Delicious easy vegetarian cooking and more!

There’s a small group of friends from a previous job that I meet for dinner every couple of months.  We take turns picking places, ususally no where too original.  I was glad when my friend Laura suggested Joia’s in Riverview Fl because it’s nearby and I actually was unaware of it’s existence.

With that said, I am usually very skeptical of any business that boasts the word “fabulous” in it’s name.  The term “fabulous pizza” makes me almost  cringe.  I”m a New Yorker and am pretty fussy about what is considered good much less fabulous pizza.

For a local restaurant it’s decor was pretty upscale with dark woods and red tones, fun chandeliers, and high backed booths.  It definately had the feel of both a festive or romantic setting which isn’t easy to do.

Now I’m not much of a drinker, I hardly ever drink at all.  Apparently my friends also are not impressed with martini’s because we drank water, tea and cola, so I can’t say anything about the martini selection.

We did not order pizza but I hear it is made with a thin crisp crust and is quite tasty.  The pizza selections looked interesting so I’ll have to go back for that.  Ultimately I ordered a NY favorite of mine Rigatoni ala Vodka.  My pasta arrived al dente, not at all overcooked which I liked.  The sauce was a light pink sauce with a hint of vodka and was quite good.  The serving size was not ridiculously huge but I have enough for today’s lunch.  I would not say their recipe is as appealing as my favorite Italian restaurant “The Laughing Cat” but very good and about 10 miles closer to home.

My friend Laura ordered the Egglant Parmesan which was a large portion served with spagetti and looked quite good.  It’s a selection that I will consider in the future.  Another friend had the Chicken Caesar Salad which minus the chicken looked very tasty although I always assume the dressing has anchovies in it.  Yet another friend ordered the Manicotti which actually looked pretty average but how much can you dress that particular dish up?  I’m not sure.

We did not order dessert but a couple of us walked past a table where people were enjoying some sweet concoction that looked wonderful.  We were instantly regretful that we hadn’t indulged.  Again, something to look forward to in the future.

While the overall service was a little slow, our wait staff was quite friendly and willing to help.  Personally, if I’m enjoying good company I don’t mind waiting a few extra minutes for my food.  Perhaps the extra wait is a sign that food is actually being cooked fresh rather than thawed and reheated.  Overall, I had a very enjoyable meal and will return again in the future.