Pompei in Paitilla

Safe Italian, says Bob

Pompei 79 d.c. is a small, family-owned and run restaurant that serves, as the name implies, fresh Italian food. The décor is simple but functional, the menu restrained and familiar, the service friendly and informed.

While my party debated their main course selections, I ordered the appetizers and our dining experience officially began with a toast to “good food and good times”.

As soon as the Eggplant Parmigianni ($7.00) arrived, the aroma of freshly made tomato sauce filled the air. Always a good sign. But, as we cut through a generous topping of melted cheese and began to eat, we discovered there was a rather spare portion of the featured ingredient, eggplant. The bite of the sauce mingled well with the cheese and had the eggplant been more prominent, it would have been a delicious dish. A platter of Smoked Salmon & Brie Cheese ($11.00) was quite good, though spare, and held few surprises as it was a rather straight forward selection. The Crema de Zapallo ($4.00) was a thick, rich and delicious bowl of soup redolent of both the deep flavor of the vegetable and its creamy broth base...definitely a table favorite. Minestrone ($4.00) did not fare as well. This is a soup that cries out for rough-cut vegetables simmered lovingly in a hearty broth with perhaps a bit of pasta tossed in for heft. Pompei’s recipe should be rethought. Bruschetta Classica ($5.00) was good, but lacked the punch I have experienced elsewhere with this humble appetizer.

The appetizer courses were uniformly good, but not outstanding, with the sole exception of the Crema de Zapallo. With that in mind, we looked forward to the main course selections.

Filet Mignon ($14.00), while not Italian in nature, was selected as it is a dish ordered by those not overly fond of Italian cuisine and their tastes should be sampled as well. In this case, it turned out to be a good-sized portion of meat, cooked exactly as ordered topped with a cream sauce and freshlyground pepper. Very good, nicely balanced, with a deep texture and flavor. Scaloppini al Vino Blanco ($10.00) featured four quite small, crisply fried escallops of veal with a sauce that imparted a bitter flavor to the dish. Perhaps it was a bit too heavy on the wine, or perhaps the wine that was used... whatever it was, I would have to pass on this dish.

Pasta Pesto With Shrimp ($9.00) redeemed the scaloppini as it was a delicious combination of al dente farfalle pasta, rich pesto sauce and juicy, firm shrimps. The Lasagna ($8.00), while erring on the safe side in the flavor department, was still enjoyable.

All of the desserts ($3.00 - $4.00) were quite good, with the Apple strudel with vanilla ice cream and the incredibly delicious Tiramisu outstanding.

Pompei is a safe bet for a quiet dinner featuring safe Italian cuisine. Personally, I feel the chef is holding back. Restaurateurs who challenge the status quo of what a given cuisine should or shouldn’t be are often shunned....but the rewards for diners who meet their challenge can be incredible. Everything at Pompei is there....the chef just needs to meet the challenge.