Chick & Nello's Old Homestead Inn

[TomDel]

With the demise of the restaurant scene in the Chambersburg section of Trenton, I was trying to come up with some alternate choices. I thought of Chick and Nello’s Old Homestead Inn on Kuser road in Hamilton Twp. I haven’t been there in too many years to remember, so I’m looking for a review of their current fare. I imagine that they still don’t have menus or accept credit cards, so I’d appreciate any advice on what to order or avoid and a ballpark estimate of their prices.

[aaronwcpa]

I also have not been there for a long time, but from I have heard, they still have no menu and do not accept credit cards.

The restaurant was reviewed by Karla Cook in the NYT in 2003, too long ago to pass judgement but the place has changed very little since it opened nearly seventy years ago.

[Jeff L]

First, it's just the Homestead Inn, not the Old Homestead Inn.

I used to go here regularly back when Primo was in the kitchen. Unreal top flight Southern Italian fare. Sadly, he retired years ago and I believe has been replaced by his Ecuadorian sous chef/assistants. In my view, food has really gone downhill.

Their tomato sauce was legendary. It is now made by Dave, one of the owners sons and not even close to what it once was. On a positive note, they still beat you up if you're not a regular! As to their "current fare" nothing ever changes on the menu except for the prices increasing.

[TomDel]

First, it's just the Homestead Inn, not the Old Homestead Inn.

I used to go here regularly back when Primo was in the kitchen. Unreal top flight Southern Italian fare. Sadly, he retired years ago and I believe has been replaced by his Ecuadorian sous chef/assistants. In my view, food has really gone downhill.

Their tomato sauce was legendary. It is now made by Dave, one of the owners sons and not even close to what it once was. On a positive note, they still beat you up if you're not a regular! As to their "current fare" nothing ever changes on the menu except for the prices increasing.

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Jeff - Thanks for the response. My son has a birthday coming up and wants to try it. What do you recommend on the menu?

[Jeff L]

First, it's just the Homestead Inn, not the Old Homestead Inn.

I used to go here regularly back when Primo was in the kitchen. Unreal top flight Southern Italian fare. Sadly, he retired years ago and I believe has been replaced by his Ecuadorian sous chef/assistants. In my view, food has really gone downhill.

Their tomato sauce was legendary. It is now made by Dave, one of the owners sons and not even close to what it once was. On a positive note, they still beat you up if you're not a regular! As to their "current fare" nothing ever changes on the menu except for the prices increasing.

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Jeff - Thanks for the response. My son has a birthday coming up and wants to try it. What do you recommend on the menu?

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2 questions:

What kind of food does he like? Any favorites?

What day/night are you planning to go? They have specials on each day of the week and that is always the way to go there.

[TomDel]

First, it's just the Homestead Inn, not the Old Homestead Inn.

I used to go here regularly back when Primo was in the kitchen. Unreal top flight Southern Italian fare. Sadly, he retired years ago and I believe has been replaced by his Ecuadorian sous chef/assistants. In my view, food has really gone downhill.

Their tomato sauce was legendary. It is now made by Dave, one of the owners sons and not even close to what it once was. On a positive note, they still beat you up if you're not a regular! As to their "current fare" nothing ever changes on the menu except for the prices increasing.

←

Jeff - Thanks for the response. My son has a birthday coming up and wants to try it. What do you recommend on the menu?

←

2 questions:

What kind of food does he like? Any favorites?

What day/night are you planning to go? They have specials on each day of the week and that is always the way to go there.

←

Well, his birthday is on Saturday February 9th, but I really hate to eat out on Saturdays due to the crowds. So I think we’ll probably shoot for either the preceding Friday or the following Sunday or maybe even that Monday. I understand that they’re closed on Tuesdays.

He’s pretty easy to please. My guess is that he’d probably want a steak or maybe a lobster or shrimp dish. I don’t think he’d order a tomato sauce based dish as we have it often at home, although he might try a Bolognese or special sauce (gravy). If they have a clams casino appetizer, I’m sure he’ll order it.

I think I read somewhere that they make a white chicken cacciatore. If it sounds something like the old Marsilios’ used to make, I’m sure that’s what my wife will order. I’ll probably order a steak or maybe the veal chop, which I hear is excellent.

None of us are particularly picky and would probably try anything if it sounded good.

[Jeff L]

You should try any night but Saturday. You will wait a very long time at the crowded (although now thankfully smokeless) bar.

For starters we always get the string bean salad- great dressing as is their house salad. If you want to, get a baccala salad too, the best I've had anywhere.

I really would skip the pasta course because the salad and entree should do the trick and the marinara sauce now really sucks. You could get it with garlic and oil tho if you wanted to.

My all time favorites used to be breast of veal (a Wednesday special) and roast pork (Thursday I think) Failing that, this is gonna sound weird but, you really have to try the meatballs and lima beans,.. out of this world good. Also really good is veal chunks in white wine and the steaks are usually good too.

The food here is still good just not close to what is was with Primo in the kitchen.

[TomDel]

You should try any night but Saturday. You will wait a very long time at the crowded (although now thankfully smokeless) bar.

For starters we always get the string bean salad- great dressing as is their house salad. If you want to, get a baccala salad too, the best I've had anywhere.

I really would skip the pasta course because the salad and entree should do the trick and the marinara sauce now really sucks. You could get it with garlic and oil tho if you wanted to.

My all time favorites used to be breast of veal (a Wednesday special) and roast pork (Thursday I think) Failing that, this is gonna sound weird but, you really have to try the meatballs and lima beans,.. out of this world good. Also really good is veal chunks in white wine and the steaks are usually good too.

The food here is still good just not close to what is was with Primo in the kitchen.

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Thanks Jeff. I'll let you know how we make out.

[TomDel]

You should try any night but Saturday. You will wait a very long time at the crowded (although now thankfully smokeless) bar.

For starters we always get the string bean salad- great dressing as is their house salad. If you want to, get a baccala salad too, the best I've had anywhere.

I really would skip the pasta course because the salad and entree should do the trick and the marinara sauce now really sucks. You could get it with garlic and oil tho if you wanted to.

My all time favorites used to be breast of veal (a Wednesday special) and roast pork (Thursday I think) Failing that, this is gonna sound weird but, you really have to try the meatballs and lima beans,.. out of this world good. Also really good is veal chunks in white wine and the steaks are usually good too.

The food here is still good just not close to what is was with Primo in the kitchen.

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I read the 2003 NYT review and noted that Chick’s last name was Peroni. I'm curious. Do you know if he was any relation to Larry “Sheikie” Peroni who had a restaurant in what was then Sky View CC and is now Miry Run and later a restaurant on River Rd. near Washington Crossing.

[Jeff L]

Chick Peroni and Ed Nello were the original owners of the place with Ed in the kitchen. He was a fine chef indeed.

I don't think Chick was related to the Peroni's on River Road but I could be wrong. In any event, it was not too good.

Report back after you go, I'm curious to see if the food has improved since my last few times. I suppose if someone had never been to the place before, the food is real good now. I just can't help comparing it to earlier days with Ed and Primo.

[Rich Pawlak]

This week's Princeton Packete magazine has a decent review of Chick and Nello's, with the caveat that the reviewers in questions wqere discovered at the outset of their dinner.

[TomDel]

This week's Princeton Packete magazine has a decent review of Chick and Nello's, with the caveat that the reviewers in questions wqere discovered at the outset of their dinner.

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Rich - Thanks for the info.

For Rich or Jeff L. - Do either of you happen to know what the specials are for Sundays?

[Jeff L]

I don't remember there being specials on Sunday but I haven't been in a while. You can always get meatballs and limas, meatloaf (which is as good, believe me) and steaks and chops on Sunday. They might have veal chunks and of course, roast chicken which is kind of their signature dish. I stopped ordering it many years ago because I was informed by one of their food vendors they use fatback in the chicken and it used to wake me up around 3:00 am after eating it if you catch my drift.

Anyway, let us know how it was...