Being it's a couple of days before Christmas, my partner and I were in the mood to see some…read moreChristmas displays without the hassle of long lines or costly charge. Luckily I was contacted by one of our friends yesterday about this location as she took her family. The town of Lyndhurst in NJ is only a few miles south of our home. Located on Forest Avenue, these 3 homes were decked out with their Christmas displays as the lines of cars full of spectators trying to get that great photo. We parked a couple of blocks away and walked as well as other onlookers. Tonight's crowd was manageable where social distancing was apparent as everyone wore masks. There was one home in the middle of the three was all covered with lights even on the roof. At that same house, there's a small donation box to assist these homeowners' expenses. If you are in this area around this time, we highly recommend it.

Steve came in to demonstrate pizza making for our kids at school. He is absolutely adorable! The…read morekids loved it. The teachers loved it! I think it was out best 'outing' we ever had! Thank you so much for being so kind and keeping us smiling the whole time! When the moon hits your eye like a big PIZZA PIE The pizza was delicious!

Holy shmoly, I love this place. I am not usually in this part of town, so I honestly was not sure…read morehow I would be received when I walked through the door. But the staff was incredibly welcoming right from the start, and that alone earns them five stars. You never know what to expect in a new neighborhood, but they set the tone immediately. The vibe of the restaurant is very comfortable. It is the kind of spot you walk into after a long day or a productive day and you just know you are about to eat something good. It feels like a family run place, even if it is not actually run by family. It has that warmth. You can tell it is an important part of the neighborhood. I even noticed pictures of community members on the wall, which says a lot. Now, the food. There is hot food, cold food, and plenty of items you can take home. I ordered a chicken parmesan sandwich, and let me tell you, it was the size of a skinny football. I am not exaggerating. It took me almost a day and a half to finish it. It tasted exceptional, and I actually had to stop myself from eating the whole thing in one sitting so I would not slip into a food coma. One tip, eat it while it is hot. That is when it is at its peak power. My friend agreed with me about the overall vibe and quality. If I am ever in the neighborhood again, I will gladly go out of my way just to try more of their dishes. You do not find spots like this easily. New York City has great food, but a place with this combination of warmth, quality, portion size, and charm is rare. In another city, this could easily be a reservation only spot packed every night. Here, it fits perfectly in the community. Great job to everyone there. Keep up the good work. Cheers.

Bareli's in Secaucus makes a fantastic first impression. The restaurant sits on a busy route with…read moreeasy access in and out, and the parking lot is large enough to accommodate many vehicles. The interior is visually impressive: elegant table linens, comfortable leather chairs, and a dining room that looks polished and upscale. When we arrived, what appeared to be the owner was greeting guests at the entrance. Since he was welcoming everyone and dressed differently from the rest of the staff, we assumed he was the owner. It was a great touch and immediately raised our expectations. Unfortunately, the experience did not fully match that first impression. We started with drinks: a glass of wine for me and an Old Fashioned for my wife. As happens too often in restaurants, the stronger drink was automatically assumed to be mine, and the drinks were delivered incorrectly. It's a small detail, but one that reflects attention--or lack of it. Bread arrived quickly, followed soon after by the food. I ordered the gnocchi with meat sauce. The dish was acceptable, but nothing extraordinary. My wife ordered the house seafood salad, which was very good--fresh, flavorful, and easily the best dish we had that night. Our waiter spoke limited English. Once he realized we also spoke his language, the service became noticeably more relaxed and somewhat overly familiar. He immediately tried to guide us toward the most expensive items on the menu. When I declined coffee after dinner, he responded by saying something along the lines of: "Well, that's your choice, but the coffee here is very good," which felt unnecessary. We also had a small issue with the Old Fashioned garnish. The orange peel looked unusual, so we asked for the drink to be replaced. The waiter did replace it, though he first tried to explain that what we thought were worms were simply marks on the fruit peel. For dessert we ordered the tiramisu, which the waiter promoted heavily as the best dessert to try. Unfortunately, it didn't deliver. Instead of the classic layered presentation, it arrived more like a cup full of cream with a few pieces of soaked bread and very little coffee flavor. The issue was not just the dessert itself, but the expectations created when it was described. Bareli's is a beautiful restaurant with a great location and atmosphere, but the service details and execution didn't quite match the level suggested by the setting.

This should have been a 5 star review and I wish it was. Next time, I'll be updating to a 5, I'm…read moresure of it. We walked in to a beautifully decorated waiting area and were seating quickly. You could hear the live music playing and it was perfect. Our waiter Nathan R., was welcoming and attentive. The dirty martini was made perfectly and the hand stuffed blue cheese olives were a nice touch over the pre stuffed jar ones. To start we ordered the Burrata Salad. It was delicious. All the ingredients worked well together. For the second course we were floating between the Black Spaghetti and the Lobster Ravioli Special. We wound up going with the special and it was the move. The black inked ravioli, had chunks of lobster inside and hit nicely with the "angry sauce" on top. That bread helped clean that plate up nice. For the mains: 20oz Bone In NY Strip with sautéed spinach. Perfectly cooked to my liking and I loved that it was pre sliced for me. Spinach was lightly oiled and a perfect amount of garlic. Salmon Special - Pumpkin seed crusted with butternut squash. The plate was beautifully decorated and looked fantastic, but as soon as we cut into the salmon it was raw. It was a huge piece of salmon. So I'm sure that's what happened. Picture shown is the under cooked one that was taken back. I did not get a picture of the next. The manager saw immediately as my wife cut into it and we didn't have to say anything. He took the plate back and began making another. The dish came out and it was definitely well done this time. The piece of salmon was a lot smaller than the first. I'm sure it was to cut the cooking time down and get it out asap. The meal was fantastic. Just wish we were able to eat together. It happens. For dessert: Espresso Martini - Perfect. No baileys, 3 beans. Pistachio gelato - fantastic Zeppole - There were 3 different sauces for each one. It was amazing. Our waiter Nathan and the manager were extremely apologetic. They even came out with a complimentary limoncello spirit as we were settling up. I can't wait to dine here again to give Bareli's the 5 star it deserves.

Stopped in Saturday with Red and we both order a Roast beef "sangwheech". Red gets hers on a…read moresmaller soft roll with lettuce and tomato. I go more traditional with roast beef, capocollo, American Cheese, mustard and Balsamic on the half-loaf of bread. We arrive at our favorite park and sit to enjoy our "sangwheeches". No complaints. The meat was generous and the dressings were on point. In fact, I didn't need something that large. Had I ordered the whole I would have to bring half of it home. I ate every last bite. It was all that and a bag of chips, which was WISEly purchased to go with lunch. Other than the fact it's hidden in the neighborhood and you need to find parking, we are very satisfied and we look forward to returning.

A great local italian deli with enormous sandwiches. Daily lunch special as well as home made…read morecannolis. The Classic Italian hero was large and thick enough for two meals. This was a 4" thick tasty, fresh and well seasoned sandwich with plenty of meat and fresh mozzarella. Fast and friendly service. Nice homemade salad selection. This local spot takes pride in what they serve and it shows. Parking is somewhat challenging being that it is located in the middle of a residental street. Well worth the minor inconvenience.

A Hudson Valley wine tour to celebrate a friend's landmark birthday was perfect! Hudson Valley…read moreBucket list did an outstanding job coordinating the day from transport and an itinerary of beautiful wineries to a magazine photo worthy picnic lunch orchestrated by an on-site host. Our group of 12 were treated like special guests everywhere we went and we were wowed by the friendly, welcoming reception at each stop and the delicious wines we were able to taste. HVBL made planning this event easy and the day memorable

Becky was the best and the day couldn't have been planned any better! Best time ever !read more

Stopped at Olive Garden mainly for the breadsticks and ENDLESS SALAD…read more It wasn't great 3/5 stars. Ordered the 6 oz sirloin and Alfredo as well as the spaghetti and meatballs. Pictures are attached. It was just ehhhh probably won't go again anytime soon. The staff was friendly and on point. The restaurant seemed old and out of date.

Came here on a Tuesday which was our first in over 20yrs! Pretty packed with many large volume…read moreparties happening! Maybe because of the endless pasta starting at $14.99?! Loved the fried lasagna as an app and can never go wrong with the endless breadsticks and salad! I only remember the breadsticks being softer back in the day. Be mindful the salad contains black olives and pepperoncino so if you don't like that you might want to request omitted . Hubby got endless pasta which was rigatoni, meat sauce and added meatballs. I went with the shrimp and scallop Alfredo with broccoli added in. We had coupon for free app or dessert for signing up for their loyalty club like a week in advance. They will not send you it the same day so get ahead of the game. Don't waste on desserts as they max out at $10.49. Use it on an app which goes up to $15.49 and they honor. Waiter was awesome and told hubby get another order of endless whatever he preferred and he would pack it to go. He switched to chicken Alfredo and fettuccine. Ordered a watermelon sangria but it never came so he just deducted it and app coupon at end. So much food and plenty of leftovers for $54! Definitely would return! It's not Italian as I cook or prefer, but very similar to pizzeria pasta and couldn't complain. We were stuffed and happy! Just froze additional leftovers for a future meal!

Before today, my review would've likely been glowing. The artwork in that's been associated with…read morethem in NYC is almost always spectacular and a welcome addition to the city-scape. Unfortunately I found out recently that they're actually quite shady and manipulative. They don't actually create or curate the art in Little Italy - they pretend to support it, plaster it on their social media, and try to profit from it. At the expense of the actual artists that create the art they're showcasing. They've gotten into legal action with artists over marketing rights for the art that they claim to "support", but essentially want to mooch off of and shake down for $$$. A lot of the gorgeous art, such as the Audrey Hepburn picture on Mulberry St, are examples that they claim to be big endorsers of - but have actually fought the artists over, to win sole rights to commercializing posters etc. They've tried to destroy murals & privately commissioned public art without consent or notification to the artists themselves. Again, mostly for the chance to bring in new art and profit from online sales of merchandise / picture rights. And they're more than happy to block/ban/remove you from any of their social media if you even think of leaving a vaguely negative comment (even a politely-worded one). A word to the wise: good, wholesome, community-minded organizations NEVER block or throttle people into silence because they might disagree with them. And they NEVER treat artists like they're disposable sources of income. This organization does not represent Little Italy in the slightest. Be very, very careful if you're ever asked to work with them. Better yet, stay clear of them altogether.

The L. I. S. A. Project NYC…read more I'm not sure about the politics of what's behind this organization. There appears to be some controversy in the Yelp Reviews. I'm just a huge fan of graffiti. I love the color it adds to the city. I love the smile it puts on my face. I like the happy feeling I get inside when I see it. I also like the legal authorization of the activity. For many years it was an offense to express yourself and your artistic talent in this manner. I'm glad Little Italy has embraced this organization and the art they promote. Please Visit Little Italy and keep your eyes open for the murals. They are here, there, and everywhere! I'm posting photos I've taken in the past couple years. I hope you enjoy. I can't wait to return!

I can't say enough good things about this entire experience. The tour we wanted was sold out,…read morebummer. Sent a message to see what was recommended as far as the availability of a wait list or moving tickets from walking to bus tour would be easy. Scott himself responded, almost immediately with his recommendations. Purchased the walking tour tickets, put ourselves on the wait list for the bus tour and watched emails like a hawk for the few days before our scheduled date. The pizza tour Gods smiled on us and the wait list opened up. I called to get our tickets moved and talked to Scott who handled the whole transfer quickly for me because once the wait list opens up it opens up for everyone on it. He was very helpful in scoring those seats for us and understood the urgency. LOL. That's ALL before we even got to our first meeting place. We met the tour and Scott at Keste in the Financial District. I had read in my research that the tour stops aren't planned ahead and I was skeptical, but you could see him figuring it out as he figured out his group for the day. One of the attendees had taken the tour a year prior, they played a game of guess the spot so he didn't repeat stops for her and the very large group of family that she brought with her on this tour. There was one request for a spot in Brooklyn but he couldn't make it happen due to their hours, not that he wouldn't have moved heaven and earth if he could have. We had a smaller than usual tour group because of timing and a LI RR strike and you could just see that this opened up other options for places to go. After Keste we were able to do two stops in the Bronx, one in East Harlem. There was even an ice cream, water ice store next door to the last pizzeria. So much thought went into this route. Scott was able to take this group to places he hadn't been to in quite some time due to the distance and size of the group. Back to Keste-- what tour guide takes his entire group and takes over the kitchen, helping himself to dough balls and creating pies as he discussed pizza history?? We saw the kitchen and oven in each establishment and each shop was welcoming and friendly. Scott is a wealth of knowledge and enjoyed sharing his story and the story of all of the stops we visited. Pizza is an absolute passion project for him. Highly recommend!

Five stars for Scott's Pizza Tours, and that's only because six is not an option Yelp provides…read more Imagine a man who has taken the idea of pizza, which most people treat as a thing you fold in half on a street corner, and decided it deserves a Rosetta Stone. That man is Scott. We met him at Keste in the Financial District, and before he said much of anything, I noticed something unusual. Several of the people on our tour had done it before. They were back for more. That seemed as telling as anything else. People do not go on vacation and repeat the same bus ride unless something extraordinary is waiting for them on the other end. Scott does not work from a script. He looks at the group, he looks at the day, and then he consults the secret weather system in his head. Out came our route. Four stops, starting at our meeting point in Manhattan's Financial District and three more scattered like wayward toppings on the city map. Queens. The Bronx. Harlem. Lucky us. Scott told us that combination hardly ever happens. To him it was chance. To the rest of us it was magic. The stops themselves were like chapters in a book. At Keste we learned about the precision of Neapolitan tradition. At Patsy's in Harlem we felt the weight of history, coal ovens burning with the same stubbornness they have for generations. At Mario's on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, an owner with stories longer than the line outside the door talked to us like we were old friends. At Philomena's in Queens, Scott was so at home that he even took a customer's order when the restaurant was swamped by our presence. Every stop had its secrets revealed. Oven temperatures. Dough hydration percentages. Family feuds. Bake times. Flour suppliers. How long a pizza can sit before the soul leaks out of it. Scott called over owners, opened kitchen doors, and invited us to peer inside the fiery mouths of the ovens like pilgrims gazing at sacred relics. Scott himself is difficult to explain without sounding untrustworthy. He is a human encyclopedia with a perfectly tuned sense of joy. He has a Rolodex in his brain that seems to contain the phone number of every pizza maker on earth. I mentioned Hamilton and he talks about Papa's and DeLorenzo's as if we were neighbors. Others mentioned Seattle and Las Vegas, and he told them where to eat, who to meet, and when to go. He casually suggested lowering the water percentage from 66 to 63 for another guest's home pizza dough, as if adjusting the tides. Then he mentioned that after our tour he would be home making 16 doughs for his guides, who were planning to test a new oven. I believed him. He also radiates decency. He runs Slice Out Hunger, a nonprofit that takes the love of pizza and turns it into meals for people who need them most. It is good to know a person can devote their life to melted cheese and still be entirely serious about kindness. This tour filled us with more than pizza. It gave us a sense of belonging. Everyone, from my ten year old to a pizza shop owner who happened to be along for the ride, was entertained and educated and full. Scott's Pizza Tours is not just about pizza, although the pizza is wonderful. It is about a man who has built a community, and who invites strangers to step inside it for a few hours. If you are a casual eater, a home chef, or someone who has already built your own pizzeria, this is for you. Five stars. The highest recommendation.

Had a great time at Mutzfest! Food was plenty! My husband and I couldn't eat everything that was…read moregiven to us, we ended up taking food home to share with the kids! Every table had different selections that incorporated their mozzarella and most were very generous. They also had a cash bar with $5 drinks which was amazing! Will definitely go back next year!

The WORST festival ever. They charge $50 to get in and that just entitles you to wait in a series…read moreof long lines for crappie scraps of food. The food is supposed to be free when you get in, but not all of it is. Ben & Jerry's is one of the sponsors, but they were gone by 2 PM. The better delis like Fiore's know to stay away.