Not to sound like a prude but I'm very particular about my tomato sauce at restaurants. There is nothing worse to me than dishing out $16.99 for a pasta dish covered in a sweet Chef Boyardee sauce! Not to say that Chef Boyardee doesn't have it's placed in our cupboard for a quick kids lunch, but since I'm not an 8-year-old child? I don't want it on my fancy pasta dish for an evening out!
I like my sauce rich and dark, with a little kick of hot spice, with not a hint of sweet to it! Family members have suggested many Italian restaurants to me, and the first thing I would ask is, how's the sauce?
Is it sweet? And if there's any hesitation in their face, I just tell them to talk to the hand!.Well not really, but when I'm in the mood for good Italian food, I won't even consider that restaurant no matter how much they rave about it.
Yes, I know this must sound confusing when looking for an Italian restaurant for an evening out, especially when 95% of all Italian restaurants serve the sweet type of sauce I'm not fond of. Well, I found a keyword in the title or category of the restaurant where I'm guaranteed to be served the dark, spicy sauce that I love so much and can't find anywhere else -- Clam Bar!
It might sound crazy but, 10 for 10 when I dine out at a clam bar, I'm always happy with the sauce, I'm not sure how seafood equals a dark, spicy tomato sauce?
But I'm just glad it does, up to this point!
That's why I am so happy I found Desy's Clam Bar
Desy's Clam Bar is a quaint family restaurant that seats four at a table but can accommodate larger parties. Parking meters on both sides of the streets makes it easy to find parking, and the large flat screen TVs will keep you up to date on all the latest news and favorite sports games.
One of the main attractions is their wall of fame! For a dollar bill, you too can be famous! Well, maybe not famous in the Justin Bieber sense and your name won't be light up on Broadway, but the wall acts as a who was here type wall. This way family members can see your name when they dine at Desy's Clam Bar. See if you can see my name in big black bold letters.
The walls are an exact match of the color of their dark rich tomato sauce I'm so fond of! And the rest of the restaurant's decor has a vintage New York feel to it! Desy's Clam Bar has a wide variety of delicious appetizers, seafood, raw bar, and pasta dishes.
But this is what I love the most
The three different sauces they give you to sample with Italian bread and fresh cut lemons befoe you place an order. This way you could taste and choose which sauce you would like on top of your entree. There's a mild sauce, which is the lowest heat possible, the medium sauce, which is their most popular sauce because it's just the right heat for all the spicy lovers, and the HOT sauce, for those of you who go for the fire and brimstone!
Their deep fried mozzarella is a meal in itself. I have had these with all three sauces and twice without sauce, I must say the soft, warm mozzarella surrounded by golden breadcrumbs is a table pleaser! The Italian antipasto! This delicious antipasto is filled with the traditional type of high quality Italian cold cuts, like Salami, Fresh Mozzarella, Prosciutto, and Provolone.Their house dressing goes great with the roasted peppers and fresh greens.
The fried shrimp appetizer with medium sauce and biscuit! This is one of my favorites. The shrimps are a nice size, and the breadcrumbs are toasty! That, topped off with the dark, spicy sauce I love, makes it my go to order every time I dine! You could also have it as an entree over pasta.
This dish is large enough to share with two maybe three people, so it's a must order when with a large group!
My favorite entree's at Desy's Clam Bar
Chicken parm with mild sauce over pasta! Thick chicken cutlets sliced and breaded in Italian breadcrumbs covered in rich parmesan cheese! This dish is delicious and very hardy. For those of us who made not be in the mood for an Italian tomato sauce type dinner. Desy's Clam Bar has some great entrees sure to please everyone! Like thick center cut pork chops with the bone, on top of bell peppers, onions, and potatoes! This is a men's type dinner, the portion is large enough to share, but after tasting this delicious dish, you may not want to?
The fried fish filets!
This simple but delicious dish will make any real fish lover very happy! Tender white filets of fish, deep fried to perfection with a side of medium sauce to dip in.
Deep fried shrimp scampi over Linguine! These medium size deep fried shrimps stay crunchy in the butter garlic scampi sauce. You can choose any pasta you would like. But I always go with the linguine, because it's hardy enough to hold up under all this flavor!
Spicy then sweet
In a spicy mood? Then try the fried shrimp with hot peppers, mushrooms, and potatoes! This is not for the light spicy eater. This entree will have you break a sweat after each delicious bite! But it's well worth it. After your mouth has been set ablaze with all the rich sauces and spicy ingredients, you will definitely want something cool and creamy for dessert!
Well, Desy's Clam Bar has a delicious three milk cake aka Tres Leches cake that will calm and please your taste buds! It's the perfect ending to a great dinner.
So here's my review! Great vintage New York atmosphere and for a buck, you can get your name on the wall of fame! You also get to sample their sauces before you order anything and I never had a problem finding street parking. But of course, these are all vanity, because if the food and service aren't good what good is it? Well, the good news is the food great, and the service is on point! So whether you're in the mood for spicy Italian or family size seafood entrees, Desy's Clam Bar in Williamsburg Brooklyn Ny, is the place for you!
