Ok, after seeing the web site this reminded me of one of my favorite restaurants back in the 90’s called Caruso’s in Plainfield so I was anxious to get here.
We arrived 6pm last night with out reservations and were greeted and seated immediately. We were only 1 of 3 tables in the restaurant. We were greeted by our waiter offered water (tap individual bottle brought to table) given bread (delicious assortment of bread and olive oil) and read the specials.
Apps: Beet salad, meat and cheeses with hummus, pasta fagiole. I had the pasta fagiole which was good, I enjoyed it although I was skeptical when it looked very brothy vs. a thicker stew type consistency which is how I like it. Although it was a broth it was very good tasting so no complaints here. My daughter the hummus expert said the hummus was some brand made, not house made (no way to verify this) but she enjoyed the platter none the less. The beet salad received moderate approval the beets were sliced super thin, I guess lessening their flavor.
Entrees: seared scallops - orrecietta with bacon and cauliflower - grilled 16oz ribeye medium
The food was all very good, I didn’t particularly care for my steak and wouldn’t order it again. It seemed to be pan fried rather than grilled? It was not bad, it was a decent cut and tasty, I just didn’t care for the preparation with -0- “crust” or sear to the steak at all.
The scallops were delicious as was my daughter’s pasta.
Some kind of homemade ice cream the ladies split for desert.
The service was very good, the wine I brought was bad (dammit probably had the bottle 15 years! Lol) and the servicee was very helpful in getting us replacement, truly above and beyond!
I do have one complaint, while we were there one of the tables in the back of the dining room must have been an owner. As a table came in during our meal he got up from his table to personally greet this table. Later when he was done he moved and sat with the table he greeted. If you are an owner/manager and you are “announcing “ your presence then you should check on all your tables. As a new venture you should be putting some effort into promoting your new brand, not just focus all your time and attention to your “friends” while completely ignoring the 2 other tables in your restaurant. That’s a big no-no in my book.
I will certainly go back, especially since my old favorite byob Italian San Remo has closed.
