Busy, bustling and a friendly atmosphere

Jun 5 2009 by Katy Gordon, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

Busy, bustling and a friendly atmosphere

IT’S been a while since I have visited Paco’s in an official capacity and before a performance at the Concert Hall for the Festival of the Arts I decided to give it another whirl.

Walking through the entrance, for some reason, my elderly relative (who had accompanied me to the performance) and I were enveloped in a sort of comfort and homeliness which you rarely get in some of the magnolia-painted, stiff chaired and immaculately put together restaurants more common in cities.

Thankfully the ceiling fans were on full power, providing a cool breeze that was not intrusive, but definitely welcome.

Taking our seats, Elderly Relative was instantly transfixed by the walls, or rather the sports equipment and pictures adorning them.

“I like this,” she announced. “It’s all very interesting to look at these things from days gone by.”

But soon, the menu became the focus of our attention. A book (it is hard-covered and has several pages including old pictures) of culinary delights for us to pore over, with the most important pages at the front – the wine choices.

I opted for a cool Pinot Grigio, while Elderly Relative merely had a glass of water as she was the designated driver. Thankfully Elderly Relative has not become one of those OAPs who slow down with every year that passes.

After narrowing down our choices from the extensive lists of dishes and giving our order to the smiling waitress, the topic of conversation moved around to holidays.

“Have you got everything ready?” I said, as Elderly Relative is preparing for a trip to Italy.

“I have,” she responded. “I had some floaty jackets specially made and I did a bit of shopping last week so I’m all ready to go.”

As she was going through a long list of purchases made for her trip our starters arrived. My grilled goat’s cheese was fantastic. Two thick circles of cheese on a bed of rocket with some balsamic based dressing and cherry tomatoes. Well grilled and a great sized portion.

Elderly relative’s potato wedges were declared a hit, if slightly overcooked, and they were devoured.

Very quickly after, the mains were presented and our senses were given a real treat. Elderly Relative’s chicken fajitas were sizzling and smelled very tasty. But despite their success, in the end she was unable to finish them, much to her dismay.

My chicken breast stuffed with haggis looked, and ultimately tasted, gorgeous. It came with a Glayva cream sauce, the sweetness of which was a nice complement to the spicy haggis. It was accompanied by oodles of fresh mange tout, which hadn’t been overcooked and retained some of its crunch.

Paco’s was busy and bustling but despite that, the service never faltered.

There’s a great wide variety on the menu, with something sure to suit any taste.