Life is precious, we all know that. Its so hard to find places where the food and ambience are…read moreworth your time and money. Amorina is a rare gem where you get savor great food and spend that ever so precious time with family to make unforgettable memories. The food, ambience, and hospitality was amazing to celebrate my husband birthday . We will definitely be back

You MUST try Amorina Ristorante Italiano in Marlboro, NJ!…read more I recently had the pleasure of dining at Amorina with a couple of friends, and from the moment we walked into the beautifully decorated restaurant, we knew we were in for something special. Everything was phenomenal! We shared baked clams, stuffed artichoke and salads, followed by Penne Vodka, Veal Parmigiana, Rigatoni Bolognese, and Grouper & Scallops Oreganata. Every single dish was beautifully prepared and absolutely delicious. And dessert? Bananas Foster -- incredible and the perfect ending to an amazing meal! Owners Joe and Colleen are always on-site, and you can truly see the love and attention they put into every detail. They really do a beautiful job making you feel welcome. Colleen Pisacreta 100% recommend! Amorina Ristorante Italiano Marlboro, NJ -- right next door to the Marlboro Post Office. Open 6 days a week -- Monday through Saturday! Definitely add Amorina to your list. We can't wait to go back! Amorinaitalian.com

Went to Clarizio's Italian Ristorante and I'm still thinking about this meal closing my eyes…read moretonight. I ordered the pork chop and I swear it melted in my mouth faster than my paycheck disappears on Amazon. Perfectly cooked, juicy, and seasoned so well I almost stood up and applauded in the middle of the restaurant. Then came dessert... the cannoli cake. Whoever invented that deserves their own national holiday. Out of this world doesn't even describe it. I took one bite and immediately started questioning every other dessert I've ever eaten in my life. The staff was awesome, the atmosphere was great, and honestly I'd probably fight a small bear for another slice of that cake.

This past Saturday night was my husband and my first time dining at this restaurant even though we…read moredo live locally. Many of our friends have recommended Clarizio's to us but every time we gave thought about coming it has been particularly difficult to get a reservation on a Saturday night. I was working late on Saturday, so I was unaware that my husband was able to make a reservation for 8:30PM. Reservations are not made through Open Table. Instead, Clarizio's website send you to another site called Resy to make a reservation. What was shocking and disappointing is that Clarizio's hold your credit card number to secure the reservation and if you don't show a $25 fee is charged. My husband was so worried that they were going to count us as a no show because we were running a little late. He even tried to call to inform them that we were running late, but no one answered the phone. Luckily, Clarizio's called us because we were about 10 min late to inquire our whereabouts and we had just turned into the restaurant parking lot. Upon arrival, the hostess took us to a table set for 2 in a crowded dining room with all other tables holding large parties. Although it was crowded it did not take away anything from our wonderful dining experience! Our waiter John P was extremely nice and helpful especially after he learned that it was our first time dining here. Unfortunately, I was unaware that it was BYOB because I was working and was unable to check the website. Our waiter John eased our minds by saying that it was okay and that we would have to rely on their food to make a good impression. That certainly was no disappointment! Our food was so terrific, that we cannot wait to return and taste so many other delicious sounding items on their menu. John also told us that unless we have huge appetites, their entree portions were large enough to share. We were glad to take John's suggestion and shared the Zuppa di Pesce which was plentiful of shellfish in a tomato broth over angel hair pasta. We have had this dish in many other Italian restaurants and this was one of the best! This entree also came with one salad and I asked for an extra salad for me since we were sharing the entree. Not to go unnoticed was the crunchy outside and soft inside delicious bread. For dessert, we shared the Tiramisu suggested by John as it was his personal favorite. It was so light and flavorful that we too could make it our personal favorite! All in all this was a fabulous dining experience and I highly recommend this restaurant! Next time though, I will remember to bring a bottle of wine.

Cozy, Warm and welcoming with outstanding, friendly service…read more Owners or other family are present and are authentically grateful for their customers business. They make you feel like visiting family for dinner. Freshly baked bread with olive oil for dipping starts your table. Appetizers are very good and very FRESH we enjoyed our house made Zucchini sticks and the Special Appetizer of Tripe Marinara. Dinner was a Double Cut Pork Chop Scarpiello and was cooked to perfection. Moist, flavorful roasted pork. Worth every penny! Cacio e Pepe was a perfect al dente proving even the simplest ingredients done right can elevate it. The biggest thing we noticed was how FRESH the ingredients were. The quality of the ingredients are also seen in their dishes. Ending with a Toffee Pudding (Housemade) rounded it out. Highly, Highly recommended this GEM of a restaurant!

Great spot. Went there Saturday. The restaurant is beautiful inside. Perfect for a date or special…read moreoccasion. Service was fantastic. Our server Kristen was very good. We had meatballs and Zuppa d' clams for appetizers and they were delicious. Entree's were extremely good. I had a Paella that was on special for the night and it was great. Wife had the Carbonara and it was just as good. We had NY Cheesecake and Cannolis for desert that were wonderful. Restaurant is a BYOB but if you forget to pick up a bottle, they do offer a selection of local wines. Family run. Isabella introduced herself and greeted us which was very nice. I'll be going back soon for sure!

Via Sposito in Old Bridge, NJ is incredible. A family run restaurant with great people and the most…read moredelicious food. We have eaten there 3 times in 6 days. Absolutely amazing!!! Appetizers to die for - fried calamari, clams oreganato, everything is DELICIOUS. Pasta dishes that make you cry they are so delicious. Now let's talk about the pizza. True Neapolitan pizza. The crust is light and crispy and so special. The margarita pie is killer, the Emiliano - with prosciutto, Arugola, truffle oil and Parmigiano Reggiano is the best pie in Old Bridge. It is not even close. Via Sposito is a hidden gem and among the best restaurants in NJ. Get there as soon as possible. You will be blown away.

On a recent vacay to visit family, we met up with some north Jersey cousins for dinner at Via…read moreSposito. I loved that they accommodated our group of 12 with just a few days' notice. They're an Italian restaurant with a good selection of dishes to meat various diets: salads, pastas, meat dishes, etc. The food was also pretty good, and service was fine. Better Italian food can be found in NJ, not too far away, but the location, quality and price point served our purposes. The servings are generous. I had the "Sunday Supper" (pasta served with red sauce, braciole, sausages, meatballs, and ribs), which I shared with my husband, and even so we had plenty to take home for another meal! I found the decor unusual in that there was a noticeable religious motif. In fact, a life size statue of the a Virgin Mary stood in the corner behind our table observing our little reunion. Odd for a restaurant, but it made for some fun comparing of notes afterwards.

Fantastic lunch and an even better experience! The food was delicious, but the outstanding service…read morefrom Vito and Mike made our visit exceptional. They were friendly, attentive, and made us feel truly welcome. We'll definitely be back. Highly recommend!!

So my family took me to Sette for Mother's Day Dinner. We had 7:15 Reservations and were seated…read moreright near the door (there were 5 of us) at 7:30. I should've asked to be moved, but it would've been a long wait, so we stayed there. Not great. People standing in the small vestibule laughing and talking right near my son's arm. Not pleasant. We were greeted pretty quickly and she took our wine order. We asked for tap water as well. One of our sons ordered a mocktail. She came back with a different wine in the same price point and said what we ordered sold out. Ok. No big deal. My son's Mocktail was no where to be seen. Neither was the water. Someone brought over olive oil and salt and pepper. But we then sat there for 20 minutes with no bread and no water. The bread finally came and so did the water, but at this point I was a bit annoyed. Still no mocktail. She took our app orders. She bought two of the three. The third took another ten minutes. But the apps were really very good. She then took all of our orders. We asked about the mocktail. (They have really delicious ones) She said "oh my I forgot!" Left. Came back and said the ingredients were out and could he choose a different one. He did. When it finally showed up he tasted it. Awful! It tasted like pickles! They did take it off the bill, but our son ended up with water. Then our meals came. Both sons ordered Pastaa Carbonara. BOTH orders were runny and ice cold (Carbonara is creamy). We sent both dishes back. We asked for another bottle of the wine. That came right away. She picked up the empty bottle, but she saw someone flag her down and she left it on the table. The table was kinda crowded so this was not good either. Meanwhile the rest of us had our meals. They did make it completely fresh, and it was good when they finally got it. Took awhile for them to clear the table and then they took the empty wine bottle, but I had to ask them to. So we ordered coffee and desserts. I asked for cream and splenda. My coffee and dessert came, as did the others. No cream. No sugar or splenda. Waited. Kept waiting. Couldn't get anyone's attention. No one brought it. My husband got up and went to the back to ask for it. She apologized and brought it five minutes later. So I'm giving it 2 stars because the food was good (when it was fresh and hot), but the service not so much. I know it was Mother's Day, but shouldn't there have been more wait staff scheduled because of that? By the time we got dessert the restaurant was mostly empty. We should not have had to get up to ask for cream etc. We had been there in the past with friends, not on a holiday, and it was much better. But I was not really happy at all with the restaurant choice after this experience. I think they definitely over booked and without the staff to meet that need it fell very very short.

We had not been to La Cucina in a while. but let me just…read moresay.. our food was fantastic! fresh and big portions. we had grilled octopus, calamari, the Brussels sprouts salad is to die for! my husband and 2 others had the halibut special it comes over risotto, 2 of us had the chicken Milanese and one of our friends got the steak with onion rings! excellent! We were treated like family as soon as we walked thru the door, the owner Salvina is so accommodating and friendly. The ambiance is so nice, you can actually sit and have a normal conversation. Service was great! our waitress Nina went over all the specials and was very attentive... as so was the rest of the staff. It is a byob.. and Liz is the professional mixer, she actually comes to your table and mixes your cocktails. very nice touch!! The prices are not over the top and you're not rushed out, I highly recommend to go!!! It was a very nice experience.

We hadn't been back to LCN in a bit and figured it would be a good spot to meet for a cousin's…read moredinner. We had a 6:30 Saturday reservation and it served no purpose. We waited 45 minutes in a crowded vestibule along with others who also had to wait up to an hour. This did not go over well for our party of six. On to the food and service. Appetizers Burrata & prosciutto Beet salad Octopus Seared artichokes Crab cake- lots of filler, not the best Entrees NY strip steak Snapper over risotto Berkshire pork chop Rigatoni Bolognese Branzino Dessert Flourless chocolate cake w gelato- very good Blueberry tart Apple tart Blueberry lemon pound cake Only the chocolate cake was a stand out. The others fell short. The food and service are very good. In defense of the server, she did send fried zucchini on the house for our wait and it was appreciated. However, based on other reviews and our experience, I will return-but it won't be on a weekend night and be subjected to that kind of wait again. Cramming a restaurant and not honouring reservations eventually gets old.

Loved everything start to finish. Anthony was knowledgeable, gracious and attentive. Food was…read moresome of the best I have had locally. Small restaurant but a gem!

What do you get when you put a Dunkin, a nail salon, an engineering consultant, and a NYC-vibe…read morerestaurant into a suburban strip mall? I can't speak for the first three. But the last one? One hell of a restaurant. By all accounts, a seasonally driven, high-end Italian spot taking 11pm reservations on a Saturday shouldn't exist, let alone thrive, off Route 33. But La Lupa defies the odds and delivers a full-on sucker punch to your taste buds. After finally landing a birthday reservation, my wife and I grabbed a great bottle (thank G-d for BYOB) and made the trip to a place everyone we know has been hyping. Even though our table wasn't ready, La Lupa made an immediate impression: warm welcome, offered to pour our wine while we waited, easy conversation, genuine interest. It set the tone for what might be the best hospitality I've ever experienced. Once seated at the chef's counter, our server walked us through the menu and delivered the specials with as much detail and passion as a thespian recites Hamlet's "To Be or Not To Be". Here's how the meal shook out: Market Crudo (Salmon) - Not traditionally Italian, but the fatty salmon with yuzu and soy was bright, balanced, and a perfect opener. Roman Gnocchi -Heavenly. Full Stop. If Helen's face could launch 1000 ships, this single dish would send the rest of the Greek army to battle. A gnocchi made without potatoes and the perfect elevation of what originally was a peasant dish into something sublime and worthy of a James Beard award. The umami from the mushrooms and brown butter combined with the soft pillowy texture of the semolina dumpling is exquisite and I already know will be one of the best bites I will have all year and its' only April. Tonelli - Leek-forward to a fault. After the gnocchi, this fell flat. The concept is there, but the pasta skewed undercooked and the dish needed something to tie it together. Skirt Steak - A Snake River Farm piece of meat grilled over a binchotan grill...don't mind if I do. Cooked to a perfect medium rare, the chef was able to respect the protein and highlight the beautiful marbling that makes this cut so yumcious. Brussels Sprouts - Not officially a thing (yet), but these should be called Italian Kung Pao sprouts. Hazelnuts for crunch, agrodolce for sweet tang, perfectly cooked. It works. Cacio e Pepe Potatoes - Crisp at dinner but needed more sauce. Reheated, they softened but the flavor came through more. Jury's still out. Was every dish flawless? No. It ranged from good to exceptional. But the service? Bar none, one of the best I've ever had. They've nailed a rare balance: food that could hold its own in a stuffy, pretentious dining room, paired with service that feels like your favorite neighborhood bar. I dropped a napkin--before I could react, it was replaced. Wine was decanted and poured without asking. The staff matched my energy, diving as deep into food talk as I wanted, clearly as excited as we were. If the T-Birds from Grease went into hospitality, this is what it would look like. You can't fake that kind of passion. Most places you try once and return for the service. At La Lupa, you come back for both. We already booked our return visit for our anniversary.

Humberto and Chincis were excellent servers with great personalities and suggestions. The…read morerestaurant was well designed but I found it uncomfortably cold which may have been where we sat. The food was delicious and plentiful with many choices. Great restaurant

Food was DELICIOUS!!! We sat in the curved booth in the bar area. It was probably the most romantic…read morespot in the restaurant. A little loud but you just get closer. We shared the large portions and enjoyed a few drinks. The service was readily available and super nice. I liked this place EXCEPT the air conditioning coulda been kicked up a notch.

I had a baby shower of 60 people for my son and his wife and I cannot say enough. The wait staff…read moreAnd the manager Nick could not do enough for us. friendly and professional. The food was excellent and we were so impressed. The cake they provided was so delicious. fresh strawberries, with whip cream and beautifully decorated. Chefs kiss. Special shout out to Nick for making sure we had everything we needed! We will be back as many of my guest will be as well! Thank you

I had heard great things about this restaurant from the staff at a local pizza place, so we were…read moreexcited to give it a try. Unfortunately, our experience was very disappointing. The service was extremely slow, which wasn't entirely surprising since many other reviews mention the same issue. As for the food, the chicken tortellini soup was excellent, and the ravioli itself was good. Thankfully, I asked for the sauce on the side because it had a burnt taste. Unfortunately, the other three entrées at our table were simply not edible. We sent all three back. Our waitress was very pleasant and asked if we wanted to speak with a manager. We told her that wasn't necessary, we simply didn't want to be charged for meals we couldn't eat. Since half of our party had already finished eating, we didn't want to order replacement meals. When the bill arrived, the three returned meals were still included. At that point, we requested to speak with the manager. The manager's approach turned an already disappointing meal into an even worse experience. Instead of listening to our concerns, she repeatedly reminded us that she was "the manager," mentioning her title multiple times during the conversation. She loudly asked us several times whether we had eaten there before, creating an uncomfortable scene that seemed unnecessary. She also referred to the waitstaff as "children" and explained that they weren't authorized to adjust the bill--only managers could do that. Our response was simple: if the waitress didn't have the authority to resolve the issue, management should have been notified when we first sent the meals back. That could have avoided the entire situation. To her credit, the manager ultimately removed the returned meals from our bill. However, the way the situation was handled was unprofessional and lacked basic customer service. A little listening and empathy would have gone a long way. Unfortunately, our experience didn't improve with dessert. Based on all the positive reviews of the restaurant's bakery and desserts, we ordered four different desserts to take home. However, our order was incorrect....we received three of the four desserts we ordered, and the caramel stuffed cheesecake was replaced with a cannoli. Since I don't like cannolis, that was another disappointment. Of the desserts we did receive, the crumb cake and chocolate mousse cake were both very good. Unfortunately, the tiramisu was not enjoyable. It was disappointing that even the desserts, which had received such high praise, failed to meet our expectations overall. Sadly, despite the few items we did enjoy, the poor food quality, slow service, and especially the manager's handling of the situation left us with no desire to return. Based on our experience, I cannot recommend this restaurant.

We tried Patricia's for lunch this time since it had been a while. It was good overall. Service was…read moregood along with our meals. Still a solid byob. Appetizer Seafood salad- we shared as a starter Eggplant tower Penne à la vodka We tried Patricia's for lunch this time since it had been a while. It was good overall. Service was good along with our meals. Still a solid byob. Appetizer Seafood salad- we shared as a starter Eggplant tower Penne à la vodka Frankie's famous meatballs Poached pear salad beet salad Dessert- Chocolate lava cake Poached pear salad beet salad Dessert- Chocolate lava cake

I have seen this spot in staten 100x, never ate there…read more My wife and i decided to give this one a shot, what an experience. The establishment is beautiful, clean & cool decor. The staff was kind, respectful and knew their stuff. Ashley was our server & she was awesome. Her knowledge of food and the menu was exceptional. She helped us decide on a few items and when i was going opt out of desert, she gave me a lesson on how an affogato came to be. The lamb chops were cooked to perfection, the flavor on the pasta was delicious and the fresh, table side mozz was phenomenal. Looking forward to going back!!!