Published on May 12, 2010

Newport City Mayor Paul Monette (center left) joins Big Joe's owner, Joe Warantz, (center right) at Wednesday's grand opening. Also standing in for the occasion are the restaurant's first patrons, William Comstock (far left) and Merle Chilcott (second from left), and staff members Angelique Thomas (second from right) and Pete Schneider. Photo by Richard Creaser

NEWPORT — There are a number of adjectives that spring to mind when trying to summarize a meal at Big Joe's Food and Spirits, Newport's newest eatery.

Perhaps the one that does justice to both the restaurant and its owner, Joe Warantz, is "meaty."  Big Joe's is a carnivore's dream, featuring your favorite cuts of beef, pork and chicken with some marine life thrown in for good measure.  One of the two salads comes with chicken.

Big Joe's is a restaurant of classic American fare.  Nothing is more American than the sandwich, and Big Joe's has one to suit just about any taste.  Hot or cold, each sandwich is generous in portion and rich in flavor.

In the Northeast Kingdom, it’s the snackbars that boast some of the tastiest burgers around.  Unfortunately for those of us who stick around for all five of her seasons, the burgers disappear for most of them, as one by one, the snack shacks board up for the fall, winter, spring and mud seasons.

Need a big honkin' hunk of beef on a bun in late November?  Big Joe's is the place to go.  In spite of his ominous sounding slogan — "Everything you love to eat but nothing that's good for you" — good becomes a relative word.  While it’s unlikely that eating there regularly will lower your cholesterol, reverse your thinning hairline, or improve your love life, your mouth will thank you.

Mr. Warantz brings a big city sensibility to the Northeast Kingdom bearing in mind the idea that the things that make it a special place to live are the things that he ought to promote at his restaurant.

"You're not going to see a neon Bud Light sign on the wall," he said.  "I wanted to decorate it with images of this beautiful lake and the beautiful area we're lucky enough to live in.  I want this to be a place everyone is comfortable to come into whether you live here or are just visiting for the day."

At the same time, he has dug deep into his years in New York City and Philadelphia to bring some of the tastiest sandwiches to the shores of Lake Memphremagog.  The Philly cheese steak sandwich alone is worth the trip.  Piled high with sirloin beef and generously appointed with sautéed onions and peppers it’s a fitting tribute to the City of Brotherly Love.

Likewise with the classic New York deli staple, the Reuben sandwich.  House-made corned beef heaped with sauerkraut offers up a bite of the Big Apple.  The cultural influences of the nation's most cosmopolitan of cities are found in the Italian knockout club sandwich, a tangy barbecue pulled pork sandwich, or the Cuban pressed sandwich featuring two kinds of pig blended in a most delectable package.

The choice of meals is very much a reflection of its owner.  Classic pub fare like chicken wings, steak fries and chicken fingers mixes with sweet Italian sausage and onion rings cooked to perfection in a light batter.

"This is all the kind of stuff I like to cook at home," Mr. Warantz said.  "I'm a big guy, and I love to eat, and this is the kind of food I would want.  The real key is keeping things fresh and homemade."

Freshness is evident in the moist pulled pork and the thick, red tomato slices garnishing the burgers.  Fresh bib lettuce would never do if served alongside flabby, thinly sliced pink tomatoes.

Like things spicy?  Big Joe's has something for you too.  Tabasco bottles of supernatural stature grace each cozy booth.  Add a splash to the award-winning house chili or, better yet, the imposing chili cheese fries.  The Italian knockout combines capicola and pickled hot banana peppers on a foot-long roll.

There is a certain irony in the location of the restaurant.  Though bearing a Main Street address, the restaurant is actually accessed via the rear entrance nestled between the Main Street block and the Pick & Shovel.  Hardwood flooring and a below grade entrance speak of the building's former use as a health club and racquetball court.

Fortunately an abundance of signs helps the casual visitor find his way to some outstanding eats.  If the crowd that packed the restaurant on Saturday night is any indication, not too many people are having a hard time finding the place.

The restaurant is also likely to become a regular haunt of sports enthusiasts.   Six big screen televisions grace the walls, capable of displaying up to four separate sporting events.  A full bar and a selection of local brews on tap conspire to make a good thing even better.

"My goal is to make sure nobody leaves here unhappy," Mr. Warantz said.  "I want people to try new things and, if they don't like it, I'll work to make it right."