We arrived at Paparazzi for dinner, looking forward to some very good Italian food, only to leave disappointed.
The restaurant layout and atmosphere is very nicely done, and our table location was perfect. But, the food fell way short of our expectation.
We were informed that the Italian Chef is only on premises for lunch, and is unavailable for dinner. The owners wife, non Italian, runs the kitchen for dinner.
As an appetiser, I chose the fried calamari, asking first if it was fresh, and I was informed that it was indeed fresh. The calamari was chewy and the batter very ordinary, and I concluded the calamari had been frozen, and certainly not fresh as represented.
As a main course, I chose Linguini alla Vongole, again asking if the Vongole was fresh and alive, and if the pasta was home made. I was informed the pasta was not home made, but that the Vongole was fresh. The dish arrived with the Vongole small black pieces of flesh, and the pasta covered with far to much olive oil. Having lived in Italy for several years, I concluded that the Vongole was frozen, and certainly not fresh.
I can never understand why any restaurant cannot serve fresh food, or at least, admit that items are not fresh, especially when asked.