Back in the day, I'd occasionally stop by here when I was coming back from a "road trip" to…read moresomewhere and pick up some take-out food before I went home. My memory of the place was of it being a decent enough establishment for a local restaurant, but I haven't been back in a long, long time (perhaps because my "road trip" days are pretty much behind me now).
My old friend wanted to meet, I wanted to keep it local, and he mentioned the Ridge Restaurant as a possibility, as they had catered some event for his sister, and he had been impressed with the food. I don't always go by my friend's endorsements; in fact, I seldom do, but I had no reason, based on my own past experiences, to refuse. I agreed to meet him on S. Finley Ave. at approximately 6pm.
In terms of its basic set-up and configuration, the "business center" of Basking Ridge hasn't really changed since I moved to the area with my family as a teenager (and that was a long, long time ago!). More congestion, more vehicles, busier streets. In my old age, I find myself increasingly disliking the parking situation. You pull your car into the available parking spot on the street, and when you're finished with your business, you back up...very carefully indeed, if you're smart...into busy 2-way traffic volume. No thanks. Not at night, not at rush hour. Whether it's cataracts, limited night vision, or advancing old age in general and increasing timidity in particular, I decided instead to park in the nearby library's spacious parking lot (I'm a regular there, so hopefully I don't get ticketed, which hasn't happened so far when I've had to do business in Basking Ridge).
When I entered Ridge Restaurant, my old friend was already seated. We were the only patrons. He said, "Did you park on the street?" I replied, "No, at the library, and then I walked over." He smirked, and said, "And you call me a delicate vessel!" I was about to say, "No, that was your ex-father-in-law who called you that, and he was right!" Decided not to. Confrontation wasn't going to help my digestion...which also hasn't gotten better with the advancing years...and I really couldn't deny that he had a valid point. Ten, 20 years ago, I never hesitated to drive into the roughest parts of Paterson or Newark or the Bronx and now I'm antsy about parking in small-town Basking Ridge? What can I say? Except... Touche'!
We both tried a slice of pizza. It was ok. As part of my fairly draconian diet, on my days off from work, I eat only 1 meal a day. So far, it seems to work effectively. On this particular occasion, given that I've lost a substantial amount of weight, I decided to indulge in some old favorites. As I've said, the slice of pizza was ok, but I probably could have done without it. I ordered a bowl of pasta fagioli and the lasagna. Felt like old times!
I don't know if my stomach has shrunk or what, but the bowl of soup, tasty and piping hot, was more than enough food for me. I could have made a meal of that alone. A decent salad was served, and the lasagna was enjoyable.
We were served fresh bread with the meal (as always, I can't remember what exactly my friend ordered, beyond the slice of pizza), but neither of us indulged. He complains about getting too fat because of how it makes him look and I'm trying to lose weight for health reasons. In line with the rest of the meal, I'm sure it was very good bread, but we didn't actually try it.
My stomach was a little iffy for the rest of the night, but that had nothing to do with the restaurant or the cuisine. I ate too much food, and I'm not used to doing that anymore. As I've mentioned in some other recent reviews, it's not like I'm never going to indulge in lasagna or ice cream ever again. I just have to be more careful in how much I indulge in when I do occasionally indulge.
(Funny...well, I think it is...diversionary story about my old friend-- a large reason for his wanting to lose weight is vanity. We're roughly the same age...in other words, "old"...and he still regards himself as a "player." A friendly, much younger woman he works with was "Miss Ecuador" in her native country, and he asked me what I thought about him asking her out "for a casual date." I said, "C'mon, don't embarrass yourself! She's young enough to be your daughter!" Nothing if not persistent, my friend as usual disregarded my advice and when he saw her again, he did ask her if she'd like to go out for a cup of coffee "or something" after work. With no hesitancy at all, she responded, "No." He asked, "Do you have a boyfriend?" With no hesitancy at all, she responded, "No." Give my friend his due, he was able to laugh about it while relating the experience to me later on. Anyhow...)
Ridge Restaurant is a decent place to partake of Italian "comfort" food if you're in Basking Ridge. Service is efficient, food is tasty and filling, and the price is reasonable. And, according to my friend, they do a great job at catering.
Recommended.
