Dear Emily, You Stood Me Up...

To: Emily@aol.com

From: Jon@aol.com

Dear Emily,

I sat waiting for you in Paci for 30 minutes before I realized you were standing me up. But at least I was able to find humor in it; projected on Paci's back wall was an obtrusive digital clock, train station style; the ticking hands advanced like a motion picture. Isn't that ironic? It was seemingly scoffing at your truancy and my singly situation.

Had you shown up, you would have been enamored by the room's cross-pollination of rusticity and modernity: a restored 1800's train terminal, spacious and airy with a high vaulted, open-beamed ceiling; exposed brick walls; seven chairs; and shopworn floors.  Trains choogle by, but that's hardly a nuisance.

While I waited expectantly for your arrival, I leafed through the wine list, keeping in mind your predilection for over-oaked California chardonnay. You probably would have been disappointed; the ill-produced wines you favor have no place on Paci's Wine Spectator Award of Excellence wine list. I, for one, was thrilled. It's about time you learn to drink fine wine.

So, when I finally realized you were not going to show, I ordered a glass to my liking,  the 2006 Barbaresco Asili, and I immediately fell under its spell of dark cherries, toasted nuts and dried flowers.

Perhaps at that point, half under the wine's spell and half still pining for your arrival, I ordered too much food for my lone belly. It was all very good though.

I imagined you having a blissful expression, as I certainly did, while eating olive crostini: little toasts, both tender and crisp, daubed with a kalamata olive puree and paired with a quenelle of tangy goat cheese to help cut the olive's brine.

Equally so, you would have loved the Gorgonzola salad, some of the greens were harvested from Paci's own garden. Lettuces  dressed with aged balsamic and extra virgin olive oil come mounded atop a thick slice of fruity, pungent Gorgonzola; a few warm, garlicky olives are scattered about.

Normally I would be uncomfortable sitting in a restaurant alone. It always gives me the pit seeing someone dining unaccompanied, let alone knowing I am that person. But I didn't mind. I enjoyed watching the moneyed and interesting clientele, but I was taken aback by one family who brought their two children, 2- and 4-years old; I couldn't imagine what the kids would eat in such a classy place.

The waitstaff were friendly and conversant, professional and timely. The chef even popped over to my table and elaborated on some dishes; the pastas are all handmade.

Eating the fettucinci made me think of tender flower petals drifting in a Tuscan breeze; they are that light and supple. They're dappled with caramelized onion and pancetta, a scent of garlic, glistening with olive oil. Equally light was the Atlantic black cod, so elegant it merely dissolved on contact with my tongue, leaving only its sake- and miso-marinated footprint behind.

Even eating dessert alone didn't bother me much. Of course it would have been much more romantic gliding the dense coconut cake through the espresso-chocolate sauce with you by my side. But I enjoyed it just the same. It was a gourmand's version of a Mounds candy bar.

So what do you think? Will you join me next week? If not for me, how about for the food? Let me know.

XO

Jon

Paci

96 Station St., Southport, CT; 203-259-9600; www.pacirestaurant.com

ATMOSPHERE: Exposed brick walls contrast the blonde wood floors, contemporary with a rustic charm.

SOUND LEVEL: An occasional train passes by, the acoustics are well-tempered considering the cathedral ceilings.

RECOMMENDED DISHES: Gorgonzola salad, olive crostini, Atlantic black cod, coconut cake.

WINE LIST: Fine Italian wines by both the glass and bottle. Paci's wine selection has been bestowed the Wine Spectator's Award for Excellence  since 1999.

PRICE RANGE: Appetizers, $11 to $16; entrees, $24 to $55.

HOURS: Dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m.

RESERVATIONS: Acquired by calling 203-259-9600, for reservations press "2".

CREDIT CARDS: All major cards accepted.