Mike’s Food for Thought

Besides owning Pets A Plenty, I am a foodie. I love to try all kinds of foods. I am also a wine enthusiast. I have been to all the wineriesaround the Finger Lakes, Lake Erie and to many other wineries. When I went to college to get my Business Degree, I wanted to open my own restaurant. Even though that didn’t happen, I love food and wine. I am always in search of the perfect meal. I have been to severalcelebrity chef restaurants such as, Lidia Bastianich, Emeril Lagasse, Todd English, Ming Tsai, George Perrier, Eric Ripert to name a few.I have been to so many Wine dinners, I’ve lost track. I’ve tried all types of food and I’ve had some amazing dinners.In this new column, I’d like to share with you some of my favorite restaurant experiences in the hopes that you too, will visit that restaurant and have a memorable meal yourself. We have a lot of great restaurants here in Cortland and the surrounding area.I dine in Cortland frequently and I have had some great dinners. I also like to travel around and taste what other cities have to offer.

This week I want to tell you about one of my favorite places: Pascales Wine Bar and Restaurant, 104 Limestone Road, Fayetteville, N.Y.I dine there often and the meals are always fantastic. You won’t find the normal items on their menu. Everything is delicious andbeautifully presented.They start you out with a basket of their bake shop breads and butter sprinkled with sea salt.On my last visit I chose the flatbread pizza as my appetizer. For the price it was almost a meal in itself. A pizza crust had smoked chicken, pears,pears, blue cheese, with a rosemary bourbon honey drizzle and truffle oil. For my salad course I chose the roasted beet salad. Beets wereserved with blood oranges, feta cheese, orange blossom honey and a walnut vinaigrette. Both course were full of flavor and delicious.My main course was Kobe beef sliders with stilton cheese, pickled red onions, balsalmic mayo and bacon. It was served with baby lettuces,crispy thin cut fries, and a homemade ketchup. The french fries were so crisp and were seasoned nicely. They were awesome.Desserts are fairly expensive at $7.50 but most are big enough for two people. I had the lemon tart in a shortbread cookie crust toppedwith meringue and served with mango sorbet. I shared my dessert but I could have easily eaten it by myself. Soooooo good. I highly recommend their desserts.

Dinner prices vary with entrees ranging from $10.00 to the one lb.strip steak at $24.00. The wine list is huge with a wide range of prices. Pascales has a nice selection of wines by the glass also. They also offer beer and a variety of cocktails.You can eat in the bar area or in the elegant dining room with the open kitchen. This is a first class establishment. Go to their websiteWWW.PASCALERESTAURANT.COM , check it out for yourself. The menu is varied with items you won’t find anywhere else. I hope you’ll try it soon.