The takeout menu hammers home the news: "Pizza Plus Restaurant is now
J Restaurant Bar. New LOOK, New NAME ... Same Great Place. J Restaurant Bar is Pizza Plus Restaurant, only BETTER."
OK, we get it. But we can't fault the owner for wanting to get the message out in a demonstrative way. Allow me to help. The homey, family-run pizza (plus pastas, sandwiches, salads) shop has pulled one of the most astonishing makeovers in the local restaurant community. Regulars have watched the gradual transformation from lovable ugly duckling to graceful swan under the sure hand of owner Jordan Dikegoros. "We wanted to scale up," Dikegoros said, explaining his need to take the grinder shop into a new direction to highlight the type of food Pizza Plus was capable of but not widely known for. "I didn't intend it to be a complete change. It just happened."
And how. Anyone who had only glancing familiarity with the property wouldn't recognize the slick being that was once a dowdy creature. Talk about night and day. One dining companion couldn't stop craning her neck once we sat down on comfortable chairs in the handsome bar. "I don't believe it," she said, having been to Pizza Plus over the years. "I just don't believe it."
Well, believe it. Dikegoros has realized his aim of creating a home worthy of his kitchen talents. J Restaurant Bar is a sophisticated restaurant with good service and an accomplished menu; it looks the money but doesn't put on airs (the Pizza Plus chumminess is there). Yes, you can still get a puffy crusted pizza that Jordan's dad, Nicholas Dikegoros, started making when he opened Pizza Plus in 1970. But you can also get something posh like Grand Marnier-glazed salmon or pan-seared teriyaki tuna with wasabi aioli over Israeli couscous. The latter dishes are what Jordan Dikegoros, who has been running the business for 22 years, had in mind when he decided to gut, strip and retrofit the family business.
The look: Handsome dining rooms in colors of baked clay; soft, mood-enhancing lighting. A long open kitchen is just behind the smart-looking bar. If you knew Pizza Plus, be prepared to be delighted and amazed by the transformation. It's a looker.
The vibe: Warm, inviting, friendly. We see business-suit wheeler-dealers, older couples dining in comfortable silence, girls'-night-outers sipping Cosmos, young groups of friends and younger couples who have divested themselves of the kids for a romantic night out. Everyone looks happy and well tended by the staff and the chummy J.
The eats: You can still get a signature salad and pie that made Pizza Plus a local mainstay. But you can also get a variety of pasta dishes (from lasagna to shrimp vodka to lobster ravioli), upscale entrees (salmon, veal, steaks, tuna, cioppino) and lots of Greek-tinged starters.
The damage: Starters, $9 to $13; salads, $6 to $21; pastas and traditional plates, $12 to $24; entrees, $24 to $34; pizza, $8 to $12.50; sandwiches, panini and wraps, $9 to $16.
Bottom line: J is A-OK. Actually, more than just OK; this is a stunning rebirth of a longtime Hartford favorite. See and taste the makeover for yourself.
J Restaurant Bar 297 Washington St., Hartford
860-527-7764
