Posted on Thu, Sep. 11, 2008

Enjoy hip vibe, plentiful seafood at Pesca

BY ROCHELLE KOFF

The sign outside still says Caffé Blu, but for the past two months, the cozy restaurant on Las Olas has had a new name -- Pesca -- and a new owner -- chef Raul Navarro. He's waiting for city approval to change the signage, but that hasn't stopped him from making the place his own.

Navarro, who discovered cooking as a 12-year-old in Guatemala, honed his culinary skills on yacht charters and at Broward restaurants including Casa D'Angelo, Mancini's and Spazio.

With 85 seats and a hip European vibe, Pesca is a pleasant place to graze, listen to live music and have a glass of wine. Choose a bistro-style table out front, pet-friendly seating on a side alleyway or a more formal atmosphere inside with white tablecloths, candlelight and fresh flowers.

Even novices can easily navigate the reasonably priced, well-organized wine list. Navarro stocks 180 bottles, with 26 by the glass and six splits on the champagne list.

Given the new name, it's no surprise that Pesca focuses on fruits of the sea. In fact, all the appetizers revolve around seafood.

Our favorite is the ravioli stuffed with salmon and a hint of mint -- a special offered on both our visits that deserves a permanent spot on the menu. It's crowned with a delicious mango and red pepper sauce deglazed with white wine and chicken stock. A friend asked for more bread to sop up every last bit.

Ceviche is bracingly fresh, served in a two-piece martini glass with a mound of crushed ice on the bottom to cool the citrus- and chipotle-spiked red snapper, baby shrimp, bay scallops and grouper (if not available, tilapia).

Fried calamari and shrimp come with a trio of dips -- roasted red pepper purée with mayo and cilantro, honey-mustard aioli and tartar sauce. Shareable, bite-size seafood empanadillas are stuffed with jumbo lump crab meat, sliced green olives and cream cheese and served with aioli and tartar dips.

A rack of lamb special was excellent, fragrant of rosemary and garlic, juicy and tender. It was served with roasted potato wedges and asparagus with roasted red peppers and a flavorful medley of perfectly cooked zucchini, yellow squash and carrots.

We also liked the pan-seared scallops, plump and juicy, served with well-seasoned rice tucked into a wispy phyllo cup plus a tomato stuffed with Navarro's veggie medley -- all good. The chef usually flambées his whole yellowtail but on our trip he was out of the ouzo used to ignite the flames. The presentation was lovely, nonetheless, and the baked fish well-seasoned (the kitchen will fillet it on request) but just a bit dry.

Our biggest disappointment was the porterhouse special. Cooked well past the medium-rare we had requested, the chewy steak was not worth the $29 tab.

Our meal ended on a positive note with the chocolate mousse Navarro makes with Belgian milk chocolate and serves as three small rounds, as cute as petits fours: One is studded with chocolate chunks, the second is flavored with banana liqueur and garnished with diced bananas and the third is flavored with Key lime juice and garnished with bits of lime zest. Sinfully good chocolate lava cake and classic Key lime pie are other options.

For now, Pesca's starters and daily specials -- and desserts -- are most successful. There's room for improvement in a few entree staples, but friendly, earnest and enthusiastic Navarro is the kind of chef you can't help rooting for on restaurant-intensive Las Olas.