Test Driving A Lincoln Leads To A Night Out At Pastaga

I’ve been to Pastaga several times over the last few years but rarely for a regular meal. My first visit to the restaurant was when Newfoundland based chef, Todd Pellerin from Mallard Cottage was invited to take over the kitchen for a one-night-only offering of a modern take a few traditional Newfoundland dishes.  Since then I’ve dropped back for a snack and a drop of their excellently curated organic wines and a couple of weeks ago I returned for yet another one-night-only event – a test drive and dinner invitation from Lincoln.

The food at Pastaga, which is dreamt up by Chef Martin Juneau and his team, is consistently, if not overwhelmingly, outstanding. When I checked my email and saw that The Lincoln Motor Company had put together a dinner at the restaurant I said yes without hesitation. Cars are far from my thing and food is the only luxury vehicle on the highway to my heart but I figured the catalyst for the event to be a necessity. The test drive came smartly before dinner and as I ducked into the vehicle’s VIP back seats (I don’t drive – I get driven) I actually really enjoyed the short 5 minute ride (complete with massage seats!!).

Once the ride was over we bolted from the car and headed inside the packed restaurant. We were seated almost immediately and we chose our meals. I started with a slightly spicy squash veloute that was served piping hot and was smooth, flavourful and velvety on the tongue. For the main course I went the vegetarian route and chose a baked cauliflower dish that was topped with a nutty crumble. The dessert, like the rest of the meal, was superb. I chose a fluffy homemade dark chocolate mousse that came with a creamy caramel sauce. It was exactly what my sweet tooth needed to bring the night to a close.

For more information on The Lincoln Motor Company, visit their website here.

For more information on Pastaga, visit their website here.