Joe's of Avenue U in Brooklyn, New York: Restaurant Review

Joe's of Avenue U in Brooklyn, NY near Bensonhurst is one of the only Sicilian food eateries, or a Focacceria Palermitana, reminiscent of the snacking parlors of Sicily in NY. Joe's (the shortened version of the name as locals call it) offers a variety of Italian/Sicilian food and Sicilian specialties as can only be found at this type of specialty restaurant.

When you walk in Joe's it will seem like a Sicilian diner with its food case and register toward the front and booths lining the small interior of the restaurant. However, the food is anything but diner-like. The smell of the fried panelles immediately hits you, a smell unlike any other but for those who frequent Joe's, a familiar a smell as their grandmother's sauce. You can order from the one sided paper menus that also serve as placemats or take your pick from the mouth watering selections right in the food case you walk by to get to your seat. Tray upon tray of vegetables and salads such as string beans, escarole, stuffed artichokes, chunky caponata (eggplant) sit next to fish and seafood such as polpo (octopus salad), salt cod, snapper and calamari and other delicacies such as trippa (tripe) or eggplant parmigiano.

Joe's of Avenue U though is perhaps best known for its Sicilian specialties, such as Vastedda (fried cheese and spleen), Rice ball, Panelles, Panelle Special, potato croquettes or the Rice Ball Special. Those who frequent Joe's won't even look at a menu but order one (or more) of these hard to get elsewhere items from memory.