Il Villaggio Ristorante

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 651 Route 17 N, Carlstadt, NJ 0707 info@ilvillaggio.com Website (201) 935-7733 Price: $$$ Hours: Mon-Fri 11:30 am – 11 pm Sat 5 pm – 12 am Foursquare

Very grand decor and great service, but the food is just mediocre

Il Villaggio Ristorante is located off a highway, but don’t let that fool you. This restaurant’s decor is just as nice if not more magnificent than any of the high-end restaurants you’ll find in New York City. The first thing you’ll notice when pulling up to this restaurant is its grand entrance, you fell like you are walking into a palace of some sort. The host and waiters are very knowledgeable and attentive. If you are an inexperience diner, feel free to ask for recommendations and pairing suggestion. In my experience, the waiters are very honest and they don’t try to up-sell. Do expect a little wait, even with reservations. This place gets very busy, especially during the holidays. The bar is a good place to chill while you wait for a seat.

Now on to the food. As nice as this restaurant looks and as great as the service is, the food fails to excite. They specialize in authentic northern Italian dishes but everything was way too salty and I couldn’t taste any of those Italian flavors that I love. The scallops on both my pasta and risotto dish were also overcooked. Go for the grand decor not the food, they don’t have the total package!

French Onion Soup Gratinee – $5.50

Broccoli di Rabe – $6.95

The Big Red Tomato

Rating: ★★★★☆ 1205 Anderson Ave, Fort Lee, NJ 07024 Website (201) 224-6500 Price: $$ Hours: Mon-Thurs 11 am – 9:45pm Fri 11 am – 10:45pm Sat 4 pm – 10:45pm Sun 3 pm – 9:45pm Facebook // Foursquare

The Big Red Tomato (BRT) has the best Italian food I’ve ever had in New Jersey. There’s nothing fancy about BRT, they’re simply a casual family-style Italian restaurant that serves dam good food. Their pastas are always perfect, their pizzas are great for the kids and the free garlic knots are always a great starter. They have great friendly service, their prices are reasonable and on top of that they’re BYOB. It does however, get busy during dinner and there’s usually a wait, but it’s worth it. They don’t have a parking lot and street parking near the restaurant is limited, so you might have to circle for a bit. I really like their pastas and recommend everyone try the Linguni Mariano and the Spaghetti Capacha.

Every table gets a free bucket of bread and garlic knots

Linguini Mariano (chicken, broccoli, mushrooms and pimentos sauteed in a light cream sauce) – $11.95

Shrimp Special of Day – $18

Sauteed Broccoli Rebe – $5.25

Basta Pasta

Rating: ★★★★★ 37 W 17th St (btwn 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas), New York, NY 10011 Website (212) 366-0888 Price: $$$ Nearest Transit: 14 St (F, M) 6 Av (L) 18 St (1, 2) Foursquare

Basta Pasta is simply the best Japanese inspired Italian Pasta you can find in the tri-state area. This place is always packed, so do remember to make reservations in advance. Their decor is spectacular, they sport a open kitchen with a bar for socializing and a dinning room that is both warm and cozy. Their waiting staff is very friendly, knowledgeable and willing and able to recommend dishes based on your preference.

Five dish that you should try (at least once):

• Seared Scallops
• Mushroom Risotto
• Farfalle con Salmone e Crema (bow-tie pasta with salmon)
• Linguine al Ricci di Mare (linguine with fresh sea urchin)
• Spaghetti con Prosciutto e Parmigiano (Spaghetti with Parmigiano Reggiano and Parma prosciutto, served in half a wheel of Parmesan cheese at table)

Italian Tomato

Rating: ★★★★☆ 595 River Road (in the Mitsuwa Marketplace), Edgewater, NJ 07020 Website (201) 941-9113 Price: $ Facebook // Foursquare

Italian Tomato is a Japanese Italian restaurant and bakery chain. You wont find many of them in the States, but if you happen to come across one you’re in for a treat. They serve Japanese influenced Italian pasta, and gourmet Japanese buns and pastries.

You can find a Italian Tomato in the food court section of the Mitsuwa Marketplace, which is located in Edgewater, NJ. There are Shuttle Bus Available from New York City. Italian Tomato have daily specials that include a pasta, small salad, a bun, and a drink for only $6.25. I highly recommend their clam pasta, fruit tart and green tea cake.