Go here for the Chilean sea bass with the Florentine sauce, get the lemon potatoes, and spinach --…read morehonestly one of the best dishes I've had in a long time. I'd give that dish a 4.75 and the overall dining experience a 4.2. The fish was incredibly fresh, delicate, and perfectly cooked. It felt light, yet still filling and completely satisfying and nice size portion too. AND DO NOT FORGET the lemon potatoes... possibly the best I've had in my lifetime. I normally don't even enjoy foods that are overly lemony, but these were balanced perfectly with just the right brightness and flavor and seasoned with perfect salt and pepper ...when the waitress told me rosemary was part of the flavor it was surprising bc I also don't like rosemary...honestly I would go back for those alone. Hub was trying this place for the first time and ordered the chicken parm. He said it was decent but fairly basic compared to other Italian spots and I'm being overly generous with my review. The side salad was surprisingly memorable...a simple mix of greens with excellent olive oil and vinegar that made it taste fresh, flavorful, and elevated. They also brought out complimentary mini rice balls along with a meat and cheese appetizer, which was a really nice touch. I paired my meal with a Washington Riesling by the glass, and our waitress was genuinely delightful and warm throughout the evening and checked if I needed a refill. My water glass also somehow stayed full the entire night, which honestly deserves recognition because that rarely happens anywhere anymore. Small hiccup: I had to ask 4 times for lemons for the water (from other staff the first 2 times)... but hey, fourth time's the charm. They also had a live piano bar 7/8 PM on Thursday night which had a lively singer and a delight to see live music entertainment. The biggest opportunity here is streamlining the music when there's live entertainment. For example, "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton was overlapping with the piano bar singer performing "8 Days a Week," which made the atmosphere feel a little chaotic and over loaded my senses and not in a good way. The piano bar music created a much more upbeat and enjoyable vibe than the regular dining room playlist. To finish, we tried the homemade New York cheesecake with caramel sauce for dessert, and you could absolutely tell the desserts were homemade. Better than some cheesecakes I've had in NYC. A perfect ending to the meal. Overall, definitely worth visiting for the chilean sea bass dishes, lemon potatoes, homemade desserts, attentive service, and warm atmosphere. When I come back I'm getting those potatoes!

After reading so many glowing reviews, I am absolutely stunned by how awful our experience was on…read moreFriday, May 8th. Between an absentee, scatterbrained server and poorly prepared food, this was one of the worst dining experiences we've had in years. We had been looking forward to this dinner all week, especially since we were celebrating two special occasions, but from the moment we were seated, it felt like we had been placed at the "afterthought table." For the first 30 minutes, no one acknowledged us. We weren't given menus, water, or any interaction whatsoever. When our server finally appeared to take a drink order, we asked for a wine list. She disappeared for another 15 minutes, and I eventually had to get up and ask another employee for menus myself. When the server finally returned, she apologized by saying she was "busy with Phil Simms" at another table. That is not something you say to paying customers. My time and money are just as valuable as anyone else's. The rest of the evening followed the same pattern: long stretches without service, forgotten requests, and excuse after excuse. When our wine finally arrived, the server spilled it across the table and onto my wife's glass, then joked that she had "forgotten how to do her job" after being on vacation and earlier she even forgot to put someone's dinner order in! At that point, I politely explained that service had been extremely slow and asked if things could improve. Her response was to laugh in my face. After taking our entrée order, she then informed us she had forgotten to tell us the specials. More than an hour after being seated, our appetizers finally arrived. They were bland and disappointing, and once we finished, the empty plates sat untouched on our table for quite some time while our server once again disappeared. Nearly two and a half hours into the evening, our entrées finally arrived. Unfortunately, the food was just as bad as the service. The chicken dish was room temperature on the outside and refrigerator-cold in the middle, with unmelted cheese still visible -- clearly something that had been prepared earlier, refrigerated, and poorly reheated. The gnocchi was overcooked to the point of being mushy and gelatinous. The braised short ribs were dry and overcooked, and the risotto was watery and flavorless instead of creamy and rich. After one or two bites, we asked to speak with a manager. The manager appeared somewhat indifferent, though he did offer to comp a portion of the meal. He also said someone would come wrap the food, but of course, no one ever did. We then sat for another 20 minutes with no interaction until our server returned and cheerfully asked, "I hope everything was great tonight!" We explained all of the issues, and her response was simply, "Oh, sorry." We asked for the bill and waited another 15 minutes. When she finally returned, she offered more excuses and told us we should give the restaurant another chance because "the kitchen is preparing for Mother's Day." At that point, it was hard to believe how tone-deaf the entire experience had been. Needless to say, we will never return and would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

Osteria Sola gave our family an experience we will never forget…read more We held my mother's repast there, and from the very beginning, Massimo Sola could not have been more gracious, accommodating, or thoughtful. This was obviously an emotional day for our family, but he and his team created exactly the right atmosphere: elegant and classy, but still warm, comfortable, and family-centered. Our group of 32 guests was able to relax, talk, laugh, remember my mother, and truly enjoy being together. The food was outstanding from start to finish. This is authentic Italian cuisine prepared with real care. Every dish was flavorful, beautifully presented, and memorable. There was not a single mediocre item served. The short ribs and branzino were particular standouts, but honestly, everything was excellent. The service was just as impressive as the food. The staff was warm, attentive, and genuinely hospitable. When we went through all the bread, they went across the street to a local bakery to get more. When we were short on white wine, they helped procure additional bottles. At the end of the meal, Massimo even gave us a complimentary bottle of champagne to take home as a thank you. Those kinds of gestures say a lot about the heart of a restaurant. Every person in our group raved about the experience. Osteria Sola is a hidden gem right in the middle of town, and more people need to discover it. We are deeply grateful to Massimo and his team for helping us honor my mother with such a beautiful meal and such genuine hospitality.

We just walked in at Sola Osteria and had a wonderful experience. From the owners to the staff, we…read morereceived the most amazing hospitality. The food was amazing! Will definitely be back.

My first time and my mom third or fourth time here busy cone on Easter…read more Food: great love it so great Service: was wonderful cone on Easter Sunday Ambience: love old school itlain restaurant very well done Must go to if can give you ten stars that what would be

Super friendly environment and courtesy from the house they make us feel welcome and appreciated…read morewith a limoncello and sambuca shots. Food was outstanding and very flavorful I had duck in a coconut style sauce with vegetables and mashed potatoes delish!!! We also had cheese ravioli, calamari with ginger sauce, muscle in red sauce and a combination of seafood. Great night! Happy Easter 226

Did I mention that I love lunches here? Especially on a Friday! It's the perfect way to kick off…read morethe weekend. Head in, relax, enjoy soup, salad, your entrée, a glass of wine (or a few), crusty bread, great service and friendly staff. Wine, dine, relax... then walk out, realize it's Friday afternoon, and the whole holiday weekend is still ahead of you. I brought the whole family today, plus my daughter's boyfriend. Even as the A/C struggled on this ridiculously hot day, it was still cool enough inside to sit back and enjoy lunch. I went with the Chicken Verona because I was in the mood for something fresh and tangy. The artichokes, mushrooms, and lemony sauce were perfect for soaking up with pieces of that crusty bread. Not much was left behind. Great meal, great company... and now here comes the holiday weekend!

I went to Bellissimo for dinner recently and had a nice time. It started out pretty cold and then…read morebecame stuffy and warm - the configuration of the restaurant is a bit strange, but we managed. Our food was pretty good, and the staff was attentive. They don't take reservations for parties with less than 5 people, but luckily we only waited about 5 minutes. The host and hostess tried to accommodate us, which was appreciated.

We've been to Morsetto twice before our visit there this evening. The service was not great the…read morefirst time, the second time it was better and tonight the service was great. They have the service down now. The owner is super nice and helpful explaining everything you want to know. The food is always fantastic! Tonight we shared the polenta appetizer, the shitake mushrooms with the silky cheese and the crisp polenta are a nice combination. We also shared the arugula salad which is so refreshing. I opted for the margarita pizza and I think it may have been the best I've had! Overall very good and a great addition to the ridgewood dining scene.

I have been a fan of Apulia in Hoboken for a while, so when I saw that the chef and owner had a new…read moreplace in Ridgewood, I was intrigued. I recently paid a visit to Morsetto and similarly enjoyed it, as expected. The restaurant had a large outdoor patio, as well as a small and casual indoor dining area. Though the weather was beautiful, the folks that I was with preferred to sit inside, so we did, and I was thankful that the air conditioning kept the place cool but not overly freezing. We scanned the menus, which contained mainly pizzas and pastas, and had a tough time choosing from so many interesting varieties. In the end, we settled on two pizzas and three pastas to enjoy family-style. The small, sourdough pies were made with organic flour, which led to thin, airy crusts. The Affumicata was a white pie topped with fresh mozzarella, speck, crumbled goat cheese, hazelnuts, and honey. It was such a great blend of textures and flavors, and I particularly enjoyed the contrast of the smoky speck with the sweet honey. It was delicious! We also had the Mare Nostro with tomato sauce, capers, fresh mozzarella, basil, Italian tuna, red onions, grated pecorino, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. While I loved the white pie at Morsetto, I always prefer red pies and this time was no different. The briny capers and zesty tuna made for such a unique bite full of Mediterranean flavors. Both pizzas were cooked perfectly, with the lightest char on each crust. The homemade pastas were similarly tasty. The Marevivo was a delicious blend of orecchiette, lobster and U7 Ecuadorian shrimp meat, oven roasted tomatoes, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The chunks of shellfish were fresh and tender, so I would have loved more of them to have been included. The sauce was robust and had notes of sea flavors within it. Then there was the Le Pugliesi pasta, which included orecchiette, Italian broccoli rabe, anchovies, seasoned breadcrumbs, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I loved how earthy that one was, but it was definitely salty. If I was going to be consuming a dish with so much salt from anchovies, I would have preferred to actually see some pieces of fish included. However, there were none visible, so I assumed they must have been blended into the olive oil, of which there was a substantial amount on the plate. Lastly, we had ordered Spaghetti and Meatballs for a child in the group, and I sampled one of the many meatballs that came in the bowl. Despite being noted as 100% beef meatballs, they tasted rather light and more like pork, so I was not really a fan, but the child enjoyed them. All of the pasta was served al dente, which I appreciated, but others in the group did not. I also should mention the service, which was friendly, but not as engaged as we would have liked. For instance, we needed to ask for things like red pepper flakes, more water, serving spoons, etc. when those should have been given to us proactively. Overall, I was pleased with my Morsetto experience and would recommend it for a casual dinner. Just be prepared for a carb fest!

I love this place! The vibe is so Italian-from the the decor to the Elvis Presley and old school…read moremusic. The food was good. The bread was amazing-which sets the tone for the whole experience. My waiter Ken was great. He made a dish with olive oil, fresh grated cheese, fresh black pepper,and hot pepper flakes for us to dip. The complimentary bruschetta was excellent as was everything else. Great night.

Always a Great Evening at Ossy 's!!! Food excellent Scallops appetizer special and Eggplant…read moreRollantine Delicious!! And Dinner even Better Rack of Lamb and Filet Mignon !! Service and value Amazing!! Atmosphere clean and I do Love a Restaurant that is Classic And a Mocha Chocolate Cake Yummy. Thank you!!

Whenever I'm craving Italian cuisine, Augie's is one of the first restaurants that pops up into my…read morehead. I have dined here multiple times and have always left with a happy tummy. As soon as you walk in, you will notice the classy, chic décor of the dining area; it gives off old Hollywood vibes. The seating is tight and the restaurant is on the smaller side, so I recommend making a reservation as it can get busy. The hostesses and servers are friendly, attentive, and personable. I always end up having good conversations with my server haha. As soon as I sit down, I'm already in a good mood because their complimentary bread served with olive oil and butter is to die for! During all of my past visits, I've never been disappointed with a dish. They have specials so there's always something new to try on the menu. Just a heads up, they are BYOB! These are some of my personal favorites: -Chicken Francese ($23.95) - The chicken cutlet is so tender, and the chefs get the francese sauce just right. It's a perfect balance of white wine, lemon, butter, and egg. You have the option of adding one free side: (1) potatoes and vegetables OR (2) pasta (angel hair, penne, rigatoni). -Pasta Limon ($31.95) - HEAVENLY... This dish consists of angel hair pasta in a creamy sauce that's a combination of lemon, parmesan, and butter. It comes with chicken and shrimp. -Fig di Sicilia Pizza ($17.95) - This has always been my #1 favorite appetizer, but sometimes it tastes better than other days. When it's made to my liking, it's basically a thin flatbread topped with mozzarella, fig marmalade, prosciutto, and arugula. This appetizer is the reason why I started eating figs LOL -Cannoli - These are HUGE and their ricotta filling is absolutely delicious! I have to roll myself out the door after eating here! Good thing I work out.

If you want to feel like you're in a NYC restaurant, look no further than your own backyard!…read moreAugie's has it all! Food, service, & ambiance are all fabulous! Easy parking, being a BYOB and not having to cross the GWB contribute to making it a nicer experience than NYC!

We had a wonderful time and the food was great. They checked all the boxes! Excellent service,…read moresuper accommodating, delicious food and warm, modern ambiance. Say hello to the owner Jimmy, he'll make you feel right at home.

We went back for seconds this week! Another great night! 4 of us delicious meals photos below. We…read morewere greeted with a smile by Jimmy the host (owner?). Always hustling with a smile on his face. Our server was Felix, did a great job! 2 of our guests had the paparadel ala alba pasta with short rib and mushrooms. One guest had the rigatoni bolognese, he loved it. I once again went with the drunken chicken parmigiana, excellent! We also broke down and shared apiece of homemade blueberry pie, Wow!