Garden Grill :: 64 N. Country Road/25A, Smithtown

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We’ve finally ventured off the main strip(s) of 25 and Rte.111. We discovered this little cafe tucked away just north of 25 on N. Country Road. The Garden Grill Restaurant is a 120 year old Victorian Country Inn with a self-proclaimed warm and gracious atmosphere.

Jennifer ate:

Almond Encrusted Artichoke Hearts (appetizer) — ($9)
Fresh Mozzarella (appetizer) — ($9)

I’ve probably driven by this place a dozen times and never even noticed it. It’s clearly a converted house (just like our ZeroG offices!) and it really is very warm and cozy once you get inside. We were seated immediately and attended to quickly.

I’d reviewed the menu online prior to visiting, so I was prepared for how few vegetarian options there would be. I opted for two appetizers to make up a meal, the almond encrusted artichoke hearts and the fresh mozzarella. They were both presented on simple, square plates and were minimally decorated.

The mozzarella was layered with tomato slices, and decorated with too few of the tasty onions and roasted red peppers. The balsamic dressing on the side was a nice touch, and very tasty. Overall though, it was pretty bland. Neither the mozzarella nor the tomatoes were remarkably tasty.

I was surprised to find that the almond encrusted artichoke hearts were deep fried, especially since that was not mentioned on the menu. (If I had known I would not have ordered it!) And while deep frying can be light, like in the case of most tempura dishes, these were still pretty greasy inside. The almond crust was good, but the oil inside really diluted the artichoke flavor. The balsamic reduction was drizzled on sparingly, which is a shame because it was tastier than the creamy dressing served with it on the side.

All in all it was a decent meal. The service was fast, the food wasn’t bad, the ambiance was nice (the temperature was okay), and I would probably even go there again. It would be a great place to take clients. But for a health-conscious vegetarian, they have woefully few options.

The bottom line:

Almond Encrusted Artichoke Hearts – Kinda greasy, not enough flavor.
Fresh Mozzarella – Kinda bland, but okay.
Overall rating: It was okay. Not bad, not great. If you’re not vegetarian, and less picky about fat and calories, they have lots of options for you.

Chuck ate:

Well, Chuck did eat here, but he’s been “too busy” to blog about it. So you’re stuck with my review alone…