Pampano Restaurant New York

Pampano (Mexican/Seafood / Midtown East / $$$)
209 E 49th St (between 3rd Ave & 2nd Ave)
(212) 751-4545

http://www.modernmexican.com/pampano/index.htm

You’ll go far beyond burritos at Chef Richard Sandoval and tenor Placido Domingo’s high-end Midtown East Mexican, where the luscious seafood menu hits all the right notes; enthusiastic staffers and a sunlit second floor make the tab worthwhile. Pampano is Turtle Bay’s answer to upscale Mexican, if ever there were such a thing. Although most people associate Mexican with tacos, burrito and a certain Chihuahua, Pampano shows that the rich flavors and fiery sauces can reach new heights when delivered correctly. Inside the white-walled, curvaceous hall of the first floor, white linen tables rise above a patchwork of grey stone tiles. The atmosphere is a plush, luxurious, yet spiritually Latino décor. Up on the second floor, leaf-shaped fans churn above a beach-themed, wooden-floored indoor patio that leads to an outdoor veranda where diners can dine in the spring and summer.

The menu is revolves around seafood, using common types like lobster and octopus and less common fish, such as barramundi and pintado. Appetizers range in price from $10 to $18 and entrees from $24 to $33. Be sure to try the following signature appetizers: Pez Espada Ahumado ($14, smoked swordfish, tomato, onion, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, and tortilla chips), the Atun ceviche ($15, tuna, jicama, red onions, avocado, chile de arbol ponzu, and puffed rice), and the Huarache De Kobe ($18, seared kobe beef, black bean puree, onions, manchego cheese, and crispy masa flatbread). In addition, the following entrees are highly recommended: Merluza ($29, Chilean sea bass, roasted fingerling potatoes, tomato~olive sauce, and pickled poblano peppers), Costillas De Cordero ($33, Colorado rack of lamb, bacon braised beluga lentils, orange~fennel salad, and mint chimichurri), and Barramundi ($27, Austrailian perch, truffle boniato puree, crispy jalapeños, and roasted baby beet vinaigrette).

If you are looking for amazing cocktails with a Latin tint and cheap prices for the appetizers, try Pampano’s happy hour at the bar and lounge on Mondays through Saturdays from 5PM to 7PM. Botanas (“appetizers”), including the sope tasting, ceviche tasting, and Mexico City-style tacos, are only $5 and Latin cocktails, including margaritas and mojitos, are $6. The appetizers, especially, are an amazing deal, as they are normally over $10. In addition, try Pampano’s adjacent taqueria, which sells takeout inspired by the streets of Mexico. The Pescado taco ($3.25, sautéed king fish, flour tor tilla, napa cabbage, and chipotle sauce) and Chilorio tortas ($8.50, Mexican-style pulled pork) are incredible values and undeniably delicious.

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