Restaurant Pazzo - 3.15.06

Today was supposed to have been spent, during the much latter part, in Wilkes-Barre attending an Aerosmith concert. But they canceled yesterday because of a "cold." So, we made plans anyway. Dad decided we should still do something "special" and not just sit at home like we would normally do, especially since a concert was now fully out of the picture and we had a good 8 hours to kill. Decided to go to dinner at a new place in Williamsport called Pazzo on 326 Court Street. The interior = gothic/gaudy/baroque with themes of jokers (like on playing cards) and diamonds (the shape) on the walls and seat cushions. I liked it very much. I had called yesterday to find out the prices, hours, and menu. Four to twenty-four dollars, open by 6pm for dinner, asian-cajun fusion, respectively. After being seated, the most delicious breadsticks are presented to you in a blue napkin-lined beer glass with a side of olive-oil that you pour, salt, and pepper yourself - how retro. The breadsticks have garlic (not overpowering) and salt on them...not to mention they are the perfect temperature of somewhere between tepid and luke. I had a simple Pepsi with a side glass of water. For some beginning appetizer, I asked for the Crab Bisque which was sweet, creamy, rich, spicy, and luxurious all at the same time...something I had never experienced in a soup. It was also a perfect portion for a cup of soup. Perhaps an exact 250ml even? For the dinner entree, I ordered the "Duck Roll", which was sort of deceptive seeing as how it comes in slices of the roll on a long Chinese-style plate. From the description, I had imagined the Duck Roll to be somewhere along the lines of an eggroll...it said it had somen noodles, cabbage, and grilled duck inside, with a side of spicy peanut sauce. I imagined it to be simple to eat: 1.) pick up with your hand, 2.) dip into peanut sauce, 3.) hoover it. This was, unfortunately, not the reality. What I was presented with was something much more regal than I thought would become of my meal (chopsticks, chinese plate, and square porcelain sauce dish), but the actual sustenance was unexpected: sushi-style rolls filled with somen noodles, shallots, cabbage, and duck. I wouldn't have been a problem, but NOWHERE on that menu had it mentioned nori (seaweed) being the composition of the actual roll...there WAS sushi on the menu, quite a selection of it too, so I don't know why it wasn't posted in that sub-category. It also wouldn't have been a problem, but the slices were too short and too wide for chopstick and too unstable (b/c of the somen and not sticky rice) to dip into the peanut sauce even with a fork. Anyway, the duck was VERY good and I beleive I prefer it over steak (but not chicken or turkey...NOTHING fucking NOTHING replaces chicken and turkey!). Nevertheless, it was quite delicious altogether, but I think I wouldn't get the duck roll again. I'm thinking that a combo of extra breadsticks and crab bisque would be sublime.