Family Style - August 26, 2010

Fab dinner with fab friends last night at Edo's Squid. The family style concept in a restaurant is brilliant. The opportunity to taste not one, not two or three, but four deliciously creative dishes is divine! As is my typical practice prior to a restaurant experience, I read some reviews online to build anticipation. I learned that a lot of people didn't care for the family style delivery offered at this place and actually believed it to be somehow limiting. On the contrary - I think it is a lovely invitation to experience a variety of flavors, perhaps some of which you wouldn't otherwise order for yourself. Of course, the best part is just delighting with friends and ranking the plates after the fact!


As a newbie to this restaurant, I didn't know what to expect upon walking through the nondescript entrance and up a skinny flight of stairs decorated with the cleaning products that apparently can't be otherwise accommodated (weird, huh?). But it just goes to show that a food treasure can be found anywhere....and never judge a book by its cover...etc etc. The interior door opened to an inviting and earthy atmosphere complete with exposed brick walls and worn hardwood floors. Lucky us - we were seated at a corner table, which allowed for both cozy conversation and a neat vantage point of the restaurant.

After warming up with a nice bottle of Chianti, we started off with garlicky sautéed broccoletti with white beans. A splash of lemon (acid...of course!) played the perfect supporting role. Entrees included braised veal shanks that were as savory as they were tender, lamb sausage accompanied by polenta (this was frankly a little too lamb-y for me but turned out to be the fave of one our friends), beautifully prepared rockfish, and the restaurant's famous eggplant parmesan. I knew the last dish got me when I ate well past the point of comfort but just kept going anyway. No wonder it's famous.

The company, ambiance and cuisine made for a glorious date night. We will certainly be going back!

PS...as a follow up to a prior post re: turkey meatballs and marinara. The meatballs were moist and flavorful, but the sauce was drab and kind of tomato pasty. Is that a word? Anyway, as it was not entirely yummy, I will not waste your time exploring this recipe!