At Blue 22, Asian-Americana
With an increasing number of Asian residents, the Quincy business district can seem like an extension of Chinatown. One of the newer restaurants is an "East meets West" hybrid, reflecting what the city has become. Blue 22 Bar & Grille offers an Asian twist on American standbys. It occupies the former home of Fajitas & 'Ritas, which was a casual Mexican restaurant. Brenda Lee and Elaine Leung both worked at 'Ritas, and when they heard it was for sale, they spoke to friends about operating their own place. Five of them went in together and opened just over a year ago.
Leung, who studied culinary arts at Newbury College, is the executive chef, Lee the general manager. The other three partners, all men, rotate shifts as managers.
The 83-seat restaurant is an attractive place with a young vibe. Like the owners, many of the customers are in their 20s and 30s, and the square-shaped bar is a magnet. Exposed pipes and vents lend an industrial look, but pretty lighting and comfortable booths soften the feel.
Blue 22 may feel a bit too casual for some. Our friendly waiter is really a bartender who is wearing a Patriots T-shirt and a baseball cap on backward. The food is casual, too. From the small plates menu, we order crab rangoons ($7.99), crunchy triangle-shaped shells stuffed with real crabmeat. Calamari ($7.99) comes plain, Cajun, or Asian spiced. We choose the latter, and are rewarded with a mound of crispy but very tender rings, salted and peppered and laced with bits of jalapeno peppers for an extra kick. The sriracha aioli cools the fiery tongue.
For a bite of pure Americana - no Asian accents here - try the Italian sausage sliders ($7.99), a takeoff on the popular mini-hamburgers. These round, zesty little sausages, three to an order, come on crusty rolls with sauteed onions and sweet bell peppers. They're so good that half a dozen would go down easily.
Thai coconut curry pasta ($11.99) is a colorful plate of linguini with broccoli, mushrooms, and red and green peppers. The spicy curry is cooled somewhat by the sweet coconut, and the earthy aroma and taste are redolent with turmeric and cinnamon. It's a delicious comfort dish on a cold night.
We love the taste of the pork ribs ($15.99), though the order seems a bit measly for a full rack. They're slow-smoked and tender, basted in beer, and glazed with hoisin barbecue sauce. Asian slaw comes on the side. Half-pound burgers ($8.99) are also basted in beer, juicy, and tempting. If you go, start with a Blue 22 martini, surely the bluest drink on the planet, East or West. BELLA ENGLISH 