Paesanos

Paesanos Restaurant Review:

Local restaurant tycoon Joe Cosniac has long served his brand of Italian with an attitude, and at four decades-plus, his Paesanos remains hip, happening (especially during late-afternoon see-and-be-seen sessions) and high-volume. The gamberi Paesano that was the signature dish at the original restaurant is still on the menu --- to remove it would incite the faithful to riot. But though we find that the Loop 1604 location is more prone to adventure, we nevertheless tend toward such dishes here as the lobster fettuccine in chipotle cream, the red snapper Paesano and the braised lamb shank with goat cheese polenta. Seared tuna on white beans is a heart-healthy option. And traditional palates can retreat to tortellini of chicken and spinach with tomatoes and cream or a dependable linguini with red clam sauce. The wine list isn’t trail-blazing, but it is deep indeed in both old- and new-world selections. The apple tart takes 20 minutes, so plan accordingly.