Osteria Procaccini, Pennington

Oh how I do love pizza. All kinds. Every kind. But even better than just pizza? Perfect pizza. And folks, I believe we have found it.

Matt and I stumbled upon Osteria Procaccini's original location in Kingston, NJ last year, and fell instantly and deeply in love. Their pizza is nothing short of amazing.... crispy crust, luscious sauce, high quality toppings. Their salads are giant and full of interesting things.The staff was friendly. It was a true delight. The only problem was the place was tiny. Teeny tiny. Itsy bitsy teenie weeny tiny. We're talking about 8 tables for two, in a single line. This made us hesitant to go as much as we wanted to, since we would often have to wait (in cramped quarters, no less). And then the magical happened. A second location! Triple the size! Equally close to us, in Pennington! YAY!

As soon as we found out, we were on our way. Our friend Meesh joined us for our maiden voyage, which was wonderful... more people= more food= more things for me to try. We kicked the meal off with an apple, walnut, and gorgonzola salad and an appetizer special simply entitled "Mama's Meatballs". The salad was lovely... not over dressed, nice and fresh, every apple bright and crisp, loads of crunchy walnuts, and of course a heap of tangy gorgonzola. They certainly did not cheap out with the ingredients...I hate places that throw ya a slice or two of apple... gee thanks. The salad was enough for all three of us to have a decent size serving.

The meatballs were amazing. The sauce they were in was so full of flavor, so tomato-y and perfectly seasoned, and yet still let them meat shine through. I am almost positive we were dealing with a veal, beef, pork mixture (we know for sure it was at least beef and pork, we asked, because Meesh is anti piggy) but no matter what it was it was tasty. Darned tasty. The balls were nice and dense, but didn't feel too heavy. Adorned with little dollops of goat cheese, this was a wonderful start to our meal.

Dinner was three pizzas, as they only do one size (a 12" personal...  large for a personal, I know, but woo pizza!) I opted for the pesto pomodoro pizza... it was basically bruchetta pizza. Delicious. Crispy, thin crust topped with mozzarella, pesto soaked tomatoes, and then drizzled with a thick balsamic reduction. It was beautiful to look at and delightful to eat. I am often wary of balsamic reductions, usually finding them too acidic or too sweet. Osteria Procaccini had perfected the art of the balance, and it was pleasing to everyone. The pesto was very subtle, which allowed for the flavor of the tomato to really shine. Yum.

Matt went tried and true with the Margherita D.O.C. pie. Simple, classic, and perfectly executed.  For those that don't know D.O.C. stands for 'Denominazione di Origine Controllata', and is a measure of authentic pizza standards. It requires certain things to be true of your pie to be able to label it as such. 1. It must be cooked in a wood burning oven. 2. It requires the ingredients to be fresh, non processed, and all natural. 3. The dough must be kneaded by hand or low speed mixer. No mechanical dough shaping allowed! All of these things lend for a truly authentic, Napoletana style pizza. This was just that. Picture perfect, classicly executed, as tasty as all git out.

Meesh went with the pizza vongole... clam pizza! They offer it in red or white, and she opted for white. The pie was piled high with clams, garlic, and shaved parmigana cheese. While it was a touch dry, as it's a sauceless pie, there was a ton of flavor. The clams were sweet and plump, the cheese plentiful and slightly salty and nutty, and the dough was chewy and wonderful.

This new location also offers wine! Who knew!? It's so rare to find a restaurant that has a wine menu, with no full bar, so we were surprised. The wine was pretty reasonably priced (bottles ranged from $18 -$30 I believe), and a decent selection was available.

Osteria Procaccini is a serious gem. The menu is somewhat limited in that the only offerings are pizzas, salads, and sandwiches (the meatballs seemed to be a rare treat... we had never seen them offered before at the other location). That being said, you can still find something for everyone. With fresh ingredients, a beautiful new space, and interesting and unique takes on old favorites I think everyone will enjoy this place.

Osteria Procaccini
www.osteriaprocaccini.com
7 Tree Farm Road
Suite 101
Pennington, NJ 08534

or

4428 Route 27 North
Kingston, NJ 08528

Luca's Ristorante, Somerset

The more I pay attention to my own reviews, the more I realize that New Jersey really seems to be home of the strip mall gem. Once again, Matt and I have found an amazing place (with some help from my boss, who told us about it) that we normally would have passed by without a second glance. While it's easy to pass by, it's hard to forget once you've been there. The inside is adorable, with lots of paintings, hanging plants, and adorable knick knacks throughout. The service is professional; courteous and friendly but not overbearing.


We started our meal with what Luca's calls a 'grizza'... which is just a grilled pizza. This was a very wise choice by us (and I guess moreso by them for having it on the menu). The one we chose was topped with mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula and shaved asiago cheese. this was one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten... part salad, part sandwich, part pizza, all good. The prosciutto is sliced super super thin, but it's salty presence was pronounced. It worked really well against the cold, slightly spicy arugula. The cheese was perfectly melted onto the grilled dough.... it tasted outdoorsy and charred, salty and bitter, had a great pizza chew, but also some crunch from the greens. This was killer... a really spectacular dish. I would say that it is probably best to order this as a dinner.... we split it as an appetizer (its personal sized, but has so many toppings!) and we ended up taking half home so we didn't fill up before our meals. This may be a smart thing to share as a starter for 4 people, but for 2 it's too much food (although the leftovers were AMAZING).


For dinner Matt ordered the gnocchi de spinaci Genovese, aka delicious, hand made spinach gnocchi smothered in large chunks of braised sirloin steak in a delicious beef reduction. This was a manly man's dish.... soooo much food. There was a surprising amount of meat considering this was listed underthe pasta dishes... I would have called this a beef dish that happened to have gnocchi under it. The meat was amazingly tender... literally soft and falling apart, braised to perfection. The gnocchi didn't have much flavor on their own, but the the beef and wine reduction had plenty, so the slightly under cooked (in a good way... al dente not hard!) home made pasta got a nice, thick coating. This was superb... Italian comfort food!


My dish was, hands down, one of the best pastas I have ever had, anywhere, ever. Home made cocoa (yes... like chocolate) agnolotti stuffed with lucious roasted butternut squash puree, topped with a creamy herb sauce. It sounds confusing, I know, but it was out of this world. The pasta didn't have a huge chocolate taste, but the scent was unmistakeable... combining it with the thick, autumny squash made for the perfect combination. I thought that all of this divine sweetness and hominess would be muddled with an herby, slightly salty cream sauce, but it wasn't at all... the contrast was a sheer delight. Salty, sweet, thick and hearty, chewy and creamy, it was all there. My only regret was that I didn't order more to take home. I will continue to go back to Luca's for... oh, I don't know... ever, if for no other reason than to have this. It was simply amazing.

Luca's Ristorante may be my new 'go to' when taking out friends who are new to the area, a central meeting spot, a special occasion, or just anytime. I think that the atmosphere is cozy and cute, the dining room is inviting, the menu extensive, and food is outstanding. From old standards (think lasagna or chicken parm) to the somewhat adventurous (they have a dish that is squid, raisins, and pine nuts in a garlic sauce?) you'll find what you're looking for here. Call me.. I'll come with... you can have a bite of my agnolotti.

Luca's Ristorante
http://www.lucasristorante.com/
2019 Route 27
Somerset- 08873
732 297 7676

Enzo's La Piccola Cucina, Lawrenceville

Everyone knows of a cute little Italian joint where the food is too good to be believed, the space is romantic and the service is killer. From what we had heard around town (and on Yelp, of course) Enzo's La Piccola Cucina promised to be just that.... quaint and charming and just plain good. We must have gone on an off night. I have to say, the place in teeeeny. Almost awkwardly so... I totally bumped elbows with the person sitting at the table next to me when we both went to take a bite of food at the same time. It was decorated in a homey, grandma-ish way (kind of cute), but so teeny I would seriously suggest reservations if you're planning on going on a busy night. The servers were a bit harried and distracted and the food was eh, despite the promises of outstading cuisine.

Every review we read and every person we knew who had been to Enzo's mentioned the 'button bread'. Where the wacky name comes from, I do not know, but it gets a lot of buzz. Described on the menu as a little round loaf of bread topped with butter, garlic, leeks, tarragon, and parmesan cheese, it sounds too good to be true, right? It kind of is... while it was delicious at first, steamy hot and jam packed with flavor, as soon as it cooled down a bit I began to notice just how saturated the bread was. It was downright oily...seriously sitting in a pool of grease. When I took a bite and heard the 'squish' of the oil flooding in to my mouth, I knew it would be my last bite. If we were splitting the whole loaf with a table of 4-6 people it may make sense, but for two it got too cold and too slimy too fast. Ugh. Thinking back on it now it makes me feel heavy.

Matt ordered the home made papparadelle in Bolognese. It was not so good. The sauce was actually pretty well done, but there was not nearly enough of it to compensate for the watery noodles. While I love to see home made pastas on a menu, it really only works if they're done right... these were not. Completely overcooked, the pasta was mushy and clumped together. It also held wayyy too much cooking liquid, which diluted the otherwise tasty sauce. It was a bummer, but the bites he got at the very begining (before the whole plate got watery) were yummy, at least.

I ordered the veal Nicolo, which was listed as veal in a vermouth cream sauce, topped with spinach and sun dried tomatoes. The first few bites tasted pretty good, despite the fact that it was so heavily sauced... but there was something a bit off that I couldn't put my finger on. When I offered a bite to Matt he immediately declared 'that tastes like fish!' He was totally right... there was a clamminess in the sauce that was very odd. The sauce also got a bit 'congealy' as cream sauces can (if they're not done correctly) which made the whole thing even less appetizing.

Look, the thing is this place gets rave reviews. On Yelp they have 4.5 stars, which is absurd! We must have been there on a really off night, or when they were trying out a new chef, or... I dont know what. Long story short, the experience was off putting enough that it will be a while before we give the place a second chance, as deserving as they may be. Let me know if you've been there.... tell me if I'm crazy, people!

Enzo's La Piccola Cucina

http://www.enzoscucina.com/

1906 Princeton Avenue

Lawrenceville- 08648

609 396 9868

La Cipollina, Freehold

Well, it was bound to happen.... the combining of families. Matt and I met up with my folks and his parents for dinner in downtown Freehold (which is pretty central for all of us). It's so flippin cute in that area... so many adorable restaurants and stores and just a nice, small town, down home feeling. We chose La Cipollina because A) it's been around forever, and B) they seemed to have a menu where we knew everyone would like something. Weird fact about La Cipollina... while you can order a la carte their menu is set up to only really offer a prixe fix option... you can do 3 courses for $35, 4 courses for $45, all the way up to 7 courses. (BTW for the prices of the prixe fix it's almost silly to order a la carte.... so none of us did)

La Cipollina seems strangely formal when you walk in... the staff wear tuxedos (so odd), and the lighting is dim, but it really isn't a fancy shmancy place (for example the table next to us? Both sweatshirts and an infant were present, so how formal could it be?) Anyway, all six of us opted for the 3 course choice, and while you are free to choose any combo of starter, salad, entree, and dessert we all decided to do starter, salad, entree. I'll relay the memorable things here for you.

For my starter I went with the smoked salmon with wasabi and creme fraiche. While I was expecting a slice or two of fish what came out was way different. It was a smoked salmon SALAD (probably should have been noted on the menu, but whatevs) held together with creme fraiche in lieu of mayo. It was delicious, and I was glad to have it, but still, quite the surprise. I enjoyed this both on it's own and schmeared on the crusty table bread.

Matt started with the gnocchi in parmesan, sage and brown butter. I thought this was fantastic... nutty, toasty, and warm it was the perfect food for a chilly night. He thought it was a bit bland, but I disagree. I found the gnocchi perfectly cooked, soft and not at all gummy, and I found the downright earthiness of the ingredients to be perfectly balanced.

Matt's dad and my mom ordered the mozzarella, prosciutto, red pepper and mushroom combo, served on grilled Italian bread and drizzled with organic honey. Almost everything on the plate was delicious, but the homemade mozzarella was SO salty... it took over the whole dish. I love a good home made cheese, and while the texture was perfectly creamy and the color was a gorgeous glistening white, the salt was just too much. The prosciutto added enough to the dish and the cheese was just overkill. Sad... it would have been the perfect combo of fresh, sweet, bitter and salt if it was just cut back a smidge.

The salads were ok. Nothing special. The caeser was caesery, the beet and goat cheese one that I had could have used a lot more beet and a lot more goat cheese. Not notable.

For dinner Matt had the chicken in a basil white wine sauce. It was topped with roasted red peppers, mushrooms, artichokes, and sun dried tomatoes. Matt says it was good and while I remember enjoying the bite I had to be honest it's a little forgettable to me. I can't really recall now what I thought of it. Oh well.

Dad had possibly the best dish that came out, the pork braciole over polenta. First things first, I LOVE polenta. I fell in love with it in Italy and ever since I have been completely enamored with everything about it... the texture and consistancy, its chameleon like nature of absorbing any flaor, it's feel and color... all of it. This was no exception, the polenta was a pleasure. The pork was tender and soft and stuffed with spicy sausage, onion and eggplant, all smothered in an almost sweet tomato sauce. It was a real treat. Perfectly cooked, intricate but not pretentious, and just really good.

I ordered the veal with artichokes, mushrooms, and pine nuts in a white wine sauce. I liked my dish a lot. Don't let the picture fool you... the sauce was not at all as thick and gloppy as it looks (although why it photographed that way is beyond me). It was pretty light and certainly tasty, with an almost citrusy hint of flavor. The pine nuts added some great crunch, the mushrooms and veal were earthy and warm and the artichokes were bright and delicious. It was a really good meal!

All in all La Cipollina has it's quirks, but was a really good time. It's byob (which I love, of course) has a pretty extensive menu, and offers a lot of food for a reasonable price... 3 courses for $35 bucks is ok by me, any time. The neighborhood is so much fun too.. in the Summer keep an eye out for live music and block parties. Give it a try, I think you'll find the value really impressive and the food a pleasure.

La Cipollina

http://www.lacipollina.com/

16 A West Main St

Freehold- 07728

732 308- 3830

Ciro's Restaurant Italiano, MonroeTownship

My folks recently took Matt and I to a new place called Ciro's, located right on the cusp of Monroe and Jamesburg. I had been to the location before, back when it was Basile's, but it was under brand new ownership and had just reopened recently so we figured we'd try it out. They made some decent changes with the renovations... well lit, with a nice bar area and relatively open floor plan. We waited at the bar until our table was available... the service was pretty eh. Waited forever to be acknowledged by the bartender, and she took her sweet time making the drinks. Whatever. It was busy. Fine. Benefit of the doubt.

When our waitress FINALLY came over, we started off with two appetizers; artichokes Francaise and fried calamri. Both were ok. The artichokes Francaise were good, but there was way too much sauce for me. It was tasty... nice and citrusy, but a bit overwhelming due to the sheer amount. The fried calarmi was eh... noithing special. It wasn't chewey, I'll give it that at least, but there was barely any seasoning. When fried food isn't well seasoned, or too thickly battered, it just isn't that great... it just tatses bland and crunchy. The dipping sauce was decent, though.

For dinner Matt and Mom both got full entrees while Dad and I went for pastas. Matt ordered the veal Marsala and he says it was exactly how he wanted it. According to him the flavor of the sauce was dead on and the mushrooms were cooked well. He did say, however, that his veal was thin but not tender. He was happy with the dish over all, though, and that is what matters.

Mom ordered veal Francaise and she wasn't completely thrilled. The sauce, as we know from before, was good, but the batter on the veal was a bit too thick and eggy, and it got really soft. I will say that the portions were very large, though, so that is nice to see, especially at Italian places. There were three large pieces of veal on top of a big pile of pasta. Plenty of food!
Dad ordered the Bolognese, and to be honest it wasn't that memorable. I didn't even jot down any notes about it. I know it tasted pretty good, but it wasn't anything worth writing home about (or writing down at all, it seems!) All that I remember is that there was a very nice portion, and that they kindly subsituted in whole wheat pasta at his request. I ordered the penne Arrabiata and while it was actually very good (in my opinion the best thing on the table) it wasn't an Arrabiata by any means. Arrabiata means 'angry style' in Italian, referring to the fact that the sauce is supposed to carry some serious heat. This, however, was not the case. While it was a really good sauce with a ton of mushrooms and olives and flavor, it wasn't hot AT ALL. I don't mean it wasn't hot to my tounge because I have a high tolerance... I mean you could have given it to a child and they would not have found it spicy. Good sauce, incorrectly named.
Look. Ciro's is still very new, and with a ton of great Italian food in our area the bar has been set pretty high. The place is lovely and the prices are very very reasonable, but it seems that there are still some kinks to work out. I don't think I will be going back there anytime soon, but if anyone out there heads that way and wishes to set me straight, please do. I am all for second chances, if I think they are well deserved.

Ciro's Restaurant Italiano
301 Buckelew Ave

Monroe Township- 08831

732 521 1800

Andres Pizza Palace, Brigantine

Ok. I'll get it out of the way. I worked at Andres for the better part of my college career. It doesn't necessarily mean that I would endorse it (hey, in some cases it might mean I would bash it... disgruntled employee and such), but it just happens to be good. I assure you I will be nothing but fair in my critique. Now, moving right along....

First thing out is the bread... my favorite. They have a focaccia bread that they make in house, and it's awesome. My friends all refer to it as the pizza bread, but whatever you call it, it's delicious. Tomato, onion, rosemary, a little Parmesan... soft on top with a chew to the crust. Yum! They used to have homemade garlic bread in there too, but on my last few visits it was noticeably absent (Hey Andre! If you're reading this, bring it back!) For dinner I had the grilled chicken Solari, named after one of Andre's regular customers. My plate was loaded with three large chicken breasts (seriously, no one could eat that much chicken!) delectably grilled and adorned with a strong cheese sauce (could be Gorgonzola, could be bleu cheese, who knows... but it's sharp and tangy and creamy and rich.) I usually hate grilled chicken. In fact go read over my previous posts... I'll wait...have I ever ordered chicken? Nope. That's because I'm not a huge fan. It's usually too dry or too boring for me. Not here. The breasts were cooked perfectly. Juicy but with serious grill marks, perfectly seasoned and tender. Nothing boring about them. The scalloped potatoes were also fantastic... creamy, a little salty, falling apart on my plate. (I know, I know... a lot of heavy food on one plate. Normally I'd agree and say 'cheese sauce AND scalloped potatoes!? What were they thinking!? But not this time... because I LIKED it, thats why). Besides, they threw several stalks of asparagus onto the plate for good measure, so there. That makes it healthy right? Anyway. I like this dish. A lot. It may not be the prettiest to look at, but it sure was tasty to eat.

Matt got whole wheat pasta and what I consider to be the best sauce that they make, which is the spicy sausage blush sauce. Huge chunks of sausage in a perfectly seasoned sauce. It's not nearly as spicy as the name would insinuate, but it does have a lot of flavor, enough heat to please any palate, and a great tomato kick as well. There is a touch of cream in the sauce, which makes it thicker and richer, and deepens the flavor... it is truly not to be missed. Oh. The portion was HUGE. He worked at it for a good thirty minutes and it didn't look like he even made a dent... in fact, we BOTH had his leftovers for dinner the next day. One order of pasta at Andres = dinner for three. Sweet.

While the food is fantastic here, I do have to point out that it's pretty pricey. The pasta dishes less so, but the entrees are all between 13-32 dollars (which is a lot for a beach town Italian joint). They also serve sandwiches and pizzas (note:try the Rosemary pizza... a beautiful tomato pie with lots of garlic and fresh herbs.. AMAZING), which are definetley MORE reasonable, but like I said, a bit pricey. The other issue is this... ya know how at most places when you order, say , a chicken parm entree it automatically comes with pasta and a salad? Not here. With your entree order you have a choice of salad OR soup OR pasta. Just something to know.

Look. The food is worth a visit for sure, and I think that their pizza is the best on the island. To me the quality is absolutely worth the price, and with the portion sizes you're actually kind of getting two meals in one (know this... you WILL have leftovers... even if you're famished when you get there you will NOT be finishing your meal). Try it out! Tell them you know me!

Andres Pizza Palace
1312 West Brigantine Ave

Brigantine, NJ
609 266 1124

Vidalia, Lawrenceville

So Matt and I have officially been together for 2 years (yay!) and for our second anniversary we wanted to find something cozy and intimate in our new home town. Mission accomplished. Vidalia is small on the inside (about 16 tables or so) with an additional outdoor dining area. The lights are somewhat dim, the music is soft, there are paintings by local artists on the wall... very adorable. It was the exact atmosphere we were hoping for.

After settling in our (very) bubbly waitress opened our wine and let us get to the menu. The dishes are very much Italian influenced, but with some new takes on old favorites. We decided to start our meal off with the Asparaci Valentino and the Funghi Ripieni. ohmigod. SO delicious. The Asparaci Valentini is described on the menu as Italian ham, mozzarella and asparagus baked in puff pastry with a sun dried tomato sauce. This is deceptive. What it should say is 'plate of delicious warm ooey gooey cheesy ham and veggies with world's tastiest sauce'... or something like that. The sauce was a little salty, crazy tasty, rich and creamy, thick and delicious. Sundried tomato has the ability to overpower a dish, but this was incorporated so well, and accented the asparagus, ham, and cheese perfectly. The chef knew what he was doing, because the sauce was placed atop the puff pastry bundles of goodness late in the plating stage, so there was no sogginess. It wasn't the prettiest dish but it was a fabulous start to our anniversary meal.

The other appetizer, the Funghi Ripieni, was equally fab. A giant Portabella mushroom filled with spinach, sausage, and, to quote the menu, 'finished in it's natural broth'. Uh... can we say YUM!? Oh! BTW...They aren't mentioned in the description but it is my duty to let you know that the bed of roasted red peppers that this humongous mushroom rests upon are superb! You grab a sliver of cold red pepper and smack it on a forkfull of spinach-y, sausage-y goodness? FANTASTIC! Matt and I were both convinced that there was some cheese in this dish as well, but if there was it was so mild and well blended that we can't be 100% sure. It's just a texture thing that we both got while eating it. The filling was so rich and decadent that it's hard to believe that the spinach and sausage alone could do the job. Again, not a beautiful looking dish, but that doesn't change the fact that it rocked.

After our appetizers we finally got around to tasting the home made garlic bread. It was VERY garlicky... almost spicy. Probably could have roasted it just a touch longer. Never fear, though, because our entrees were out moments later. I ordered a pasta in Gorgonzola sauce with grilled shrimp. The portion was big but the taste was juuust a bit off. I didn't get that strong, tart Gorgonzola taste that I was really looking forward to. The shrimp were cooked well, though, as was the pasta. The fresh herbs on top (I do believe it was flat leaf parsley) gave it a nice brightness. It was delicious as a cream or cheese sauce... just didn't pack the punch I was hoping for when I saw the word Gorgonzola.

Matt ordered the homemade Canelloni and boy, were we glad he did. It was so tasty! The tomato sauce was fresh and bright... SO good. There was a hint of heat in it and after several bites and a bit of inspection we noticed a few flakes of red pepper. That'll do it! It had such a nice tomato flavor... every component of the sauce really worked to bring out the natural taste of the fruit, which can so easily be burried by heat or cheese or herbs. The stuffing was spinach and sausage and ricotta and it was all wrapped up in a perfectly cooked pasta sheet. A little salty, a little garlicky, a little fresh, a little spicy... it all worked. Matt's only regret was that the stuffing was pretty similar to the mushroom appetizer we had, and while both were delicious, he could have used a touch more variety.


We are very much lookign forward to going back to Vidalia. The atmosphere is super friendly, the food was delicious, and the staff helpful. It's not terribly pricey, but it won't be an every week place for us. I am REALLY looking forward to trying their other dishes... take a look at the menu and you'll see why!

Vidalia
www.eatatvidalia.com
21 Phillips Ave
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648-1072
(609) 896-4444

Trattoria Rustica, Matawan

For cheap, delicious, fast and friendly eats you can't beat Trattoria Rustica in Matawan. The food is consistently delicious, the portions are really generous, and the wait staff is super nice. I'll put it out there.... the place isn't exactly what one would call pretty. It looks like a standard pizzeria in the front of the building with an intimiate dining room in the back. You can tell that they tried to doll it up a bit by painting and adding some artwork, but it is what it is... and what it is is the back of a pizzeria.

Matt and I have enjoyed meals here almost a dozen times, but on this particular night we had a mission. We went to Rustica to enjoy our last meal as locals, seeing as how we have recently moved further South. The menu has tons of options to choose from... pizza, sandwiches, salads, pastas, meat, seafood you name it; but we had a hankering for some old favorites and knew exactly where to get them.

I knew for a FACT that I wanted the penne Puttanesca... they make it the BEST and I crave it at least once a month. Bummer, though.... they were out of anchovies (CRUCIAL to the Puttanesca process) so I had to make a new choice. I ended up getting the Picante which is basically Puttanesca without anchovies but with spicy sausage, while Matt chose penne with vodka sauce and grilled chicken. We also decided to throw in an order of garlic knots, just for good measure.

Silly us, we forgot that Trattoria Rustica always brings out delcious homemade bread with black olive and sundried tomato tapenade to start. The bread is always warm and fresh, and the tapenade is cool and refreshing... a perfect combo. Right along side that we had our garlic knots, which LOOKED very intimidating, but were actually quite tasty. Covered in what almost seemed to be a thick garlic and herb paste, the color was scary. We thought it would be like a garlicy punch in the mouth, but in reality the flavors were quite subdued... juuuust right! After that they brought out our salads... generously portioned with all the fixins. We both had their signature house dressing (Parmesean peppercorn) on the side.

Our meals came out shortly after, and although my first choice had been unavailable I was VERY pleased with my 'runner up', the penne in Picante. The sauce was spicy from the hot peppers, salty from the capers, and earthy from the black olives. The sausage was perfectly cooked and tasted fresh and delicious. My one complaint is that it seems that the sausage was cooked in the same pan that the sauce was made in, making it all a bit oily... a lot oily. Taste wise, though, it was a real winner.

Matt's penne vodka with chicken was great. The perfect combination of creamy and fresh tatsing, the sauce was delightful... not heavy or thick. We suspect that his pieces of chicken were lightly floured before being cooked, and while he would have preffered that they not be, it was still tasty. The chicken was tender and well seasoned and cut to the perfect size to compliment the penne. He was very happy with his choice (and I was happy with his choice too... I couldn't keep my fork out of his plate!)

They have a relatively extensive dessert menu, but we've never finished a meal there, let alone saved room for dessert. I can say that they all look delicious, though! Trattoria Rustica is a real gem. Easy to miss by the casual passer by, it's what I call a 'real neighborhood find'. Take the time to stop in and try one of their fabulous (and oh so reasonably priced!) dishes. I assure you you wont regret (or forget!) it.

Trattoria Rustica

259 Main St

Matawan, NJ 07747

(732) 566-9991

Catherine Lombardi, New Brunswick

Matt and I went to Catherine Lombardi with the folks to celebrate their anniversary with them (27 years! Go Mom and Dad!) Upon first walking in you can't help but notice that the place is gorgeous.. nay... dare I say stunning. Adorned in red with a multitude of fireplaces (yes... many a fireplace!) it was chic and modern all while still feeling inviting. We couldn't help but think that we were in for a huge treat.

First course we decided to go with the 'choose 9 items' from the Cold Antipasti menu. We had all four Salumi and all four cheese options, and threw in the shrimp in garlic and olive oil for good measure. All of the meats were superb... the spicy just spicy enough, the sweet not too fatty and not too slimy, all just right. The cheeses were fantastic as well, with the real star being the house made fresh mozzarella. It was lightly dabbed with a drop of basil infused oil... yum. So fresh it was almost creamy, but still had that 'mozzarella chew' to it. The shrimp were meh. I could have lived without them, but Dad seemed to be a big fan.

The salad course came next (Mom and Dad partook as part of their prix fix menu, but Matt and I declined... too full of cheese and meat for extra courses!) Their arugula salad was lovely... huge and topped with a generous portion of parmigiano-regianno. Mom asked for 'lightly dressed' and Dad wanted the full effect, but the salads were indistinguishable, yet still delicious. The dressing was citrus-y and bright, not too heavy and not too oily. The salads were so large that neither were able to finish them, especially since at this point we were anxiously awaiting our main courses.

What a fall from grace! We should have stopped after the salad course (and could have, with such large portions!) I ordered one of the signature dishes, a stuffed calamari with red sauce. The calamari was a bit chewy... I know it's tricky to cook, especially when dealing with the full bodies, but come on now... chewy is not ok with this gal. The sauce was delish but it could not compensate for the texture of the squid or the over salting of the olive tapenade/garlic crumb/ cheese filling. It was just too salty, too chewy and too heavy for me.



Matt had the chicken Scarpariello, a mixture of chicken, sausage, peppers, and lemon, using the white meat chicken only (no mixing of white and dark allowed...boo!) He actually did enjoy his. The presentation was lovely and he found the flavors to work nicely together... perhaps a bit heavy handed on the lemon (which I didn't mind.. go, citrus, go!). The veggies still had a bit of tooth to them, which was a pleasant discovery. Chicken was a tad overcooked but hey, rather over than under, especially with our feathered friends! Unfortunately, though, the sauce was plentiful, which is a huge turnoff to me... I don't like to see my food bathing in sauce... it eeks me out.


Since Mom and Dad went the prix fix route, they each had a pasta dish. Dad enjoyed the Papparadelle with Bolognese sauce and Mom took a chance with the long Fusilli in a walnut basil pesto (available with or without cream). Dad's was good... nothing too exciting. The meat sauce was tasty, but not memorable. The pasta was overcooked and almost mushy at points, not at all what we expected. Mom's pasta itself was reminiscent of boxed pasta (in fact she suspects that may just be the case) and her sauce was lacking in 'wow'. Granted it may be because she opted for the 'sans cream' option, but my opinion is that we wouldn't have been impressed even with the cream. What I did enjoy, though, is that Catherine Lombardi is nice enough provide the option... thanks, guys!!


The desserts were devine. In addition to the Zabaglione with fruit (Creamy! Sweet! Light! YUM!) and Tiramisu (not served in a traditional way... this was a martini glass filled to the brim with chocolate lady fingers and a whipped cream-esque custard.. oh boy!) that came with Mom and Dad's meal, the server had overheard that we were celebrating an anniversary. He brought out a plate of cookies on the house and they were FAB! The Pignoli nut cookies were so good we thought that they must have been created by angels themselves. A VERY happy ending to the meal.

All in all I would highly recommend Catherine Lombardi if you're looking for a quick snack before a night on the town, or a light dinner of salads and Anipasti. The place is gorgeous, the staff attentive, and the food has the potential to be great. Alas, for us, it just wasn't. As much as we enjoyed the appetizers and desserts we were all disappointed with our main courses, which does not make any of us anxious for a Catherine Lombardi sequel. The price was reasonable for four diners (just breaking over $100 before liquor) but that was largely due to Mom and Dad taking advantage of the prix fix ($20 a person for 3 courses? TRY to stop them!). Give it a shot... tell me your thoughts!

Catherine Lombardi Restaurant
http://www.catherinelombardi.com/
3 Livingston Ave
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
(732) 296-9463