1209 Caroline St
Josephine's restaurant exterior has an New York old neighborhood charm and that's why I had to stop in. The suggestion of authentic Italian food at a low price was an opportunity not be be missed.
The offerings were limited and not fancy but I have the preconceived notion that a limited menu meant the offerings would be great. How do you mess up the food you make day in and day out? You should be able to phone in a good performance. Nothing jumped out as appealing so I settled on the Veal Marsala at $18.
The dinner started out with a basket of sliced Italian bread and a saucer of olive oil. That was a welcome and decent start but it hinted of a low quality feel. Was it a precursor of things to come?
The entree arrived. The plate itself hinted of a large dinner. It took a moment for me to realize it. As Claire Peller might say, "Where's the veal? Hey, where's the veal?"
Drowned under the mushroom and brown sauce were two 3/16 in. thick slices of veal both of which could be covered by a standard size index card. The brown sauce was like a ubiquitous Midwest brown gravy. It was salty and slightly bitter and didn't hint at the Marsala sweetness. The veal was tender but bland with only the gravy providing surface taste.
I don't recall the name of the two fried balls but they were a cheesy pasty concoction that was rather pleasing. They would have been perfect except they were lukewarm, probably sitting under a heating lamp.
The green beans tasted boiled with a dusting of almonds or something similar adding a pleasant crunch.
If this had been a $5 lunch special plate, I would have been OK with it. However it was a $18 dinner. The service wasn't terrible but the waiter never stopped to ask how the food was, not even when I asked for the check. He knew and was either ashamed or apathetic. I think the owner has given up. If this is real Italian, I'll take Olive Garden any day.
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