At Victoria in Groton, something for everyone and plenty of it

December 02, 2015 11:01 pm • Last Updated: December 03, 2015 11:06 pm

By Jill Blanchette

The Huarache with carnitas, foreground, and a gyro with sweet potato fries, background, at Victoria Family Restaurant on Route 12 in Groton. (Jill Blanchette/The Day)
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A Groton reader recently sent a email to The Day asking that we consider reviewing a new place in her town.

"This restaurant is family friendly," she wrote, "and the prices are good as is the food."

These tips often lead me to hidden gems worth recommending to others, places such as Friendly Thai, also in Groton, and Trixie's Bakery & Cafe in Westerly. Thanks to this Groton reader, to those I now add Victoria Family Restaurant & Pizzeria.

In terms of location, this shrinking violet shares an indistinct building with a sports bar in a bleak plaza on the east side of Route 12, between Gungywamp and Crystal Lake roads. It's across the street from Woody's Service Station and just south of the U.S. Naval Submarine Base main entrance. If it intended to hide in plain sight, it could not do a better job of it.

Our first visit was for breakfast on a Tuesday morning. Victoria serves breakfast all day but doesn't open until 10 on weekdays, so early risers are out of luck. We joined a handful of others in the light-filled dining room, where the burnt orange walls support a vaguely nautical décor and two TVs, both tuned this morning to "Let's Make a Deal."

We were warmly welcomed by our waitress, who dropped off menus and confirmed our desire for coffee, which she delivered very quickly, piping hot and freshly brewed.

The large menu spans several cuisines — Mexican, Italian, Greek and traditional American diner fare. We were tempted by the southwest and chose the Spanish Eggs Casserole, $7.95, huevos con chorizo, $9.95, a cup of grits, $1.95, and a side of corned beef hash, $3.50.

In no time, giant platters arrived. With the exception of the silky, soul-warming grits, which did indeed arrive in a small cup, the proportions were huge. The Spanish eggs came in a casserole of the size in which you might have served your creamed onions on Thanksgiving Day. The chorizo clearly outweighed the huevos and arrived next to a windrow of tender, mildly spicy rice and a lake of beans. In order to stretch out, the crackly crisp hash needed a dinner plate.

We'd clearly arrived in breakfast heaven.

The casserole was constructed of, from the bottom, a layer of fried potatoes, a layer of eggs that had been scrambled with fresh bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and tomato chunks, and finally a layer of cheddar cheese. The whole thing spent a hot minute under the broiler before it was set on a platter next to a softball-size, grilled corn muffin.

It was delicious. The vegetables were cooked enough to bloom their flavors and become tender, but not so much as to disappear into the eggs. There were just enough potatoes, and the gooey saltiness of the melted cheddar was perfectly complemented by the sweet, crispy muffin.

In the huevos con chorizo, the robust flavor of the tangy, mildly spicy, finely ground sausage spread through every bite of the eggs, with great result. The rice, so often a throwaway, was a perfect, tender, chewy backdrop for the chorizo. The beans were creamy and flavorful — TexMex 101 on a single plate.

It was so good, we took half of everything home and ate it again for breakfast the next day.

Later, for a late Sunday lunch, we explored the non-breakfast portion of the menu, everything from burgers and an open-face turkey sandwich, to lasagna, chilaquiles and even a moussaka pizza.

I stuck with the Mexican and ordered the Huarache, $11.95, a handmade, oval corn tortilla topped with pico di gallo, cheese, sour cream, avocado and a choice of meat — I went with carnitas, fried chunks of long-braised pork.

My dining companion opted for a gyro, $9.95, with sweet potato fries on the side.

We started with a cup of the soup of the day, pasta fagioli, $2.95. It was not traditional, but it was delicious. The small cup was loaded with creamy, white beans and big, ridged tubes of pasta. The soup was thick, its broth sweet with tomato but with a decidedly robust, beefy quality.

The gyro featured planks of tender, juicy, spicy ground lamb, onion slices, tomato chunks and shreds of iceberg dusted with oregano and drizzled with a tangy tzatziki, all wrapped in a steamy, pillowy soft pita. And surprise, it was big, a real two-fister. We missed the mint and fresh cucumber of the more traditional Greek staple, but like the soup, it was perfectly scrumptious. The sweet potato fries arrived hot enough to slow you down, perfectly salted and crispy outside while sweet and tender inside.

The homemade corn tortilla was the star of the Huarache. It was like eating a tamale that had been flattened and fried crisp on one side. Its toppings were fresh and generously distributed, including the carnitas, succulent, tender, juicy chunks of mild pork. It was marvelous, but next time, I'll order more pico or perhaps some spicy salsa on the side.

During this very busy time of year, if your string of holiday errands goes on much longer than you planned and the kids in the back seat are crying for nourishment, you'll find something for everyone — and plenty of it without breaking the bank — at Victoria Family Restaurant.

j.blanchette@theday.com

Twitter: 2Petunia