Gallus: An Unlikely Table, an Unforgettable Meal
Gallus Handcrafted Pasta sits inside Waterbury's old Grist Mill, a building many Vermonters still remember as the original home of Hen of the Wood…and before that, The Mist Grill. Hen of the Wood has since moved to its own new spot in town, and Gallus took over the mill, part of the same restaurant group behind Prohibition Pig, Doc Ponds and both Hen locations, all under chef Eric Warnstedt.
Before we get to the meal itself, there's one little story worth sharing. Years ago, on a Valentine's Day we badly mistimed, we called Hen of the Wood on a whim with no reservation. They told us that the only table they had left was a strange little two-top, more of a side-by-side perch than a proper table, and they weren’t sure what we’d think of it.
We took it anyway, and it turned out to be tucked in the corner overlooking the river, with big windows framing the snow outside…we thought it was one of the most romantic seats in Waterbury, and we'd found it by accident. And this time, with a last-minute reservation at Gallus, we were delighted to wind up right back at that same table.
We were back in Waterbury last week following an event, excited for an excuse to visit one of their fabulous restaurants, and we were hungry. We kicked off with the Caesar, which came dressed perfectly, with leaves nearly buried under a thick scatter of breadcrumbs and grated egg. The Gnocco Fritto was an unexpected combination of fried dough pillows draped with folds of mortadella and pistachios, with honey drizzled on top…salty, sweet, flaky and gone in a few bites.
Then the kitchen sent out something unexpected…the Fried Monkfish Martini. The name really didn’t prepare you for what was to come…I almost expected some type of seafood cocktail in a martini glass, but instead it was a plate of crispy bites of monkfish in a pool of buttery deliciousness, with Castelvetrano olives and cherry peppers on top. We may have cleaned that plate before they'd finished explaining what it was.
For entrees, I had the Clam Tagliatelle…a pasta ribbons with a chopped clams, shallot, herbs, and breadcrumb combination that melted in your mouth. Mike went with the Lumache alla Zozzona, and it took us a moment to realize what the "lumache" actually meant…we saw the name and guessed at snails in the dish, which would have been fine. Turns out it instead referenced the name of the pasta shape — snail-shaped shells — tossed with Calabrese sausage, sugo, egg yolk, and pecorino. No mollusks, but plenty of flavor.
The space at Gallus is also warm and welcoming, as is the staff. It didn't feel like we were revisiting as an old favorite so much as discovering a new restaurant in a place that already held good memories. That can be a difficult balance to strike, and Gallus seems comfortable doing exactly that.
The old Grist Mill has seen great restaurants come and go over the years, and Gallus deserves its place in that history. We'll certainly be looking for an excuse to head back to Waterbury…and if that little table happens to be available again, we won't hesitate.
