Cucina Carini is a wonderful Italian restaurant with a warm, inviting ambiance and food that is…read moredefinitely above average. We ordered the calamari, Trio di Mare, and the grilled salmon, and every dish was fresh, flavorful, and well prepared. The complimentary house salad, fresh bread, and cheesecake dessert were all excellent and made the meal feel complete. The atmosphere is comfortable and perfect for a relaxing dinner with family or friends. The only reason I'm giving four stars instead of five is that the restaurant charges a credit card service fee without informing customers in advance. A simple notice on the menu or by the register would go a long way in avoiding an unpleasant surprise at the end of an otherwise enjoyable meal. Overall, the food and ambiance make Cucina Carini worth visiting, and I would gladly return.

More of a 3 1/2, but, for the 1 BILLIONTH TIME, Yelp still hasn't listened to my petition to…read moreincorporate half stars, so here we are. I rounded down instead of up because of my personal experience that night, but I could see that half star going either way. ANYWHO, Cucina Carini.....a local pizza shop that has an attached dining room that, while pretty small, is also pretty nice. BYOB, which we didn't know heading in, and unless we are missing something, the only beverage options are either water, or whatever YOU bring. (We weren't asked what we would like to drink, nor saw any beverage options on the menu.) SO, water it was, which was fine with ME anyway. ALSO, another thing not listed on the *dine in menu,* is that they DO have a kids menu, which consists of what you would think it does; chicken fingers, fries and the like. We sit and get to work looking over the menu. We land on crab ravioli for me, (crab meat, asparagus & plum tomatoes in a sherry cream sauce), potato gnocchi for The Misses (With spinach & bacon simmered in a gorgonzola cream sauce,) and the chicken fingers meal for The Little One. Entrees comes with soup or salad (soup for her, salad for me). Where CC is losing some points is on service. Our server was fine, but the kitchen was very mixed up. When we sat, our Little One was being a kid, so while getting her situated, we ordered all of the mains. About 5 minutes later, when the server brought the bread over, we asked to order an appetizer of fried mozzarella (which I assumed would be the fresh mozzarella, breaded and fried, but instead was the packaged Sams club type breaded sticks variety..the menu says "Fried Mozzarella, Breaded mozzarella, fried golden crisp & served with marinara sauce. Nowhere does it mention "sticks." *shoulder shrug emoji*). In rapid succession after that, the kids meal came out, and then, and I mean probably 3-4 minutes after ordering the mozz *sticks,* THEY hit the table. Still no soup or salad. The mozzarella sticks were made suspiciously fast. Maybe 15-20 minutes later the ENTREES hit the table. The server does recognize that she never brought the soup or salad, and offers to put them in To-Go containers. *second shoulder shrug emoji* The entrees themselves were good, not great. Decent flavor, but both dishes underseasoned. A little salt would have gone a long way. I had to add parmesan cheese, red pepper flake, and some salt myself to coax a better flavor out of my ravioli. The Misses's gnocchi also needed some doctoring to bring out some true flavor. The kids meal was a generous portion size, but then again, it WAS $13, so..... We decided to actually do dessert, as The Little One wanted cake, and I had seen a picture of the Peanut Butter Bomb, and absolutely wanted to try it. One bomb, and one Lemoncello Cake slice was the order. The Lemoncello cake was good, but again, lacking in deep flavor. You got a hint of lemon, then the rest of the bite was chewing on air. It speaks to the lightness of the cake crumb, but the flavor needs to be punched up. The Peanut Butter Bomb however; no notes. Delicious. Chocolate mousse on top of a peanut butter mousse, on top of a chocolate cookie type base, the whole thing covered in chocolate and peanut drizzle (?) and sprinkled with peanuts. Definitely the best thing I ate here. SO, all things put together, it wasn't a bad night. Service was a little slow, which was only really a problem because we had a squirmy 7 year old. I probably would have appreciated the pace if it were The Misses and I just sipping a bottle of wine. But, the kitchen course timings and mix up, plus the muted flavor of pretty much every dish knocked it down a few pegs. I could see Cucina Carini easily being a 4 star spot and a go-to, "our spot" type place, it just didn't get there for me on my one visit. It's a little far from us, but if I'm in the area, I would definitely give it another shot.

My bestie took me here for my birthday - I'd never had been or had even heard of Barone's…read more It is tucked away in a small strip, with beautiful little white lights adorning it. Very quaint and pretty inside! Our female server was so good in every way; I feel badly that I forgot her name! I took a gamble with ordering an iffy eggplant (parm) dish. Always a crap shoot! It was very good and fresh but it could have been more tender and cheesier. The (up charge) Caesar was very good. The winner for me was the linguine that tasted homemade! Soooo fabulous! If there's a next time, Id select another dish. Their dessert window looked luscious!

We made dinner reservations for 7pm on a Saturday night and enjoyed our experience so much we…read moresubsequently booked my fiancé's bridal shower the following Monday! We arrived just before 7, and despite it being very busy, we were seated after just a brief wait. Shortly after being seated, we were greeted by our server who happened to have one of the most enthusiastic personalities I've ever had in a server and was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and offerings. He made some incredible recommendations and had no issue tweaking dishes to our request. We were started with warm, fresh bread. Each table was equipped with quality olive oil and other necessary accompaniments (cheese, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper) so everyone could season their dipping oil to their liking. We decided to skip appetizers tonight, something we rarely do, and it ended up being a great decision as the entree portion sizes were huge. Each entree came with a choice of salad, Caesar or House. I went with a house salad, and looking back I wish I selected the Caesar. Our server graciously, upon request, brought out anchovies to serve along side of the Caesar salads. For dinner, we all ordered something different: Chicken Marsala, Veal Parmigiana, Chicken Francese, and Eggplant Parmigiana. Everyone elected to have theirs served with pasta aside from me. I chose mashed potatoes and some of the best sautéed green beans I've ever had. My fiancé's dad requested to have his veal parm served with homemade tagliatelle instead of capellini which our server had no issue substituting. I thought the presentation of each dish was desirable. Everybody enjoyed their entrees but struggled to finish as aforementioned, the portions were large. The veal was tender and I appreciated the chicken is hormone and antibiotic fre Everyone agreed Barone's food, atmosphere, feel, space, and service would make for an outstanding option for my fiancé's bridal shower.

My family and I had a delicious lunch here on a weekday. It was not very busy. The food came out…read morepretty quickly. Everything we ordered was delicious. We ordered appetizers, including the mussels, which were incredibly plump with a delicious white wine broth. The calamari had the perfect level of breading and was well seasoned. I ordered the mushroom risotto special which came with asparagus and scallops. It was delicious and again very well seasoned. The scallops were exactly the right texture, not overcooked. The risotto was more toothsome than I'm used to but still very good and went well with the accompanying arugula salad. Other things we ordered were the generously portion salmon, the bolognese and the penne à la vodka. It is spacious but cozy at the same time and everyone was so nice and helpful. We did not get any dessert but looking forward to trying it next time because there will be a next time.

Our server recommended the flatbread special so we ordered it and despite finding it on the bland…read moreside we did finish it - adding extra cheese, salt and pepper to it. In passing we mentioned it only when asked by our server if we liked it that it had lacked flavor. To our surprise she took it off our bill. This is the kind of service you really don't find anymore and one of the reasons I like coming back to tutti toscani. I ordered the veal which is always good, large lump crab on top. My husband got the trio of pasta but only enjoyed two of the three. The rest of the table raved about the mushroom special almost licking the plate clean - I am not a fans of mushrooms so I'll trust them. Overall I always enjoy coming here, I don't feel like I've been ripped off when the bill hits the table and service is usually good. I do enjoy sitting outside better than inside when able it's a prettier feel to me.

Service 5/5 Food 4.5/5…read moreAmbiance 5/5 It's my first day back to NJ and when I described the kinda restaurant/food/environment I was directed here and they did not disappoint! Seated almost immediately in a covered outdoors area with a break taking view of the water. The music played lightly in the background tables are adequately spaced apart setting is both practical and upscale so you feel like it's a fine dining experience even at 1 PM in the afternoon; Hostess and wait staff dressed appropriately, but did not have the air of arrogance that most do. Food was appropriately proportionated for price point, complex in preparation/seasoning but staying true to simple essence of the dish that reminds of us home or Nona. Cáprese salad was good 4/5 (tomato type and minimal glaze) but still enjoyed, Paperdelle Beef Stew 5/5 was ORGASMIC, affogato desert 4/5 wasn't on the menu but Alex made it happen and it was everything I needed, and tiramisu 4.5/5 light fluffy not flavored cake but balanced flavorful very good! Highly recommend you're looking for phenomenal Italian food paired with a breathtaking view, look no further. The ambiance is stunning, but what really made my trip was the exceptional service. ALEX was my server not only did he initially accommodate me in a whisper as a phenomenal lasted too long, allowed me to peruse the menu without feeling pressured, was attentive without being over bearing, and most importantly he ANTICIPATED my needs, rather than waiting for me to ask! He is an asset to this restaurant but whilst I brag about my server each of my interactions were exceptional from someone near the bar directing me to the restrooms, the busboys, bread deliverer, etc. see the manager making rounds to other tables ot answering questions about delivery. I'll be back in the near future! Updates to come

Very "meh" lunch here. The lunch entrees could include a…read moresmall salad. Had the seafood canneloni. A few very small shrimp and a few pieces of crab thrown on top. However the seafood canneloni itself was filled with the almost "artificial" dyed haddock that's made to look like shredded crabmeat! This is the stuff used in the cheap "seafood salad" mixes. Very disappointed. Enclosed patio needs an overhaul and dining room reeks of musk. My partners' chicken francise was lackluster.

Food is excellent with service to match! Ambiance was cozy and I love the option of eating on patio…read moreor inside!! Would recommend & bring friends!!

Very good pizza and unusually good service by young servers. For a beer person, the choices are…read moredisappointing. Peroni is the only Italian draft, and it might as well be Budweiser, another corn-heavy beer. An American "hazy" IPA , usually a good alternative to over-hopped American IPA's as they're smoother-tasting and more food-friendly, was extremely piney; just another typical USA IPA. So many wheat beers, too? Salads looked very good as they passed by. We'll be back and try other dishes and be more judicious with our beer selections. Good job overall, Anthony!

Haven't been here in a while, and was in the mood for some pasta... So what better way to stop by a…read moregreat little dive bar and get some great pasta then on pasta flight night! Found a couple seats and the bartender greeted us right away! Always super friendly staff. Started off with some steamers which were delicious in the wine and garlic sauce. Sopped up the juices with garlic bread. The pasta flights were delicious. Each sauce better than the next. My favorite is the bolognese or the Alfredo. I had the bolognese on penne, Alfredo on tortellini, and a marinara on my ravioli. Also had a side of meatballs! Also had the Fra Diavlo on gnocchi and the vodka sauce. Pasta flights are on Wednesdays along with trivia. Check out their specials for other fun events each night of the week.

Simple dive bar. I have gone a few time. Good drinks and…read morefood. Bunch of locals who know one another. I enjoy this place.

We've been to Casa a few times over the past year and have also ordered takeout, but this visit was…read morea little off. When we first arrived, we were greeted by a gum-chewing hostess and seated right away, which was fine. It took a few minutes for our waiter, Juan, to come over and take our order. We didn't order any appetizers, so our salads came out quickly. After that, we waited...and waited...and waited. The delay was long enough that the manager came over to ask how everything was and whether we were interested in dessert. I had to tell him that we hadn't even received our meals yet. When the food finally arrived, everyone else enjoyed their dishes--veal parm, chicken franchise, and a few others. I ordered the special, described as a porterhouse pork chop with potatoes, vegetables, and a mushroom cream sauce. Thankfully, I asked for the sauce on the side, because it was very sweet--even the waiter mentioned that. The pork chop itself was cooked the way I like it, but it was not a porterhouse cut. A true porterhouse pork chop should be bone-in with both the tenderloin and loin sections. What I received was more like a pork loin cut, and while it was listed as 16 oz, it didn't appear to be anywhere near that size. Moving forward, we'll likely take a break from Casa

Ordered a cheesesteak. The sandwich was tasteless. Meat was tough, it was obvious that it was cheap…read moremeat. Dry,dry. Cooked to death. The cheese was not the tasty Cooper sharp other shops use. Based on the meat it was probably a cheap processed cheese. Expensive too for the quality and taste I ended up throwing half away. If their dinner entrees are like the sandwich I won't be eating there.

The food was amazing!! I got the shrimp and scallops with angel hair pasta. It was so good and the…read morewhite sauce was perfect. My boyfriend ordered the pork chop but didn't like it and Lindsey was so nice and accommodating. Ordered the chicken parm and he loved it. The BREADDDDDD WAS EVERYTHING TOOO! They heard we loved the bread and as we left they boxed some up for us. Tommy the bus boy was also soo sweet. Good food and service were 10/10. Defiantly give it a try if you're in the area.

Nice atmosphere & we had good service but this place is ridiculously priced for what you get. I…read moreordered the gnocchi in marinara with melted mozzarella. Very small portion with hardly any cheese & the marinara was too watered down for my taste. I normally have enough food to bring 1/2 home whenever I eat out, not here. And if they want to charge the prices they do for small, simple pasta dishes, they could at least give you freshly grated Parmesan cheese to add, not what looks like Kraft fake Parmesan dust. They should also be giving you house-made pasta at these prices, not up-charging you even more if you want that option. I will say the bread basket they give you was enjoyable. Doubt I'd come here again.