Came here for a friend's birthday dinner. Joe Badali's was chosen because it's one of the few places downtown that could accommodate a large group (20~). We were given a nice, sectioned off area in the back of the restaurant.
The decor is rustic and very Italian. As we dined, we were surrounded by exposed bricks, paintings of giant garlic and a statue of a lady holding grapes. It still felt cozy and intimate despite our large group.
To start off, we got mama cucina to share between 4 people. Chose the grilled octopus, arancini (risotto rice balls), polpette ( meatballs). It was presented nicely in a tiered towered. The grilled calamari was cooked perfectly but the tomatoes that came with it was very very vinegary. The aracini balls were huge and had nice with a crispy exterior and soft inside but the polpette was lacklustre. The meatballs are comparable to what you get frozen at supermarkets.
For the main, I shared the Chorizo Pomodoro Zucca. The name sounds a lot tastier than it actually was. It was a pizza topped with chorizo sausage, pumpkin, grape tomato and cheese.
Didn't enjoy the pairing of the ingredients. I wouldn't get pumpkin on my pizza again. The cheese was rubbery and resembled bingo markers. It was far from the melty type that's stringy when pulled apart (the #1 thing that makes pizza great).
Joe Badali is great for accommodating large groups but the food very mediocre at best.