This place is delectable. Addictive garlic knots, Grandma's pizza, thick crust that melts in your…read moremouth. Not doughy at all, amazing. Their olive oil is is remarkable. Tonight we had veal marsala that melted in my mouth. Our go to place.

We order from here quite regularly. Today I ordered 3 small subs and a large salad. When serving…read morethe subs to my visitors, we found that at most there was one thin slice of meat and cheese on each sub. In fact, on one end of a sub there was only lettuce. We also ordered a white tuna sub and it certainly did not taste or look like white tuna more like chunk light. We ended up embarrassed to feed this to our guest and tossing most of the order. Definitely very disappointment to pay for food we had to throw away. Will rethink ordering from here again.

- Large restaurant with two dining rooms and classic old-school tavern vibes, featuring mahogany…read morewalls, booths along the walls, plenty of tables, and bar seating - Service was warm, friendly, and very attentive throughout our meal - Food was very good: the thin-crust pizza held together well and had a tangy tomato sauce; the salad was fresh, with large, flavorful tomato chunks and just the right amount of dressing; calamari was nicely fried, though the portion could have been bigger - Private parking lot with plenty of spaces

THE FOOD ----------------…read more+ House Salad - Tomato chunks, red onion slices, olives, cheese and LOTS of vinaigrette. Solid typical house salad. + Fried Calamari - Was a smaller portion than we anticipated, but was well-fried and very good though. Just wish the plate was bigger. + Large Plain Pizza - Vic's classic 14" thin crust pie - Very thin and very good. Like the restaurant, it was a no frills cheese pizza that was light. For a large pizza, 14" is kind of small and we would have liked if it was more of a standard size large pie at 18". THE SERVICE ------------------- + Waitress was friendly and all of our food arrived very fast after ordering. THE SURROUNDINGS ------------------------------- + Old school interior. No fanciness here. Just a whole lot of wood walls and panels with a bar in the back. + Private parking lot in the back has a lot of spaces. RANDOM OBSERVATIONS -------------------------------------- = Arrived at around 1:30 on an August Saturday afternoon and it was busy inside, but not overwhelmingly so. We were seated right away and there were plenty of open tables and booths to spare. = They sell merch, specifically restaurant-branded T-shirts at $20 a pop (as of August 2026).

Our first visit to Dolce Fantasia, and it will not be the last. My wife and I attended the Beer,…read moreWine and Spirits event in Asbury earlier in the day and decided to stay in town for an early dinner. Even though they only opened at 5pm, there was already a lively crowd at 5:30. We started with Polpettine Di Pollo, organic chicken meatballs with bell pepper, garlic, spinach and pomodoro. The order was large and delicious! Piping hot as well. Carol chose the Pappardelle al Telephono Nostro, house made pasta, mozzarella, tomato-cream sauce and fresh basil. this was a large order and my wife loved it. I chose the Tortelloni alla Bergamasca, veal tortellini with black truffle and rosemary veal reduction. Excellent as well! Dessert consisted. of a shared Pistachio Creme Brulee that was perfect. The restaurant is BYOB and I recommend making a reservation. Our server, Khrystna, was superb

Asbury Park is one of my favorite food towns, and a huge reason is because it still has the ability…read moreto pleasantly surprise me. Case in point - this restaurant has apparently been in the downtown area for several years and I had no idea. I stopped by here for lunch on Memorial Day with the Millennial Chum, and in a totally risky move, didn't make a reservation anywhere and just decided to wing it. The Millennial Chum's only requirement was that it be a place neither one of us had been to before, so after a very quick search/walk, we noticed this place and also decided we had a hankering for Italian. Done. I don't know how to describe the interior, but "yellow" and "modern" comes to mind. This isn't a stodgy white tablecloth kind of place; it's vibrant and hip, I'm sure trying to capture that classic Asbury demo. Really unique. The weather was a little meh, which worked in our favor - although there was a decent amount of foot traffic in the downtown area 70% of which were pooches, only one other table was occupied in here. We were able to sit down and were served very promptly. We were both very intrigued by one of the apps on the verbal specials menu - mango burrata, which sounded like sort of a mess, but also worth a try. Definitely more of the latter. Never would have thought to combine these two ingredients together, but it was really excellent and an interesting palate pairing. The presentation was solid as well, and this...didn't last long, although given that we both ordered entrees perhaps we should have been more responsible in that regard. Something I'd recommend for the regular menu in the future for sure. A lot of the entrees looked interesting and pretty authentic; this isn't just spaghetti and chicken parm (I'm not actually sure either was even on the menu). The one that emotionally spoke to me the most was the Pappardelle (one of my fave pastas and always pleased to see it) Al Telefono Nostro. Really hit the spot, and as you can see a really hardcore portion. The tomato cream sauce was light and flavorful, and the only nitpick I had (just a personal palate preference) was the inclusion of the sliced tomatoes. I'm sure a ton of people love those, and it basically adds a level of authenticity to the dish that a barbarian like me just can't quite appreciate. I made sure the Millennial Chum had a few tomato pieces though. Really good dish and would order it again. Honestly not sure what possessed us to even look at the dessert menu much less actually order from it, but I thought Oreo Tiramisu sounded interesting, despite the Millennial Chum's yowling that she despised tiramisu. It turns out she doesn't, because once this dish arrived she happily helped herself and decided that her opinion on tiramisu was likely based on a traumatic/misleading childhood incident. Bare minimum, this place gets solid marks for rewriting history for her in the Italian dessert department. But it WAS delicious, which was a theme of our meal. The service was top-notch; our waitress was over regularly and had a strong command of the menu (which I think deserves bonus points, given that this was not Americanized and it helped to have a metaphorical lifeguard helping us navigate some of the trickier stuff; I studied abroad in Florence over 20 years ago, but you'd never know it). Very pleasant. BIg recommend; not a ton of establishments under the radar in Asbury, but this might be one of them.

Prices are very good, Food is delicious and the portions are more than enough. We now go regularly…read more Friendly atmosphere and live music most nights. Lively bar with plenty of TV's to catch all the games.

I've been meaning to leave a review for this place for a long time. My wife and I eat here two or…read morethree times a month--sometimes more--and always love it. It's truly one of the "last of the Mohicans"--a classic, old-school Italian joint that you just don't see much anymore. I'm not knocking the new, modern restaurants and their creative concepts, but if you're looking for a really good, affordable Italian dinner in a great atmosphere, this is your spot. The moment you walk in, it feels timeless, which only adds to the charm. They have great live music most nights, the owners and staff are incredibly friendly, and the wine bottles are very reasonably priced. It's tucked into a unique, up-and-coming neighborhood that's a mix of industrial and residential (with some really nice new condos being built). If you want a great night out with good music, good people, and delicious food without breaking the bank, you need to check this place out.

Highly recommend. The service is amazing and everyone is friendly. Beautiful view of the ocean…read more Food is delicious.

Fabulous Food Service…read moreAmbiance ! Joe our bartender is a PRO! The best of Belmar! Two customers!!

Nice place Good service…read moreGood food Loved the apps: meatballs and specials apps for the night of 1/eggplant and 2/ watermelon salad Entree Dishes were enjoyable. Street parking We would come again.

Honestly, I was blown away by this humble little restaurant. It truly is a warm and inviting…read moreatmosphere with standout dishes and excellent service. It was so good that I would have returned back the very next day. We walked in and we're seated immediately with our reservation, and the experience only went up from there. There are plenty of staff around to make sure that you have everything you need without seeming to be too much. It's a cozy space, nothing super fancy, but really that's all you need sometimes in a neighborhood Italian joint. Everyone at my table raved about their food from the pasta Arrabiata, to the veal special to what I had which was the crab pasta. There was so much crab and the sauce was so light. I can't get over it. I ate my leftovers that same night. Looking forward to visiting soon again

Food is delicious, and the service is friendly and attentive…read more I very much recommend visiting Skratch Kitchen and, I'm sure you will become a regular customer.

Great experience overall. Menu was the best I've seen in a long long time. From specials to apps…read moreto pasta to entrees I'd go down the line and order every last one em but you gotta focus up !! Oysters dressed like it's a black tie event with caviar and pomegranate. Chicken Savoy is the greatest chicken dish and should enter competitions. BYOB I'm with a liquor store next to the restaurant makes it easy. Check this place out. Looking forward to coming back.

What a legendary spot! After researching this place and while in the area, we knew someone in our…read moreparty had to take on the whole pie/pizza eating challenge. We came, we saw, and my husband conquered :) A few things to note about Pete & Elda's..they don't take reservations. This is an incredibly popular spot, especially in the summer months, so if this is on your Jersey summer list..block out some time for this experience. They do offer to-go if time isn't of the essence, but I do feel like if you have the opportunity to have the full experience, take it. We've never done a food challenge before, but essentially the challenge is for (1) person, 30minute time frame, conquer a full pie, receive a t-shirt and of course, bragging rights. As we were seated, we noticed several other tables had at least one or more people taking the challenge, which was super fun to see and root on. Also in the parking lot there were people taking pictures with the iconic Pete & Elda's sign with their t-shirt and friends. The pizza is like a cracker-thin crust, super yummy and shareable for large groups. We had the cheese, and others at the table ordered sausage/onions, and pepperoni. We also ordered breaded mushrooms (an NJ shore classic) and zucchini sticks for the table, a Caesar salad, and macaroni and cheese for the kiddo. FYI, the macaroni and cheese was pretty fire! I've been eating a lot of kiddo meal leftovers on this trip, and this was a standout. I love the bar atmosphere of this place too, and learned you can actually also order "bar pies" at the (bar only). Great beer selection! There are other food classics on the menu as well if pizza isn't your thing like chicken parm, stuffed shells, veal, seafood, chowder soup(s), burgers, cheesesteaks, and more. All in all, my husband got the t-shirt, finished the challenge in 19 minutes, took the picture, and we all have fun memories of this day. This seems like a spot that holds a lot of memories for families coming to the Shore, and spending summers eating pie and enjoying tradition and celebration. Can't wait to do the same next summer :)

A shore legend when it comes to pizza spots. Old school charm and decore with paper thin pizza…read morecooked to the perfect level of crispy crust. We came in a busy Saturday night this time so did have to wait, but the hostess was spot on with the quoted wait time. This time my husband tackled (and suceeded) the pie challenge by eating a full XXL pizza himself on just 30-minutes! Wow! Meanwhile my dad and I split and XL Special Pie with peppers and mushrooms.

Face it, we all love Ocean Grove for its quaint streets, Christian roots and those tents...however…read morethe food scene is non-existent. So thank the heavens for the short walk into Asbury Park! Flavia's on Cookman Ave is beautiful for the beautiful with beautiful servers serving only beautiful Roman inspired fare. For the perfect light summer appetizer, the burrata, prosciutto and peaches fit perfectly. Light, simple and delicious. For a more hearty take, polpette con polenta, translation: amazing beef & pork meatballs on a light serving of polenta with the most amazing garlic bread. This could be your entire meal. Alla carbonara is true Roman, no heavy cream and totally delicious, at least that's what my Italian foodie friend Chris raved. All the entries surely lived up to their namesake. Ammazza com 'e bbono!

This is such a cute cozy spot for a date night ! They have something for everyone as they offer a…read morevegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. You also have the BYOB option however don't you worry if you forget your wine they have a few options on the menu. Our favorite was the Suppli which is like an Arancini with a spicy red sauce. The artichokes had a nice crunch however we weren't a fan of the sauce it came with (Thankfully it was in the side). Our favorite pasta was the Al Tartufo, they don't skimp on the cheese or the truffles! The Zucca e Noci was our least favorite. The brown butter sauce was over powering and the tiny pieces of butternut squash made you feel cheated however the walnuts added a nice texture . Overall the pasta (Gnocchi and Fusilli) was fresh as expected and had a nice bite. We will definetly go back to try other options!

Service from Toni was 5 star (and Nonna warmly greeted and sat us). Lovely restaurant but a few of…read morethe dishes were not great. The salad and Pasta alla Norma were the best of what we tried. Creme brulee was good also - desserts are all $10. Wish the lasagna were better - too acidic. Tasted sour. Could not eat it.

Our waiter was excellent. He recommended the homemade gnocchi and it didn't disappoint. He served…read moreme a gnocchi made with ricotta cheese. I've never had a better gnocchi in my life and I will definitely recommend to my gnocchi loving friends. Everyone at the table enjoyed their meals. Highly recommend this place