Would you expect a restaurant like Pazzo to confuse duck to beef and then become belligerent and insist that the two meats could resemble each other in look, taste or texture?\r
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I returned to Portland and the US in 2005. It was around that time that I first ate at Pazzo. It became a quick favorite for me and my family. So it was with happy anticipation that I brought another family member, new to Portland, straight to Pazzo's for a great duck meal. When the food arrived there was a corn cake (as described on the menu) and there, on top, was not duck but beef. We tasted it. It was beef!\r
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Not only was the meat beef, but it was cooked medium rare. This means that the food was not duck AND/OR the restaurant felt comfortable with raw foul on the table. The ""duck"" was showing very red everywhere but the brown ridge of the meat. That's right. It was cut in oblong, semi-uniformed slices. Sounds normal for duck breast? \r
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When we brought this to the waitress' attention she brought the manager to the table. The manager told us that the bloody, red meat before us was indeed duck. He insisted that this was how the duck is always served. After reminding the manager that I had had the same dish at least three times in as many months, he then tried to convince me that I may have forgotten what the duck was like at Pazzo. \r
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I also showed the manager and waitress that the sauce under the corn cake did indeed have pieces of duck in it. I asked the two to compare that meat in the sauce with the beef strips on top. At that point the waitress walked away while the manager still insisted that the bloody brown edged meat on top was duck. After asking him to try it, he disappeared and so did the plate of food.\r
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At that point I wondered, ""Why were we paying all this money to get worse service than we would expect at a truck stop?"" I haven't been back since.\r
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Disappointing and unnecessary foolishness. Poor show, Pazzo.
Pros: friendly hostess
Cons: arrogant manager, service
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