Sunday, May 24, 2009

Pasta Pelican

Pasta Pelican is difficult to find and not a lot of activity going on around the restaurant. Since Chevy's is gone and that other Cajun/Creole restaurant was burned down, this area of the Marina Village along the Oakland Estuary is scenic, but lacking in personality. The views across the Estuary from Pasta Pelican reminds me of Newport Beach without the snooty attitude and much less property values.

The food of Pasta Pelican sounds delicious from the menu, but once it comes to the table, the flavors lacked in many dimensions. The flavor profiles were simple with little appeal. I ordered a portobello mushroom as a starter where it was topped with tomatoes, basil and cheese. It looked awesome when the server brought it to the table. I was excited to taste it since portobello mushrooms can be substituted for beef and has a distinctive, meaty flavor and texture. The mushroom appetizer was palatable, but there was no wow factor to it. The mushroom had some taste to it, but there was too much melted cheese on top where is buried all the other ingredients. The green salad the mushroom sat on top of, tasted better than the mushroom. I then moved on to a ravioli dish with a creamy, red sauce. The sauce was alright, you really had to work your taste buds to enjoy the sauce. The pasta, however, was a step above Chef Boyardee from a can. It was sad. A decent dish that tasted better than the ravioli, is no longer on the menu. Only people in the know, or if the wait staff is nice enough to inform you, is the curry chicken and pasta dish. The noodles were fettuccine noodles with a creamy, curry sauce with chicken, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms. At least the sauce had some depth to it and made you want to eat another bite. The fettuccine alfredo dish was also a bad choice. The sauce was not traditional style and had some spice to it, but not in a good way. The execution was poor and I barely touched the dish even though there was a huge portion that came out of the kitchen. I was intrigued by their pizzas, but I will make another visit to check it out. One positive item about this restaurant is their fresh garlic sauce for the bread. It is fresh, aromatic and flavorful. This is the only flavorful and free item on the menu.

This is a family friendly establishment. The water views were amazing and it's pretty to see the lights across the Estuary from Oakland. The food portions are large, but the flavors are absent.
This restaurant would make a great place for drinks and light finger foods.

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