The Return of the Claw and More at Gleason's

I'm not sure why it took me this long to go to Gleason's.  Maybe it's due to the fact that I don't really like pizza even if the ones made at Gleason's are specialty flat bread pizzas and high class.  Or maybe it's due to the fact because the pizzas are specialty it makes me think that this place would be plagued by hipsters.

On Tuesday, X and Moodou paid us a visit and we decided to go on a foodie adventure for old time's sake.  You know, that's what we do when X comes around.  It's what we're supposed to do! Never mind we have yet to take her for Tea at Kathleen's Tea Room.  X, don't worry about it.  You saw nothing and you remember nothing about that.


Luckily for the hipsters, it was a quiet Tuesday afternoon and we went early enough that there was not much activity going on.  Maybe hipsters don't come out on Tuesdays and I am noting this for reasons you should not ask.

I did not get my Game of Thrones beer.  I wonder if it's on the menu still...

Is this when the Hipsters come about? Mental Note.  I'm making a mental note.

There are a lot of good-looking choices on the menu.  As I said before, I'm not big on pizza.  You'd think I'd be all about that, right? But no, I actually have to be in a mood to eat it and that mood comes rarely.  However, I had faith that the owners of Birdsall House, purveyors of the best brunch ever, (twice), would do right by opening up a pizza place.

There were so many good choices which is always a crime against X, but there were enough of us to order a good selection for sharing.

Although, as it turns out Moodou was not about the sharing.  It's cool though as I just took some of his pizza (the peperone with prosciutto cotto with herbs, mozzarella and roasted red peppers) away from him when he was not looking.  One day he'll read this and I will allow him to do something about it for taking food out of his mouth.  Come to think of it, X the Cookie girl is not so much about sharing either... did I even get any of your pizza, X?! I keed, I keed.

Birthday wine, since it was both X's and Luuuuiiiissssss' birthdays on the 19th. 

And why not, Birthday wine?

Some sort of cocktail thing with fresh strawberries and the like.

BooHead started with a tomato soup.  I'm not sure when he was all about a tomato soup but it was good.  Not as good as maybe Del Frisco's Grille but still very good.

For his pizza, he had the Meatball Flatbread - Veal, pork and beef; tomato sauce, Grana Padano and mozzarella

Luiiisssss had the Sausage and Rabe - Birdsall House pork sausage, broccoli rabe and Grana Padano

It was pretty good which was to be expected from Birdsall House's house made sausage but it was a bit on the salty side.

X had the Mushroom - Roasted mushrooms, creamy leeks, Mornay sauce, fresh herbs.  While I am not a fan of leeks due to their onion like nature, this was actually really good.  The leeks were not over-powering and the mushrooms were fantastic.  The flatbread itself was pretty well done - thin and crispy and delicious.  This was not the case on Boobey's meatball slice.  The crust was thicker and while tasty, it was a bit doughy.  I suppose though something had to be done to hold all those meatballs together.

For my meal, I went with the Orecchiete - Lamb ragu, red wine, rosemary, Grana Padano and whipped ricotta

If I could eat this again right now, I would.  Seriously...the orecchiete was so perfectly cooked, the lamb was tasty, the whipped ricotta was amazing when I blended it all in there.  ::drool:: H1! Get on making this for us, and thanks.

And H1 had the Bucatini - Arugula and walnut pesto, caramelized fennel and radicchio.  What's not to like? Look at that plate! So much green with the vegetables cooked well and not at all undercooked.  Every bite had a nice crunch to it.  It was lovely.

Though of course, no evening would be fun without the return of the Claw.

And what a claw it is.

We miss you, X.  But I'm not so sure the people frequenting Carvel will miss Moodou.  We miss him though.

Memorable Confrontations of the Evening:

Boohead (while in the car to Moodou): Stop talking!
Moodou (after thinking on it some, looking out the window then quietly turning to Boohead): You're stupid.
Boohead: I'm not stupid! I'm actually very smart!

Moodou at Carvels: No, I don't want you to have any ice-cream! (said to very select group of people who entered...::smh::)

Currently listening to: "Helicopter" by Bloc Party.  Hipster music while writing about a hipster eatery? I'm feeling sullied and unusual.