Fresh Vegetables and More At Padavan's NY

You’ll find Padavan’s NY in the New Town development, located next to a sand volleyball pit.

When I walked in, it felt like a snug, local sports bar. The dining room is decorated with football helmets and jerseys, license plates, and ads for sponsored alcohol. Even the bathroom doors are decorated with giant cans of Jerimiah Weed. This isn’t a surprise, since the well-stocked bar dominates about a quarter of the dining room.

The open-air courtyard has about twice as much seating as the inside. You can choose between tables facing the volleyball courts or some in the fenced-in, semi-private bar area. While I’m a big fan of patio dining, considering the heat lately, I decided to enjoy the air-conditioned interior.

The menu has a number of items that are based on the principle of stacking one kind of food on top of another. For $10, you can get a “Skyscraper” with a dazzling selection of well-thought out things that will taste good stacked on top of one another. Cheese, chili, bacon, meatballs, french fries, sautéed onions, a fried egg and 10 other tasty toppings.

If you like the principle but want something a little less messy, you can have your skyscraper as a “Burger Dog," which is a burger chopped up with four other toppings tucked neatly in a wrap. 

Padavan’s also offers a small selection of sandwiches including chicken salad, a French dip and a meatball hero. New York-style pizza and the usual selection of fried appetizers round out most of the menu. However, Padavan's does have a small selection of carefully chosen entrées. 

I ordered the chateaubriand, which was toast points topped with a small steak smothered in mushrooms, onions and a Burgundy wine sauce. The steak sandwich came out well done, although I asked for it medium rare.

The slices of steak were still tender enough to have a decent texture. The mushrooms and onions on my chateaubriand were clearly fresh vegetables earlier in the day. Freshly sautéed mushrooms and onions are always a worthy delight. The wine sauce was too salty, though.

The unexpected hit of the meal was the green bean side dish that came with my entrée. I usually prefer my green beans tender-crisp rather than fully cooked, but these had a nice, mellow flavor accented by chopped garlic. Try substituting them for one of the fried sides, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

The thick, meaty chili with beans had just enough heat to remind you you're eating chili but not enough to make you feel like your mouth was burning. It was a nice balance. The hearty, stick-to-your-ribs texture was clearly designed to hold its own when topping burgers and hot dogs, but it made a very satisfying bowl by itself.  

My dinner companion ordered the Dirty Dog - a take on the Burgerdog that allows you to customize what you want from a range of 10 toppings. Her Dirty Dog came out with American cheese, although she didn't order it. The waiter said he’d remind the cook to do better next time. We were surprised he didn't offer to correct the mistake. 

Of the other toppings, she said the avocado was fresh, the mushrooms were clearly sliced right before being sautéed, and the sauerkraut added a nice, zesty tang.

Padavan’s use of fresh ingredients is commendable. I don’t see that often enough in a sports bar. A lighter hand with the salt, and I’d be singing its praises.

It’s a good local sports bar for people who live nearby. That’s not a bad fate, but it has the potential to be much more. I give Padavan's NY a C+.