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

Sophie's Bistro, Somerset

French food is so rarely done correctly... people make something taste super rich and decadent and say it's French. Alas, this is not true, and while those foods may be delicious I can assure you they are not authentic. Enter Sophie's Bistro, an establishment where they know a place for the rich, calorie drenched foods AS WELL AS the simple, classic flavors that are so synonymous with French cuisine. Tucked away a mere few blocks from the hustle and bustle of New Brunswick, this place is a real find. I will admit that I am partial to them, not just for their fabulous food, but for their friendly and knowledgeable staff. I was first introduced to this culinary gem by my parents about four years ago, and I have been back at least once a month ever since.

The Sister was in town recently and we (Mom, Matt, Sister and I) decided to hit up our long time family fave. While we all had a basic idea of what we were craving we had to be sure to check out the specials menu... it changes every day and offers inspired dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients. I decided on the Salade Frisee aux Lardons (a frisee salad with chunks of delicious thick cut bacon all topped with a poached egg). This is my favorite salad here. They use a very light vinaigrette on it, and the tang from the dressing mixes with the salt from the bacon making my mouth tres happy. Frisee is a bitter, really textural green and it holds the runny yolk from the egg in all of its bends and twists... so we have bitter, we have a little salty smoke, we have some tart, we have some mildness from the egg... the salad is a downright adventure. A perfect bite would have all of the components in it, but even the ones that are missing one ingredient or another are delicious and complex. Too good. Really.

Sister ordered the much tamer (but still delicious) Salade Verte a la Sophie (I am sure that you all guessed that it simply means Sophie's green salad.... you're so bilingual, yes you are!) I don't want to say it's nothing special, but it really is just a simple, fresh mesclun salad. Allow me to move along to more exciting things (sorry Sis).

Mom went with something off the special list... a beet and bleu cheese tower. This was absurdly good. First of al, it was just pretty... beets are such a unique, rich color that they make any plate look magnificent. They were sweet and tasty... I love the texture of beets... firm and soft at the same time... there is nothing quite like it. There were also some delicious walnuts thrown into the mix, and it was a textural shock everytime they were bitten into.The tang of the cheese really offset the sweetness of the beets and the meatiness of the nuts, and the presentation was lovely... I think anything in tower form looks awesome.

Matt ordered what I consider to be the best appetizer on the menu, which is the Tartes aux Tomates, a delicious pizza type thing. The real key element of this dish is crust. Its so flakey, rich, and buttery that I would seriously order a Tarte des Crust or something. A really mild cheese is used ( I want to say it's emmental) with bright, fresh tomatoes and the flavor is something I have never experienced before. The crust melts away and your left with chewey cheese and tomatoes that literally burst in your mouth... it's such an amazing food experience. I would have ordered this for sure, but the waitress took Matt's order first (damn her) and i hate 'repeaties' at a table, especially if I haven't written about it yet. Yum Tartes aux Tomates.... yum yum yum. Seriously go eat one of these. Now.

For dinner I had yet another appetizer... the moules marinieres (mussels in a white wine, butter, and garlic broth). I know from prior experience that the portion is HUGE... way bigger than an appetizer should be. The sauce is crazy good (what could be bad about garlic butter and white wine smothering sweet meaty mussels? exactly) My favorite thing to do is take some of the crusty house bread and soak up the garlicky liquid at the end of my meal. Oh man. Delicious.

Mom got yet another dish off of the specials menu. This was a crabcake and it was good. Not the best crabcake I have ever tasted, but good... more crab than bread crumb, seasoned well, nice crispy crust. It was over an interesting salad, though. Greens, beets, melon (both honeydew and cantelope) and corn made for an extraordinarily colorful presentation with a lot of flavors and textures going on. Again, not bad, but not amazing. Verrry pretty though (you eat with your eyes first, people!)

Matt had steak frites which, in my honest opinion, would be hard for anyone to screw up. Matt claims, though, that this was beyond good... it was 'perfect'. Well seasoned and cooked exactly to his request, it was a Matt pleaser for sure. My favorite thing on the plate, though, were the fries. Oh wowzers, the fries. They are thin, crispy, perfectly salted and mind blowing (hello FRENCH fries? I'd be mad if Sophie's made them anything other than spectacularly) Oh their fries. I eat these by the fistfull (side note: if your entree does not come with fries (what were you thinking!) you can order them as a side and they come in a delightful cone. Just so you know)

Sister ordered the roasted chicken (poulet roti) which is usually her go to dish, but tonite it was dry. Really dry. She was truly disapointed, as she had been looking forward to the dish ever since we announced where we would be dining. Luckily for us the staff at Sophie's Bistro is not only attentive, but they care about their food, reputation, and customers. The owner came over to ask how everything was while doing his rounds (he is very hands on and can almost always be found on site, mingling) and noticed immediately that her dish was not up to his standards. A new plate was out to her within minutes, and THIS time the chicken was succulent and juicy... a real home run. Matt always says that the chicken here is so good because they brine (a mixture of salt and water used to plump and season meat) their birds, making them that much tastier, especially under the beautifuly crispy skin. Also it comes with fries so YAY bonus points.

All in all this place is a real gem. Its away from the hullabaloo of New Brunswick's theatre area, but close enough that you could still come for drinks and desserts after a show (or come for dinner... they're open late enough!) The food is good, and you can get a great meal for a decent price. The staff is crazy friendly (and clearly they care about your overall dining experience... so important). I want to say it's almost like visiting family, it's that kind of experience, ya know? Happy faces, reliable food, clean and open space, witty banter. Try it out. Get the fries, You'll love me forever, I swear.

Sophie's Bistro

http://www.sophiesbistro.net/

700 Hamilton Street

Somerset, NJ 08873

732 545 7778