Majid Bahriny, owner of Mama Mia’s Ristorante Italiano in Gilroy and Morgan Hill, wanted to do something special for the 35th anniversary of the Gilroy Garlic Festival.
For years, the longtime volunteer tried to convince the Garlic bigwigs to add a fried calamari dish to the Festival’s mouth-watering repertoire.
Each year, his idea was shot down.
Fried calamari, organizers told him, was too difficult a dish to produce in mass quantities for the ravenous tidal wave of hungry visitors that converge upon Christmas Hill Park each year.
“Everybody felt like it was too difficult or it wouldn’t go over well,” said the self-made chef and Great Garlic Cook-off judge for the past three years.
Following the motto “action speaks louder than words,” Bahriny – convinced his fried calamari would make a splash once unleashed to the public – brought some fresh calamari, flour and spices from his restaurant to the last day of the festival on Sunday morning in 2012.
He invited several board members and key decision makers over to his garlic French fries booth, where Bahriny demonstrated just how quick and easy it is to make his tentacled concoction – and just how finger-licking good it really is.
“They really, really enjoyed it and were surprised to see how quick and easy it was to make,” said Bahriny, also responsible for dreaming up the garlic fries served at the festival, as well as sprucing up a longtime favorite dish, the pasta con pesto. “I knew it was doable and very easy, so I said, ‘I’m going to take it to the festival and show them.’”
President Dennis Harrigan was immediately won over.
“We think it’s going to be a big hit,” said Harrigan, who helped unveil the new dish to the public and media during a Garlic Festival press conference at Bahriny’s Morgan Hill restaurant a few months ago. “I think people will really enjoy it.”
Harrigan said there will be four new deep fryers added to the festival inventory with two positioned on the park and ranch sides of Christmas Hill Park. “We think it will be about an $8 dish,” said Harrigan, who got good reviews when he issued tasters of the fried calamari during the second annual Giants Garlic Fest held June 21 outside of AT&T Park.
Behind the scenes of Gourmet Alley during the festival, Bahriny will help oversee the mass production of his new dish, which he ensures will only be made with fresh ingredients delivered by himself, straight from his restaurant.
“I was looking to have something special and add a new item in Gourmet Alley to celebrate the 35th anniversary,” said Bahriny, detailing his dish of calamari dusted with flour, paprika, garlic powder and salt and pepper before being dunked into the deep fryer.
Once crispy brown, the calamari is tossed in parmesan cheese, more garlic of course, and a mix of spices.
Bahriny opened his first Mama Mia’s in Felton 28 years ago and a second location in Campbell 10 years later before coming to Gilroy 14 years ago, followed by Morgan Hill three years later.
“I’m involved in every community (where I have a restaurant),” said the Morgan Hill resident. “But (the Gilroy Garlic Festival) is one of my favorite events.”
