Simple, Delicious Italian Fare with a Dash of Personality Awaits at Paesanos in Davis, CA

Dear Polite Travelers,

One of our favorite restaurants in Davis, California, Paesanos, offers simple Italian fare.  We tend to visit once a month, a tradition which began after my last birthday.  Since Davis, CA is a casual university town, most restaurants are as well.  So, even though Paesanos is somewhat casual, it is a step up from the usual $5-beer-with-pizza joints so common when students are in the mix.   Consequently, it was a no-brainer, special-event choice for a b’day dinner. 

Sitting in the Restaurant

Instead of outdoor or bar seating, we chose to dine in the main room of Paesanos for this special day.  The theme of the restaurant is eclectic, somewhere between old-style Italian and bohemian hip.  Pictures of Italy, especially Venice, adorn the walls.  Tables are tasteful, but not stuffy. 

Service was attentive but not pushy and I never had to wait for my water glass to be filled.   

The Restaurant Seating is Nice, but The Bar is More Fun

Although we loved our experience in the dining room, we also love saving money and interacting with others.  Luckily, Paesanos has a few tables inside the bar area so we can social distance—with masks—and enjoy happy hour. 

Just as attentive, the staff is friendly, talkative, and efficient.  By our third visit, Sam—the bartender, who also fills in as waiter—knew our preferences...and sense of humor.  

Delish American/Italian Dishes

On our first visit and hankering for a pasta dish, I chose Pollo di Modena Pasta.  Since I tend to like piquant dishes, the sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic reduction was perfect adorning the angel hair pasta topped with chicken, basil, Parmesan and toasted pine nuts. Yum. 

My dear hubby chose a meaty pizza with Sicilian Molinari Italian sausage, prosciutto, soppressata, spicy red sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, basil, and oregano.

We paired this with a bottle of Coppola Director’s, Russian River, CA Chardonnay.  It was creamy with stone fruit notes and just the right amount of acid. 

For our subsequent visits, we have tried a variety of pizzas, pasta, and several appetizers.  All were excellent.  Check out the following.

Capellini Pomodoro: Al dente Capellini pasta, dressed with heirloom tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil and dusted with parmesan.  I found this dish perfectly cooked and well-balanced.  Some restaurants use unripe or canned tomatoes which make the dish sour.  Some will compensate by adding sugar.  This was not the case here.

Spaghetti Carbonara: Al dente spaghetti with crisp bacon, cracked pepper, garlic, cream, and dusted with parmesan.  My hubby enjoyed this dish immensely.  He found the cream sauce delightful and not overly heavy.  But it didn’t agree with his older digestion. 

Tortellini Formaggio: Al dente cheese tortellini with chopped sun-dried tomatoes dressed with pesto cream sauce and parmesan.  It was simple but well-executed. I enjoyed this dish, but it was a tad rich for me.  As with my hubby’s experience above, please take this into consideration.  Alas, age is somewhat restricting.   

Prawn Scampi: Sautéed medium-size shrimp atop al dente linguine, with lemon, butter, garlic, crushed chilies, parmesan, breadcrumbs, and fried capers.  My hubby loved this dish, especially the plump shrimp and crunchy, piquant capers.

Greek Pizza: Fire roasted artichokes, chopped tomatoes, slivered garlic, roasted red bell peppers, pepperoncini, spinach, red onions, olives, feta, mozzarella, and oregano, with a sprinkle of lemon.

Our current favorite pizza!   This pizza is just plain, “YUM!”  The crust is the star here, a mix of chewy and crunch.  Still, the topping is magic.  The combination of flavors...well, it’s delicious.  I love pepperoncini, but my hubby can only tolerate a few.  So, we have them on the side.  All dishes can be altered per request.

Our Appetizers

Polenta Fries: Long rectangular fried polenta slices stacked atop greens served with balsamic ketchup and a gorgonzola sauce.  Loved this!  Upon first glance, I thought it would be too much food, too heavy and greasy.  Nope.  None of the above.  Each delicate piece was unbelievably light and crunchy on the outside with a creamy center.  The two sauces were a perfect complement. 

Fried Ravioli: Filled with spinach and cheese and served with a spicy marinara. Both this and the polenta fries were recommended by Sam as customer favorites.  As usual, he was right on.  Each ravioli was fried until crisp and lightly dusted with breadcrumbs and parmesan.  My hubby was concerned the spicy marinara might be a tad too spicy.  Nah.  It was just right. 

Bruschetta: Crisp slices of bread topped with mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, basil, and garlic.   Usually, I steer clear of bruschetta in restaurants because the toast can be hard.   But these were crisp and flavorful.  Devour them or they will get soggy. 

Will We Return?

Absolutely!  In fact, our next visit is already on our calendar.  And, I already have our meals planned.  For our next visit, we plan to try the Grilled Chicken Sandwich and the Meatball Calzone.   My mouth is watering already. 

Perhaps I’ll see you there!  Until next time, my polite travelers...bye. 

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