If you’re one of those sensitive gastronomic aesthetes that get offended by large portions, you might want to just think of any entrée at Joey Garlic’s as a dinner for two. But if you consider a night out at a restaurant as a decent excuse to stock your fridge with leftovers for the next few days, this likable Farmington eatery should be on your regular rotation of dining options. Be warned, they take their name seriously. Lisa and I had a huge lunch there last week, and just about everything we ate was assertively seasoned with loads and loads of garlic. We thought this was great, but I suspect that some more sensitive palates might find the pungent punch to be overwhelming.
Joey Garlic’s bills itself as a pizza place, but it’s really much more than that. The setting is sort of lodge-like with lots of wood. Wonderful music piped over the speakers (Louis Armstrong sang Duke Ellington). Joey Garlic’s has wonderful Hartford and Connecticut culinary pride. Many of the dishes — apps, sandwiches and pasta — are loving riffs on well-known favorites from around the region. The pizza is thin-crust New Haven style, the eggplant fries tip the chef’s hat to Carbone’s, and a few grinders pay respectful homage to other South End eateries. (They even serve lobster rolls, in case you’re not feeling in touch with your Italian side.) This might all seem like a gimmick if everything wasn’t done so well.
If you’re still impressed by sweet potato fries, it’s time to try those eggplant fries (even though they’re really a little more like long sticks of eggplant tempura). They’re quite a treat, dusted with a thick coating of tangy grated Romano cheese. This is enough appetizer for two, easily. Still, the eggplant retains the faintest slickness, meaning that these fries aren’t likely to win over those poor souls who are constitutionally averse to eggplant.
A starter of clams roasted with ample garlic (big surprise), basil, plum tomatoes, olive oil and wine distinguished itself with the creeping heat of hot peppers. Usually I find pizza with more than one or two toppings to be bulky and sloppy, much preferring a streamlined, plain pie. But something about the pizza a la puttanesca got my attention. I’d never had a pizza with capers before. This was really superb. A perfect thin crust, with creamy blobs of fresh mozzarella, strategically placed anchovies, black olives, slices of hot red pepper flakes, a smattering of capers, a few bits of fresh basil, and, yes, garlic. Somehow the pie had all those ingredients, but it wasn’t remotely overloaded, unmanageable or floppy.
A sausage and peppers grinder — loaded with cheese — was a little more of a challenge to eat without some disassembling first. Still the mix of sweet from the peppers and spicy from the sausage served as a reminder of why the combo is timeless. A nicely seasoned sauce and sprinkling of sausage made the immense and cheesy lasagna enjoyable as well. Joey Garlic’s also touts its fresh-ground burgers, which can be customized with a huge array of toppings.
I sort of got things a little backwards; getting a little too excited when I saw milk shakes on the menu, I started off with one of those treats. And so I was stuffed sooner than I wished. But Joey Garlic’s thick chocolaty shakes make a perfect dessert, with ample extra served along side your glass in a frosty stainless steel container. And you don’t need to bother your waitress with asking, they don’t put garlic in the shakes.
*** Joey Garlic's
| Visit Us On | Share Joey Garlic's |
 |
|
