XiaoGou

Downtown New Britain is a culinary wasteland. A friend with an office there could always be counted on to select awful lunch delivery. It all changed when we found this place. Pizza is fresh and very nicely done. Grinders and salads are serviceable.

The real stand-out here are the Italian dinners. The red sauce is absolutely scrumptious. I couldn’t believe it. Another friend who was with us risked it and what a great pay-off! I ended up eating half of his lasagna the first time… then we drove to the restaurant later that day and ordered another, it was that good.

By all means get the meat balls — either on a grinder or as an addition to spaghetti or macaroni. Get the lasagna. To quote our gourmet friend “the spice amalgam is outstanding.”

It’s best to go there to scope out the menu. They don’t have much of an on-line presence. Peculiarly, the dishes posted here at menuism don’t have any relation to the current menu. (The pizza sizes/prices are incorrect).

“Famous” White pizza was absolutely delightful, with plenty of fresh ricotta cheese. Florentine Pizza is white with addition of some veggies and is wonderful. Meatball pizza with onions and extra cheese is also quite nice.

Forget the “Clam Casino” pizza, however. The bacon and the clams were chewy and lack-luster. The bread in the garlic bread is cheap pap; don’t bother. A hamburger was over-cooked but still just what we needed for a little one in our midst.

If ordering is difficult, ask for the owner or manager. They have employees who leave their brains at home, making ordering an ordeal, at times.