5 PLACES FOR...
Meals with Garlic!
May 21, 2007
ctnow.com
A handful of locations serving up meals with lots of garlicky goodness.
Wood-n-Tap
99 Sisson Avenue, Hartford
(860) 232-TAPS, www.woodntap.com
White Pizza, $9.99
Sure, it's a ward against vampires, and consuming it can also have a number of health benefits. But when it comes to the pungent flavor of garlic, most people's tastes tend to fall into either one of two categories: Love It or Hate It.
I myself happen to love the taste of garlic, a lot, and firmly believe that just about any dish can be improved by adding some. I also happen to have a soft spot for white pizza. It's just like regular pizza, only hold the tomato sauce, go a little lighter on the cheese, and heavier on the garlic and olive oil (sometimes much heavier).
But I've also found that no two places make their white pie exactly alike. Some places spread on a pesto base to replace the tomato sauce. Some go very light on the cheese, to the point that there's hardly any on there at all. Others go heavy on the cheese, to the point that you can barely spot the crust underneath. And still others drown their pie under a barrage of spices, olive oil and garlic that overwhelms your breath and other flavors in the dish.
As for Wood-N-Tap's white pizza, the first thing I must note is the size of the pie itself. It was so big, it was practically hanging over the edges of my plate. Unless you order this pie with a hardy appetite, you'll probably need a buddy to help you finish it off. Or a take-home box.
I was also pleased to see there was a good amount of cheese on the thing (a combination of mozzarella and parmesan), but not to the point that it was smothered. The freshly sliced tomatoes on top added a nice touch as well, giving the pie more of a "traditional" pizza taste to it.
Although I could taste a strong hint of both garlic and oregano, neither spice overpowered any of the other flavors, and there was no olive oil dripping from the edges of the pie. When it comes to flavoring your food with garlic, less can be more. The Tap's offering is definitely going on my list of items worth ordering again.
-- DAVE MORAN
Ted's Montana Grill
500 Evergreen Way, South Windsor
860-648-1100, www.tedsmontanagrill.com
Springer Mountain Beer Can Chicken, $12.99
Ever since Ted's Montana Grill opened at Evergreen Walk a few years ago, it's been one of our favorite 'east of the river' places to get a drink and a bite to eat.
And we aren't the only ones. Good luck nabbing a table at Ted's on a Friday or Saturday night without first adding your name to the 30-minute-long waiting list. But the wait is worth it. Besides serving what may be the best house margarita EVER, Ted's offers a great atmosphere that exudes Western warmth and rugged charm. There's mahogany paneling and red-checkered napkins, pressed tin ceilings and paintings of big sky country, attentive waitstaff and dinner specials every night of the week.
If you can't get a seat fast enough in one of the restaurant's comfy padded booths, don't be afraid to plant yourself at the bar. The big buffalo head mounted on the wall presides over the action. You'll be able to catch the game on the flat screen TV or watch the cooks whip up your meal in the open kitchen.
My aim was to eat a garlicky meal and I found a good one listed among Ted's featured entrees. The Springer Mountain Beer Can Chicken is a breast, leg and wing on the bone basted with rosemary, garlic and Anchor Steam beer, then roasted. The meat is served with a big helping of Ted's heavenly garlic mashed potatoes, a biscuit, a side of brown gravy and the greenest broccoli I've ever seen. The light flavor of herbs and hints of garlic and hops permeated the chicken. It was savory, especially paired with the garlicky potatoes. It was also far too much to finish in one sitting.
With all the garlic in the meal, you probably shouldn't get too close to your dinner partner before popping a piece of gum. Or, you could opt to do what I do. Wash down all that garlic with Ted's tasty house margarita for dessert.
-- MARIE SHANAHAN
Hot Tomato's at the Taft
261 College St., New Haven
(203) 624-6331, www.hottomatos.net
Penne Fresca $15
Located next to the Shubert Theater in downtown New Haven, Hot Tomato's is a convenient place to grab dinner before taking in a show. The restaurant's two floors and full bar can accommodate large crowds, while still giving off an intimate vibe. Mirrored walls, tall pillars and dim lighting accentuate the atmosphere of classic architecture and modern furniture.
Style isn't the only thing this New American eatery has to offer either. With tons of menu options and drink choices, even the fussiest diner can be satisfied.
On the recommendation of a friend, I ordered the Penne Fresca. The dish is a combination of ziti pasta, light fresh tomato sauce, slivered garlic, fresh basil, and slices of fresh mozzarella. After one bite of the ziti, I was in heaven. Definitely not skimping on the garlic or mozzarella, this dish had tons of roasted garlic cloves and chopped pieces of cheese. The garlic added plenty of flavor to the tomato sauce, making every bite savory and delicious.
I couldn't even come close to finishing my penne, even though I wanted to keep on chomping. Just one suggestion if you decide to order the Penne Fresca. Keep a supply of gum or mints on hand because garlic breath is guaranteed.
-- RENEE TRAYNOR
Michael Jordan 23sportcafe
Mohegan Sun Hotel Casino
1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville
860-862-2300, www.mohegansun.com/dining/23_sportcafe.jsp
Garlic "go-go" bread, $7
On our way to Mohegan Sun for Justin Timberlake's concert, my friend Kat had one thing and one thing only on her mind. It wasn't the lure of JT's sweet falsetto, the quarter slots, premium martinis or the Swarovski crystal store.
"Cheesy bread," she repeated over and over, a woman possessed. "We have to get the cheesy bread."
Since I can hardly stand in the way of another's food craving, I agreed. The cheesy bread in question is the garlic "go-go" bread appetizer at the Michael Jordan 23sportscafe, situated next door to the basketball legend's famed steakhouse. Eight fingers of grilled, buttered garlic toast are stacked Jenga-style atop a pool of warm blue cheese fondue.
After my first taste, I instantly understood my friend's fixation. This meal starter is roll-your-eyes-back-in-your-head-in-ecstasy good. The sharp notes of strong garlic and salty butter melt into the thick and flawlessly crispy bread, joined by smears of the smooth cheese.
As if the fromage on top wasn't enough, we promptly dragged our bread pieces through the fondue bathing the plate. This was a surprisingly mild blue cheese that didn't overwhelm the garlic flavors, but rather added a luxuriously creamy texture. Calories be damned, we enjoyed every bite -- what we finished, that is. Though it killed us to leave the last two pieces behind, this appetizer was clearly meant for parties bigger than two.
Though we enjoyed the kicked-back, HDTV-decorated sporty vibe of MJ's café, we had a very important date. Before we made our way to the arena, we made sure we'd freshened up with Altoids and gum. We couldn't exactly bring sexy back with garlic breath, could we?
-- LEEANNE GRIFFIN
Cantina Café Ristorante
74 Court St., Middletown
860-704-0000
Shrimp scampi, $10 (lunch), $16.95 (dinner).
There's nothing better than delving into your pasta dish and coming up with a forkful of garlic. That's the case with many of the dishes at Cantina Café Ristorante in Middletown.
It's seems as though every dish we ordered, from the appetizer (broccoli rabe and sausage) to our dinner (shrimp scampi) was loaded, and I mean loaded, with garlic. Not just chopped up itsy, bitsy pieces of garlic, but whole cloves.
And we weren't complaining.
Unless you're specifically looking for Cantina Café Ristorante, you might miss it. It's in the basement of the Sons of Italy, a pretty non-descript brick building across from the courthouse in Middletown. But once you're down into the restaurant, it's as if you've been transplanted right into an Italian café.
Let's start right off the bat by saying Cantina Café Ristorante's portions are huge. The appetizers are enough to share with at least 2 to 4 people and it's pretty much a guarantee you're going home with dinner leftovers; enough to eat for lunch the next day.
My shrimp scampi was flavorful, served in a lemon wine sauce, with capers, garlic and large shrimp. It's served over angel hair pasta. Other pasta dishes include penne arrabbiata and gnocchi saltimbocca. Other dinners include chicken and veal dishes.
Although not mentioned on the menu, dinners come with a salad. But by the time you've eaten an appetizer and some of Cantina's warm bread, you might not want it. We so wanted to have dessert, but coffee and cappuccinos was all our stomachs could handle after our fabulous food event.
-- AMY ELLIS
Subscribe to the Hartford Courant today and receive up to 50% off!
|
|
E-mail story
