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Brian Pasch Expert Wine Reviews

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• 06-15-2008 - Restaurant Nicholas Our Top Pick
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Panama City - A Pleasant Surprise

Having never been to Panama I was not completely sure what to expect when I arrived on a five hour direct Continental flight from Newark. The city I’ve come to find out is undergoing a development boom as seen by construction at the airport, sightings on the way to the Marriot and a number of high-rise condominium projects advertised on billboards.

The city skyline is dotted with large office towers and luxury high-rise apartments; signs of strong commercial activity. The city has a diverse retail presence; high-end shopping with International branded stores mixed with local retailers selling low cost good to the masses. The busy streets are filled with mix and match taxis and wildly painted buses for mass transportation. A taxi ride in and around the city is about $2.00 which may seem cheap however the average retail store worker gets paid only $350 per month or slightly over $2.00 per hour. The country uses the US dollar for currency and prices in general will appear inexpensive for American tourists.

Interspersed in the city were areas that would best be described as shanty towns; the very poor mixed living in squalor. The class differential is obvious; the labor class has a standard of living at polar opposites of the business class. The city businessmen, living at standards at par with the US, do not seem at odds with this disparity; a similar reaction when I visited Ecuador.

The city has a charm to it and I never felt that I was not safe however I never walked the city streets at night alone. I found a wonderful new restaurant call “La Posta” which was owned by a New Jersey native who cut his teeth as a restaurant entrepreneur from Columbia. The wine, food and service were exemplary; a tribute to the warm personality of the owner David Henesy.

The wine that stood out on the trip was the 2002 Montes Folly Syrah. The wine was rich, concentrated and in harmony with itself and the food at the restaurant. I would recommend readers to search this gem out for their wine cellar. The wine “Montes Folly” refers to the owner's decision to grow Shiraz in Chile which was greeted with comments from the trade that he was a fool. Today, he has proven that he is the most talented winemaker from his country by far! To read more about the winery, click here.

I visited the Panama Canal which is an amazing feat of engineering. I stood in amazement watching large container ships move through the locks with precision and ease. The restaurant that overlooks the canal serves a forgettable buffet lunch but it was the only eatery at the site. Their wine list was very limited but I decided to try a Cabernet/Malbec/Merlot Meritage on the recommendation of the water which confirmed that the restaurant and the waiter had not tasted this poison in a bottle.

I will definitely come back to Panama; making a plan next time to visit the beaches and resorts along the coast. I have a feeling that investing in real estate will be a wise choice in the years to come as this country explodes with retiring baby boomers looking for an inexpensive Miami beachfront experience.

Brian Pasch - February 9, 2006

Marc Sherry & Brian Pasch

Sharing a great meal at Costa Azul

We enjoyed the catches from Day Two