Chicken Piccatta at Joey's Restaurant in Chagrin Falls.David Farkas
Early this month, an out-of-towner posted a brief comment about Joey's Restaurant on the review website Yelp.com. It reads: "We stopped here on a whim while shopping in downtown Chagrin Falls. The staff were friendly, the food was delicious (the garlic knots could have used more garlic), and the atmosphere was nice."
I couldn't put it better myself, after two visits to the old-school Italian-American eatery. But because I have space for about 600 words, let me fill in between the lines.
Friendly: Eateries these days are making extra efforts to ensure customers feel at home. It's the upside of a down economy; congeniality rules when money is scarce (though it's hard to imagine a scarcity of loot in this tony town). Joey's is no exception. Customers, many of whom appear to be regulars, are warmly greeted upon entering and politely catered to at their tables. It's the kind of place where even a stranger easily falls into conversation with your server.
Atmosphere: Joey's, in business since 1980, is a classic of the genre. Red-and-white checkered tablecloths and burgundy-tinted candle holders adorn the two dozen or so tables. Kitschy paintings, photos, maps and yellowing restaurant reviews speckle old brick walls; fake plants in baskets hang from the ceiling. A fan turns overhead. The Buca di Beppo chain tried capturing a similar feel. Joey's is the real retro deal.
Delicious: You'll eat well, for the most part. Do not pass up Venecian Mussels ($9.35), a huge helping of plump bivalves in lusty marinara sauce that's festooned with shredded spinach and strips of salty capicolla ham. Given its size and the crisp piece of garlic bread with it, the dish could serve as a light main course. Generously portioned and very fresh side salads (which come with entrees) combine romaine, onion and grape tomatoes. Yet for just $5.95, I recommend two people split a Caesar Joey, a more exciting salad that features artichoke hearts, a snowfall of parmesan and creamy dressing.
Chicken Picatta ($18.50), two large pieces of expertly sauteed breast meat in a lemony sauce, is a colorful salute to the Republic of Italy, with its garnish of artichoke hearts, tomato and capers. Just as tasty is Veal Marsala ($18.50), a classic that features properly flattened cutlets and a well-seasoned sauce with mushrooms that some may complain isn't quite sweet enough.
Surprisingly, pastas do not dominate the menu, though nine are listed as "Pasti di Casa" and there is a raft of a la carte toppings, including meatballs, sausage, pesto, chicken and shrimp.
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Pasta Puttanesca ($18), a house pasta, is spicy melange of penne, sausage, diced tomatoes, green peppers and canned black olives (alas). Its most compelling component is the sauce, a deliciously oily marinara that tasted even better the next day at my house.
As good is Linguine With Clam Sauce ($16), a rich offering in which the noodles are tossed with minced clams, roasted red pepper and fresh basil. We opted for the rustic tomato sauce, though a "white" sauce is available.
Joey's bread basket wins kudos, too. It contains a cluster of chewy nuggets you pull apart to eat, as well as thick slices from a sesame-seed-topped loaf of Italian bread.
Not everything on the long menu works. Four tough discs of breaded eggplant ($6) are eminently forgettable. "Muddled flavors" is the only way to describe a portobello mushroom resting on a bed of orzo and stuffed with clams, spinach, bread crumbs and roasted garlic ($9). The spaghetti that is served as a side with meat entrees is flaccid and carelessly topped with barely seasoned tomato sauce.
Joey's bills itself as having "the added touch of a superb pizzeria." On both visits, plenty of customers cart big white boxes out the door. Yet the pie I sampled, a small Pesto Pizza ($11.50), lacks the bright hit one expects from the classic green sauce. Its slightly sweet and tender crust, however, is outstanding.
As for dessert (all $6), the sugary crust on one night's runny Creme Brulee ($6) was flecked with parsley: a mistake, of course, but one that might have been noticed before being served. Tiramisu ($6), on the other hand, provides an ending I can only describe as delish!
Tiramisu at Joey's Restaurant in Chagrin Falls.TASTE BITES
Where: 44 N. Main St., Chagrin Falls.
Call: 440-247-6085.
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
Prices: Appetizers, $3-$10.35. Salads, $3-$8.95. Entrees, $14-$24. Pizzas, $7-$17.25.
Reservations: Not required.
Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, Ameri can Express.
Cuisine: Italian-American.
Kid's menu: Personal pizzas, macaroni-and-cheese, chicken fingers, pasta, all $4.95.
Bar service: Modest list of mostly Ital ian wines, by bottle ($22-$55) and glass ($5-$9). Domestic and imported beers.
Accessibility: Good, though bathrooms are small.
Grade: * *
Ratings: One star means fair; 2 stars, good; 3 stars, very good; 4 stars, ex ceptional. (Zero stars: not recom mended.) Plain Dealer reviewers make at least two anonymous visits to each restaurant and do not accept compli mentary meals. Read past reviews at cleveland.com/dining
David Farkas frequently writes about food and restaurants. Reach him at food@plaind.com