I regularly return to my parents home in Oakville at Christmas, Thanksgiving and any large family gathering which promises to be packed with tables covered in food and free booze.
I recently discovered that Oakville is also a great place to visit when your entire apartment floods and you have no place to live. I always love to pop by Whole Foods and watch the rich as they scan the aisles for the most expensive cut of meat or single carrot which is on sale at three dollars a stem. Oakville with its massive monstrosities on the water and plethora of flashy automobiles, knows how to eat.
Oakville’s Lakeshore Road is dotted with beautiful restaurants that cater to high rollers. I recall some of my friends in high school met their parents at a different restaurant (a different night of the week) on the Lakeshore strip after school.
So when I arrived on my parents Oakville doorstep with a frown and a small piece of luggage I was determined to take the family out to a restaurant which we had not yet dined. After a little research on international websites (www.com’s) I came across Pasquales, a little Italian restaurant west of the bridge (no one ever tends to eat west of the bridge as the sidewalks aren’t as wide). Considered “off the beaten track,” to much of Oakville the Dobson’s were prepared to adventure to a relatively new (and apparently very popular) dining establishment.
In my perusal of reviews I read many times that the “manager is the kindest person you will ever meet, he talks to everyone at the table,” as well as, “the food is simple and well prepared,” with warnings of, “make sure to make a reservation this place gets packed.” We arrived at 5pm without a reservation and were immediately greeted by the restaurants tall and beaming manager. He said the restaurant was fully booked for the evening but since we had arrived early we could have a quick dinner no problem.
We enjoyed:
Antipasto Per Due
candied figs stuffed with walnuts, cured meats, roasted peppers, grilled vegetables, olives, fresh apple, aged cheeses
Arugula
shaved parmigiano, tomato, extra virgin olive oil, lemon
Penne con Pollo
julienne chicken breast, white mushrooms, brandy cream sauce
Margherita Pizza
garlic mozzarella, fiore di latte, tomato sauce
