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Phantom Gourmet: Prezo In Milford

MILFORD - These days, it seems as though people are mad for meatballs, insane for slow cooked sauces, and a bit obsessed with pasta. At Prezo Bar and Grill in Milford they make all of that Italian food you love with authentic, time-tested recipes.

It's all done back in Chef Tim Vaillette's kitchen, where there's a steady stream of sauté pans firing up tasty, traditional Italian fare that's cooked with love.

"He puts his heart and soul into everything he puts out," said General Manager Jessica Benoit. "He's just very innovative; quick on his toes. And most of all he will go the extra mile for the customer, and that's why we love him here."

While Tim works magic back in the kitchen, Jessica makes sure everyone in Prezo's dining room feels at home.

"I have one job: that is to make every single person that walks in this restaurant happy, comfortable, having the time of their life. My biggest goal every night is to make sure that each and every one of you wants to come back here for more."

Starters at Prezo feature some familiar items, like the crispy fried arrancini, as well as dishes you may not have seen before, like their Tuscan Style Calamari.

"We take fried calamari. We toss it in the tomatoes, olives, hot cherry peppers, little bit of olive oil just to get all the juices flowing," described Jessica. "It has that wow factor and that spice factor. If you like spice this is definitely a good appetizer to try."

An unlikely starter on this mostly Italian menu is the so-called Zang Zang Shrimp, an Asian inspired app that will make your taste buds say "Zang."

"We take 10 big juicy shrimp. We lightly fry it, and then we toss it in a Thai chili glaze," Jessica explained. "It is delicious. It's got that Thai flavoring, but still that crunchiness from it being a little bit fried. It's great for sharing."

Another part of the menu you're not likely to find at most Italian eateries is the Burger section. These half pound patties come topped with everything from pastrami and Swiss, to a huge slab of mac and cheese.

"We take our all beef half-pound patty. We put a thick, thick piece of mac and cheese right on top of the burger. And then we have apple smoked bacon. We have a garlic aioli on top, American cheese. It's mouthwatering. People see it coming out and are immediately like, 'What is that? I have to have that!'"

Of course, the Italian specialties are where Prezo really shines. There are thin crust pizzas topped with fresh meats and veggies, and a slow cooked Bolognese.

"We use pappardelle pasta. And what we do is we toss that into our Bolognese sauce, little bit of cream, lots of meat, and it is a very hearty delicious meat sauce," said Jessica. "People say you can judge Italian restaurants off their Bolognese and I'm telling you, you can judge us on this one and you'll be coming back for more. I assure it."

Seafood lovers will be satisfied by Prezo's Cioppino.

"We take haddock, calamari, mussels, shrimp and scallops; five different seafood items, toss them over angel hair with this zesty tomato broth," Jessica described. "So much seafood packed into one dish, and it has that little bit of a kick to it to kind of get your spices going."

Then there's the braised Short Ribs. For this dish, the kitchen gets creative with the help of some soda.

"What's different about ours? Root beer. We braise it in root beer. It really caramelizes the outside and just brings out the flavor of the dish. Fall apart, no knife needed."

Whether you have room or not, the folks at Prezo are going to bring the dessert tray s to your table to tempt you.

"The most popular by far is Chef Tim's homemade Peanut Butter Pie. It is to die for," declared Jessica. "You have a thick layer of chocolate. Thick layer of peanut butter, all made on an Oreo cookie crust and it is heaven."

Your Prezo experience will truly feel like you've died and gone to heaven when you get the bill.

"Most Italian restaurants, you're going to see big dishes but again big prices. We're totally different than that," said Jessica. "We have those huge big dishes, the large portions, but we have small prices. And you just can't beat that nowadays."

Prezo is at 229 ½ East Main Street in Milford, and online at prezogrille.com.

Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.

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