdict remains: meh, with excellent bread, okra, and dessert.