So I heard about this place from my stepmom (of whom I really like - no kidding!). She knows I like food that most people avoid. Pickled tongue, smoked clams, sauteed chicken livers, fish heads and necks, bull testicles, etc. are all some of my favorite and exciting foods for me to eat - I like the unusual, and enjoy creative presentations of these oddballs. So, she was very excited to tell me about this place that specializes in GIZZARDS!!!
I was having a slow work day, and decided to road trip it on my wonderful Suzuki Vstrom - what could be better than an afternoon stab on the road to git me some tasty gizzards!?! I couldn't and wouldn't disagree with myself, so I hit the road. Two hours of back road meandering (the highway is too boring), and I arrived in sleepy little Potterville. I was pretty excited by the prospect of a place that touts gizzards as a major menu draw. Upon my arrival, mid afternoon, I was happy to see a Bell's Oberon special for $3 bottles, so I ordered an Oberon, and the Gizzard Sampler platter off the appetizer section of the menu. I imagine this platter is pretty popular for first timers at Joe's, for it offers four styles of gizzard preparation.
My platter arrived, and my waitress pointed out each quadrant of near identical appearing, but differently flavored gizzards. My expectations of greatness started to diminish when I realized the 'garlic' version amounted to someone sprinkling powdered garlic over the deep fried nuggets, not very promising.....Anyway, I unhesitatingly picked one up, dipped it into the red shrimp cocktail sauce (? why cocktail sauce?) and popped one in my maw. The first thing that I thought is "MUSHY". Oh NOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooo............
I read that Joe's pressure cooks the gizzards to soften em up, but jeezuss, but there is absolutely no texture to these gizzards - they're mush. And, after trying all four styles on my plate [it was impossible to tell if they were flavored differently, aside from the obvious use of old garlic powder], the breading used is identical. These poor gizzards have WAY too much breading on them, and the breading somehow manages a real rare trick - to be both a sponge for the deep frier oil, and be flavorless at the same time, and yet hermetically contain a watery juice from the gizzards to be released upon the first bite - squirty! Combine that with the mushy meatlets of the gizzards and you truly have a plateful of drech.
Joe's, I hope your fryer chef was hungover, or having a PMS attack, or even generally having a real bad day, and threw in yesterdays re-frozen pre-breaded gizzards for my dismal platter, for there's really no excuse for such awfulness. I'm at a loss as to how something so simple, and so potentially delicious, could turn out to be such an abject failure. Thank Crom! for my Bell's Oberon to wash the graveyard taste from my mouth. I really, really wanted to like these so much.
That said, I am a bit embarrassed for Joe's Gizzard City to place so much of it's notoriety on such a miserable offering. I'm shocked people actually like em. Can you tell I'm vastly disappointed? So, if you want to treat someone to a truly "memorable" meal, take em to Joe's Gizzard City, 120 W. Main in Pottersville!
I read that Joe's pressure cooks the gizzards to soften em up, but jeezuss, but there is absolutely no texture to these gizzards - they're mush. And, after trying all four styles on my plate [it was impossible to tell if they were flavored differently, aside from the obvious use of old garlic powder], the breading used is identical. These poor gizzards have WAY too much breading on them, and the breading somehow manages a real rare trick - to be both a sponge for the deep frier oil, and be flavorless at the same time, and yet hermetically contain a watery juice from the gizzards to be released upon the first bite - squirty! Combine that with the mushy meatlets of the gizzards and you truly have a plateful of drech.
Joe's, I hope your fryer chef was hungover, or having a PMS attack, or even generally having a real bad day, and threw in yesterdays re-frozen pre-breaded gizzards for my dismal platter, for there's really no excuse for such awfulness. I'm at a loss as to how something so simple, and so potentially delicious, could turn out to be such an abject failure. Thank Crom! for my Bell's Oberon to wash the graveyard taste from my mouth. I really, really wanted to like these so much.
That said, I am a bit embarrassed for Joe's Gizzard City to place so much of it's notoriety on such a miserable offering. I'm shocked people actually like em. Can you tell I'm vastly disappointed? So, if you want to treat someone to a truly "memorable" meal, take em to Joe's Gizzard City, 120 W. Main in Pottersville!
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