Greg's changes hands, but not its classic menu

GOUVERNEUR — Greg's is an unassuming, freestanding little restaurant in downtown Gouverneur that's been around for at least two decades.

We heard it was under new ownership, so I visited with three friends who had been there in the past.

Regulars take note: nothing has changed. Except, maybe, prices are up a little. But aren't they everywhere?

It appears to be the same menu that former owner Greg Petitto offered for years — pizza made with homemade dough, standard deep-fried appetizers along with some Italian-influenced house specialties, soups, salads and subs (they call them "Greg's Grinders"), hot and cold sandwiches, burgers and wings.

And it doesn't end there. Dinners include steaks, pork chops, chicken entrées, a smattering of seafood and a bounty of Italian favorites: lasagna, manicotti, baked ziti, stuffed shells, spaghetti and meatballs, homemade sausage patties, and the trio of Parmesan pleasers, chicken, veal and eggplant.

There's an extensive menu "For the little folks," too.

The restaurant itself is quite plain. You enter through a takeout area, the kitchen visible right behind the counter. Head to the left, and a hallway opens to a brightly lit, not-too-fancy dining room.

It's family dining, and in keeping with that theme, there's no bar. But you can get beer and wine.

Ordering two Blue Lights ($3 each) was an easy decision. Appetizers took a little longer. The majority was breaded freezer-to-fryer fare. I admit, we were surprised to see broccoli florets, green beans and sautéed mushrooms offered.

Italian seemed to be the restaurant's theme, so we tried the Italian sausage patties with sauce ($5.75). Good choice. The two quarter-pound patties were lightly grilled and smothered with a smooth, well-balanced tomato sauce they call "Red Magic."

Soups are made from scratch. There were four available the night we were there. A cup costs $3.25; a bowl, $3.75.

Minestrone consisted of a rich, smoky tomato base thick with ground meat, veggies and kidney beans. You could have called it chili soup, because it reminded us of chili — very hearty with a nice tangy flavor.

Vegetable beef was equally good — a rich, flavorful stock with a noticeable beef flavor, with lots of beef and barley and veggies, especially carrots.

French onion didn't quite measure up. It didn't look good and it didn't taste great, either. The usual crust of cheese on top had just about disappeared, melting into the croutons supporting it. The soggy croutons sank into the onions and stock. The stock was way too oniony — not a trace of beef or wine or herb flavor.

With the meals come salads, a simple plate of iceberg lettuce and shredded carrot with a wedge or two of tomato. The Italian dressing was oily and lacked flavor. Ranch dressing was its predictably creamy, buttermilky self. Blue cheese crumbles were actually grated blue cheese, a Gouverneur tradition that began at the Roma Restaurant years ago.

Greg's has family ties to the Roma. Carl A. Petitto is the new owner of Greg's. His father is founder Greg Petitto. Greg is the son of Carl Sr. and Lucille Petitto who ran the Roma from 1962 until it closed in 1997.

Greg is back in the restaurant business. He opened the new Roma Restaurant in Carthage, featuring his grandmother's original recipes from the original Roma.

But let's get back to Greg's in Gouverneur.

The Italian appetizer was so good, we decided to order predominantly Italian entrées.

The Italian combo platter ($13.95) gave us the chance to sample lasagna, manicotti, a stuffed shell and a homemade meatball. Lasagna was good, with a touch of sausage in it. The manicotti and shell were basic ricotta-stuffed pasta.

The meatball was excellent (a Roma recipe, no doubt), as was the tasty "magic" red sauce that covered the entire plate.

Chicken Parmesan ($12.95) was available with a choice of grilled or breaded and deep-fried chicken. When we learned that the breaded version was prefrozen chicken fingers, we chose the fresh, grilled option.

Several smallish chicken breasts were smothered with the wonderful red sauce. We were surprised that the chicken was a little chewy — small breasts are usually quite tender. The hot sauce melted the cheese on top of the chicken, causing it to practically disappear.

A large side dish of thin spaghetti was yummy good, drenched with the same sauce.

Eggplant Parm ($12.50) was a large portion of breaded and fried disks of eggplant. The slices were thick enough that the flavor came through the breading and the sauce. The edges of the slices had a nice crispness to them, even with the sauce covering most of the eggplant.

Delmonico steak ($17.95) — more often called rib-eye these days — was designated "choice," according to the menu, a step above supermarket quality.

For a superior cut of meat, it was a little more difficult to cut than we anticipated. But the flavor was there, and the kitchen sent it out a just-right medium-rare per our request.

Of particular note was the side of buttered broccoli, cooked perfectly, pliable yet still firm.

Desserts are not homemade, but are of good quality, with an average price of $4.50 each.

Bourbon pecan pie had a lot of flavor — a bit richer than your average pecan pie.

French silk pie was its predictable self, complete with fancy uniform chocolate curls on top. (Do you think there's a machine that makes those?) Cheesecake was quite enjoyable, enhanced with cherries and whipped topping. Carrot cake was OK, but it may have been sitting open in the fridge a bit too long.

All in all, it was an OK family restaurant experience, costing $102 for four plus two beers at $3 apiece. Service was generally satisfactory. Appetizers came out sporadically, and entrées arrived before we were done with our salads. Not totally inappropriate in family restaurant service standards, we figured.

And the verdict on new ownership is ... nothing much has changed. If you've enjoyed Greg's in the past, rest assured you're going to enjoy it just as much now.

You can contact Walter E. Siebel via e-mail: wsiebel@wdt.net.

Greg's Restaurant

Main and Rock Island streets

Gouverneur

287-4919

A family-owned hometown family restaurant specializing in Italian-American cuisine.

HOURS: 11 a.m. to "9 or 10-ish" Wednesday through Sunday.

For an appetizer, try the Italian sausage patties with tomato sauce. A good selection of soups-from-scratch available daily.

The Italian dishes we tried were all good: chicken Parmesan, eggplant Parmesan and the Italian combo platter consisting of lasagna, manicotti, stuffed shell and meatball.

Greg's homemade "Red Magic" tomato sauce is excellent, and plentiful on just about every Italian dish on the menu. It's available to go, too.

RATING: 3 FORKS