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Mezza Notte

tommy

By tommy
in New Jersey: Dining

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jtphjl

jtphjl

Posted
Posted

What I have heard is: the former (Glen Rock) Chef is the new owner & Chef!

From friends who were there during the holidays, nothing special.

"When women are depressed, they either eat or go shopping. Men invade another country. It's a whole different way of thinking."

- Elaine Boosler

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tommy

tommy

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i just had what i would say was a mediocre meal here tonight.

we showed up at 6 o'rock, because we were starving for some reason, and were seated immediately. by 7 o'clock, people were lined up at the door. by 7:30, there must have been 14 people waiting for tables. not usually a good sign, to me. and let's just say that the crowd looked like they might visit the Olive Garden every now and again.

anyway, fried calamari was OK. unfortunately for this restaurant, in the past week, i've had two excellent versions at Legal Seafood and McCormick and Shmicks, or whatever it's called.

a cold antipasto (for two) was ok. some flavorless provolone (i'm spoiled. i don't waste my time on cheese that's not exceptional, although i'm guessing that many do, and for them this would have been completely acceptable), good hams, muzz, feta (why?), roasted red peppers, pickled veggies. all-in-all, a decent enough dish if that's what you're looking for.

the meals come with a salad, and it happens to be a very good salad. well, that is to say it's a good version of the typical "italian" salad. for my money, it's exactly what i want at a place like that: lettuce, onion, olive oil/vinegar, oregano, cheese, s/p.

bruschetta is brought at as well. fresh tomatoes, although there's not much to say about tomatoes in general this time of year at this price point. however, it was a nice way to kick off the meal.

zuppa di mare was OK. requested sans salmon. arrived with salmon.

pappardelle with shrimp and artichoke and tomato is something that i'd never order. however, i wanted pasta, and nothing else jumped out as much as the artichoke did. the pappardelle was gummy and overdone to the point where it was inedible. the shrimp, which i'd not usually eat with pasta at all, were large and nicely cooked.

server was friendly and handled the opening of the wines well enough. it's the type of place where you're most likely left pouring your own though. which i don't mind, because most servers can't keep up with my consumption.

54 before tip.

will i recommend this place? probably not to most people. will i return? i might, but not if i have to wait in line.

tommy:eats.com
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fetacheese

fetacheese

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I have been to MezzaNotte several times since they opened a few months ago. Each time that I have gone I have been very pleased. I think the food is excellent and the prices are great. This is a nice warm restaurant and the owner is well known in the area. All good restaurants are busy on a Saturday evening so for someone that doesn't like to wait on line to get in should pick a weeknight to go or they should wait and then enjoy a pleasurable evening.

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adegiulio

adegiulio

Posted
Posted
I have been to MezzaNotte several times since they opened a few months ago. Each time that I have gone I have been very pleased. I think the food is excellent and the prices are great. This is a nice warm restaurant and the owner is well known in the area. All good restaurants are busy on a Saturday evening so for someone that doesn't like to wait on line to get in should pick a weeknight to go or they should wait and then enjoy a pleasurable evening.

Guess we know why that feta is in the antipasto... :biggrin::biggrin:

"It's better to burn out than to fade away"-Neil Young

"I think I hear a dingo eating your baby"-Bart Simpson

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tommy

tommy

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Posted (edited)
This is a nice warm restaurant and the owner is well known in the area.

i agree that there's something to be said about the "italian banquet" setting.

i also agree that the owner might be known in the area. from what i read, the chef/part owner (?) was the chef at Mezzluna in Glen Rock, which was not very good.

as far as waiting on line, you clearly didn't understand the thrust of my post. but i'm not so worried about it that i'll go into any further detail.

edited to add that this particular diner doesn't "wait in line" at good restaurants.

Edited by tommy (log)
tommy:eats.com
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