Joe Willys Seafood House- Fishkill, NY

Calamari

Joe Willys in Fishkill is a place we have driven past for years never really giving them a thought until one day we saw them on Restaurant Impossible. This intrigued us and I put them on my short list, unfortunately it took quite some time before we got there. What made me stop was that my friend Michele went there with her husband for their fifteen anniversary. When I asked her about it she said she liked it and that she would go back. Since I trust her tastes we decided to try them and I can say that we are certainly glad that we did. 

Shrimp topped salmon

We were greeted at the door by a very pleasant young lady who seated us. She was followed by our equally pleasant waitress who gave us water and menus. It took a few minutes to make our decisions so we started with the calamari appetizer at $10. It was a bit different from the traditional calamari rings as they cut the body of the squid into strips, bread them, and deep fry. Doing it this way is risky, but if executed properly the calamari has a crispier snap than the tentacles (and looks prettier). This was quite good.

I ordered the shrimp topped salmon at $19 and I liked it. The shrimp was actually small bits of shrimp in a puree that crisped up in the oven. The salmon sat on a bed of amazing mashed potatoes and spinach that was loaded with garlic and was excellent. My only comment was that the salmon was a tad overcooked for my taste, but I like my salmon a bit more rare than the average person. I am quite certain that I could have requested it medium rare. 

Shrimp Francese

Teresa ordered the shrimp Francese at $18. She had a choice of rice, pasta, or spinach and the spinach (the same one I had) was her choice. This dish was amazing. The shrimp was fresh-tasting and perfectly cooked with an addicting lemony taste that was just right. Both entrees came with a rather large salad as well. The house balsamic was quite nice.

Overall, a very lovely dining experience. The service was excellent. The food was amazing at reasonable prices ($50 for two entrees and an appetizer). The ambiance was nice, sort of a casual chic with people dressed up and others in sweat pants. We will certainly go back again as there are a few more things I want to try.