This Italian restaurant was around for a number of years… but you know a place is in trouble when they start having coupons (whereas they NEVER had any in the past), and add on “kiddie nights.”
I saw signs on the door while passing by, so I stopped in last night to see what’s going on. Yep, That’s Amore is officially closed, and they thanked customers for their patronage over the years. (We had been a couple of times… while the food was decent, the tables were small and the plates were HUGE, which made things uncomfortable… also, I remember it being very loud. I think we went back about a year later, and same situation with the plates and noise level… and after that, never again.)
Coming soon… would you believe… another Italian restaurant? I mean, thank goodness, we only have about 400 others in this area.
So, it’s gonna be “Aunt Butchies of Brooklyn”. Sounds like a restaurant run by a drag queen.
I checked out the menu online… desserts look pretty good. Entrees seem overpriced, especially pasta.
Anyone have any experience with this place… they are also in Staten Island and Brooklyn, apparently.
I had a feeling That’s Amore had closed when I was driving by a few days ago at an hour when there should have been cars in the parking lot but there were none. We ate there once right after they opened. The only reason we went was that it was owned by the sister and brother-in-law (he was the chef) of the physical therapist I was seeing at that time. Oddly enough, the p.t. is an observant Jew and is Glatt Kosher so no way he would ever eat there. Not that he would have missed much since the food was below mediocre. And the main course plates were, indeed, hubcap size, so they barely fit on the table.
I just did a search on CH and found my posts about That’s Amore in 2008. Here’s one of the things I wrote:
I find such humongous, over-stuffed plates truly off-putting. Almost enough to make me lose my appetite! lol I know we can doggie bag it. But if the food’s not great to begin with, I have no desire to do that. Thus, there ends up being a lot of wasted food. Ugh!
They opened a sister restaurant further south in the Galleria strip on Route 9 North. The name totally escapes me but it was in the space that is now occupied by Coal Fired Pizza. We never ate there. It didn’t last long.
Never heard of Aunt Butchie’s. I Googled and didn’t find anything about a NJ location, so I presume the menu you looked at is for Brooklyn? Is it taking over That’s Amore’s location? Not that I have any intention of trying it. Just curiosity.
The only Italian in our immediate area we’ve ever liked is SamVera. The last time we ate there was in January 2014. At that time, we thought the food was still very good. Here’s the photo set.
To the contrary, I am so happy Aunt Butchies will be opening at this location in NJ. They serve delicious Italian food and outstanding desserts. I HAVE been to both locations in Brooklyn and SI, where they are very popular, and I’ve always had a great experience.
I find Aunt Butchies’ prices are average - not insanely expensive, as are some other restaurants in the area that serve high -priced, mediocre-quality food, which have become trendy and people are incomprehensibly flocking to. Aunt Butchies has a wide variety of dishes, some that are kid-friendly, and some that are non-traditional Italian (just in case another Italian restaurant opening in the area is bumming you). I think it will be a wonderful addition to the area and I’m super excited, and impatiently anticipating their opening!
Shanti,
Hello and welcome to Hungry Onion! I noticed this was your first post! I appreciate your endorsement of Aunt Butchies, just out of curiosity do you have any affiliation with the place? If you do it’s not problem we welcome industry members to participate on the boards. Either way welcome again I look forward to seeing more contributions!
Like Jr., I had noticed that this is your first post and second his welcome. I appreciate your view regarding Aunt Butchie’s. However, before I can trust someone’s recommendation, I need to know more about where he or she usually dines. That’s the way I can judge if that person’s preferences are aligned with mine. So, please tell us which are your favorite restaurants in NJ (and in NYC, if you dine there).
