Wed 27 Aug 2008
Pair, in south Ravenna, is just adorable. Intimate, dimly lit, French country chic, beautiful but approachable servers, beautiful but approachable clientele, having dinner with a friend can feel oddly romantic.
Pair stands in the neat que of rustic northwest cuisine touting restaurants, and notes organic ingredients as a good student does.
But there at the bottom of the menu, a small squeak could not be ignored, “original mac and cheese still available.” This, of course peaked our curiosity and when we asked our server she replied, “We tried to take it off the menu and our regulars got really upset.” Well noted.
In addition to a beet gnocchi, we ordered a fava bean and arugula salad, and of course, the original mac and cheese.
A few bites into the meal were met with raw fava beans ( an ode to a classic Italian salad, but these favas weren’t ready to come out of their shell, mealy, chalky, and if I might add nasty on the digestive track) and beet gnocchi who’s flavor resembled dirt, but oh that mac and cheese! May I never eat anything again I can die happy! It was every thing mac and cheese should be, creamy, tender noodles, a light crust with parsley, both Lara and I looked bashfully at each other as we went for the last bite. Relishing over our favorite mac and cheese moments well after it was gone.
Lesson learned, read the small print on the menu.
