Delicious food, very nice ambiance, and impeccable service! When the waiter described one of the…read morespecials, it brought back memories of a similar dish I cooked to impress a young lady while in college 30 years ago!

We there for the first time and were pleasantly surprised. It's located in a strip mall in…read moreMarlboro, but once you walk in, you would not know the location. It is decorated like a NYC restaurant, very contemporary and bright. The owners Colleen and Joe Pisacreta were both very welcoming. The service was very professional and Ray did an excellent job explaining the specials to us. The busboy came around a few times to make sure we had everything we needed and Ray was on top of the clean silverware. We all started off with the house salad that comes with the main meal and warm bread. The salad was very fresh and cold. I ordered Shrimp Fra Diavolo over Linguine. My husband and another guest had Linguini with White Clam Sauce and other guests had Chicken and Veal Parmigiana. At the end of the meal, some of us had coffee, cappuccino and 2 desserts of Tartufo. The homemade cream served with the Tartufo was creamy and delicious. Being that we all came upon a recommendation of one of our friends, they came and gave us biscotti with their homemade cannoli filling. At the end of the meal, the owner/chef, Joe came to our table to say hello and chatted with us a bit. He wanted to make sure that we were happy with our meals and service.

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!

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.

The pizza here is out of this world. I love eggplant and their Melanzane pizza is superb!!!read more

A place that honors reservations, checks in often, clears the table after apps and quaint lighting-…read moresign me up. I saw a picture of a bar pie and that it was byob so jetted to make a reservation. 7pm on Friday place was packed. All good signs for a night out. Most patrons had wine glasses, I wanted to keep it crazy and poured a beer since it is byob. Paired with home made crusty mini rolls, a large bowl of soup and big chairs to unwind great spot to bring the whole family. Not to mentioned there's a pizza type for everyone. From thinnest crispiest crunchiest cheese edge bar pie to a fluffy Sicilian or Detroit, I can't wait to try them all.

For my wife's birthday I surprised my wife and took her to one of her favorite restaurants in the…read morearea, La Cucina Nouveau, where they serve her favorite gnocchi. I called late morning(Saturday) and was able to get a reservation at 5pm. Upon entering we were greeted by two large birthday parties in progress; for a 100 year old woman and for a 75 year old woman. However, we were seated immediately and brought fresh crusty bread and spicy olives, and our wine was opened. Our waiter, Joe, told us the evening specials and gave us a chance to look at the menu. To my disappointment, no gnocchi amongst the regular and specials. We decided upon entrees and when Joe returned I mentioned my and my wife's disappointment at the absence of gnocchi. Joe excused himself and went into the kitchen returning shortly. He said the chef would make us an order of gnocchi even though it was not on the menu. He said the chef would prepare it any way we wanted; this in a jam packed Saturday night restaurant. Now that's service! We told him to surprise us with chef's choice and we would share the order as an appetizer. When he returned it was with a large platter of gnocchi with small potato cubes, and sweet acorn squash in a savory, slightly tomatoey, cream sauce. Each item perfectly cooked with al dente precision. Our grilled shrimp and frenched pork chop entrees also perfectly cooked. Joe also brought out complimentary Ice cream and candle to accompany our cappuccino and espresso. We both found it to be a great dinner! Thank you Joe and thank you chef!

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.

Finally tried Lubrano's, had heard good things from friends. Decided to just go the take out route…read moreso no comments on dish presentation. We ordered the Pasta Al Forno as an appetizer & Chicken Scarpariello for the main dish. Was quoted 35-40 min when I called it in, arrived ~30 min, paid & food came out near the 40 min quote. The pasta - for us the cheese on top was perhaps over toasted as it was on the dry side. Flavor was fine otherwise. Not sure I'd order this for a main dish without added protein though. The Chicken Scarp - excellent. The chicken & potatoes were very tender. The mild sausage makes this dish come together, it adds a level of savoriness to complement the balsamic sweetness in the sauce. I also like the long angled slices of sausage nicely seared on each side, it was not expected vs other versions that I've had. Meal also came with bread to soak up that chicken sauce. Also noting the place seemed packed, only 2 spots on their lot were open plus it sounded busy inside. Will try it next time onsite with one of my many fine bottles of wine. :)

This location is right off the highway with plenty of parking…read more Cute little place with a diner kind of vibe. We had the calamari and the sausage and broccoli rabe for appetizers were delicious. We all had different entrees, we were all happy with our choices and had enough for lunch the next day. The service here was to par very attentive. I will be back.

@il_leone_nj completely blew me away. You can feel the intentionality the second you walk in!!…read more The space is warm, stylish, & the vibes are truly impeccable. It does not feel like a strip mall spot at all... it feels like a hidden date-night gem. The owners, B & Izzy, are so welcoming, and their hospitality really sets the tone for the whole experience. The staff was just as friendly and made us feel taken care of all night. Now let's talk FOOD...We started with the garlic shrimp appetizer and I'm still thinking about that sauce it was so flavorful, garlicky & perfectly cooked. The spicy rigatoni had the perfect kick and was one of those dishes you don't want to stop eating. Honestly, everything we had was incredible. Obsessed is an under statement for their pizza. So DELISH! I also love our chicken entree, the pollo martini. It was such a delicious sauce and I loved that they served this with a sautéed garlic spinach! For dessert we had a warm banana bread pudding served with vanilla ice cream and it legit brought me back to life. Quite literally obsessed! I will be thinking about this dessert for a while! It's BYOB, the prices are reasonable for the quality, and the whole experience just hits. Definitely a spot we'll be coming back to!

First I would say the staff was welcoming and friendly. The food was good although some dishes were…read morenot as expected (which can be a good thing). The rice balls were made with black rice-quite a surprise when we cut into them! The pulpo was tender and excellent. Both appetizers were very good. If you are looking for spicy Fra Diavolo, I would suggest mentioning to the waiter you want some heat. The Shrimp Fra Diavolo was very good but not at all spicy. The mushroom risotto was very good as well. One of the specials was chicken cutlets with fresh tomatoes, olives, with a light sauce and topped with shaved mozzarella. This was served with roasted potatoes on the side, and it was excellent. The chicken was so flavorful and so tender you could cut it with a fork. Two of us had this special and it did not disappoint. We ended the night with coffee and two desserts. The creme brulee had a coffee flavor and was good. We also ordered a chocolate souffle, which definitely did not resemble anything close to a souffle. The flavor was fine but it flat, almost like a pancake. It was closer to a flatter molten lava cake. (Guess we should have been suspicious when we didn't have to wait extra time for the souffle.) Now for our main gripe. When one of us asked if the special chicken could be made without garlic (due to an allergy), the server said 'of course - nothing is impossible'. This was a lovely response to the request. However, when we received the check, there was a $4.00 charge for 'no garlic'. Really? We eat out in all sorts of restaurants from casual to very high end, and never have we ever seen this. This very small charge left a bad taste in my mouth (no pun intended). For this reason we gave only three stars - nice ambiance inside and outdoor seating under a gazebo, pleasant, friendly service, and good food, but the extra charge for omitting an ingredient was very disappointing.

My wife and I absolutely love their eggplant parm and Margherita pizza. We've had other dishes, but…read moreour latest dinner was our favorites. We are never disappointed. Service is excellent and their home made rolls are incredible. The restaurant is a gem.

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.