dining

One would think that Avenida Balboa, across from the Via Italia entrance to Paitilla, would be the last place where anyone would want to locate a dining establishment with outdoor tables. Too much traffic, and not only rush hour exhaust fumes, but when the wind is blowing in from the bay, the stench from the mouth of the Matasnillo River.

However, the wind doesn't always blow that way, and most of any given day is not rush hour. Moreover, the string of restaurants, bars and cafes on the ground floor of the new Multicentro shopping mall is well set back from the street and architecturally designed to be inconvenient for panhandlers and street vendors, and in any case each of the establishments offers the option of dining inside or outside. By and large, it seems that the outdoor tables serve as the smoking section for these places.

For this particular weekday lunch hour we chose the restaurant on the end, the Italian-Colombian bar and restaurant La Strada.

Neither of us are smokers, and although the day's drizzle had done much to suppress the area's sounds and odors, we chose the indoor, air conditioned ambience in which to do lunch.

Part of that ambience was a Nelly Furtado concert playing on their excellent video and audio system, with the Canadian diva played loud enough for people who wanted to appreciate the music but not too loud for diners to maintain conversations in normal voices.

I ordered chicken in a bacon and mushroom sauce, and the other participant in this adventure chose the pork chops.

There is a full bar, and there was an offer of a free cup of sangria with the meal in effect. But this was an occasion more suitable for wine, of which there were Italian and Chilean options available.

The meal was excellent. The chicken breast was pounded flat and grilled to perfection and the brown gravy with the bacon bits and mushrooms was just right. The pork chops were sliced thin and cooked crispy.

The service was prompt and the price modest.

Had we been in a different mood, there were a few Colombian entrees available on the mostly-Italian menu. Maybe I'll try one of those on a return visit.

Panama City has a lot of good Italian eateries, and La Strada should be added to the list. I do expect to be back.

However, I think that before that happens I will explore some of the offerings of some of the other establishments in Multicentro's indoor-outdoor dining and drinking strip. Maybe the steak house, or the Arab restaurant, or....

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