Trattoria Fresco

[eksahlman]

This place must have aproblem with keeping it's resevations straight.

I was there in August on a Saturday night and called during the week and when I got there they couldn't find my reservation. The hostess wasn't rude but not particularly nice about it. They did find us a table in less than 15 minutes and we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner, but reading through other peolples comments this seems to be a trend.

I will go back but I will call more than once about a reservation.

[ghostrider]

Forgive me for going off topic - but then, in a sense, it is part of the topic ---

I am wondering why the first custom-selected ad at the top of this page says Extra Virgin Olive Oil, & then underneath, Aromatherapy + Essential Oils.

I must admit that I've never thought of EVOO in the context of aromatherapy.

[kimmyb72]

had my first disappointing experience on friday night. waitress disappeared for most of the night. wait for the food was painfully slow. the place filled up by the time we were done with out apps, which made me think they would actually be rushing us since people were waiting in the lobby. no such luck. i finally had the short ribs, huge disappointment. lacked the wonderful flavor they usually have. maybe it was an off night.

[jwjojo]

Went here last night for dinner. Also disappointed. Physically the place was too bright and too loud. It also was a bit unkept when we walked in. They tried to seat us at a table that was in the midst of the staff walking by..we declined and waited for a better table which we got quickly. We waited for a server, and when he came all he said was "what would you like". No pleasantries here... After ordering, we did not see him again until we were finished. I ordered the Halibut, my boyfriend ordered the chicken w/tuscan fries. My dish was good...not great...good. His was not good. It was overcooked, and the fries were terrible...overcooked and horrible tasting. Is that what Tuscan fries means? We skipped dessert and coffee....very disappointed, won't be going back again. Too bad.

[Curlz]

Wow. I certainly hope you just hit a bad night, but it sounds like Kim did as well. These reports do NOT bode well for TF! And it makes me wonder how/why An American Grill couldn't garner a VG but TF could. The night we went to TF, service was excellent, but that was certainly b/c we were a known group from eG--and Evan was personally overseeing things. I'm going to have to get over there with a few friends and see if we have a different experience.

[Lreda]

Thanks Curlz, that's a question I've asked myself after reading a few month's worth of Ms. Cook & Mr. Coccoran's reviews. While I don't place much emphasis on how many stars are given but on the text of the review I believe the readers of these reviews do. Overall, I'm happy with the review. Brought about a slew of new customers and some repeat business. The funny thing is I see new places reviewed more often than a repeat review a few years after the original. I'm more interested as a customer to re-visit a place I liked but fell off my radar than a place open 6 months and has been reviewed as having potential.( Not that I'm implying that TF doesn't deserve what they recieved)In my opinion, I think it's a little tougher to keep a restaurant running strong over a period of years.

Let me say again this is nothing against TF. As a owner, I try not to comment on another place but am yapping about the star system or The NYT's use of fair to extraodinary as a rating.

[adegiulio]

It's unfortunate to read that Trat. Fresco seems to be losing its focus after early success. I don't want to compare everything to Fascino, but it is interesting to me that Fascino is getting better in the face of terrific success, while a few other local restaurants seem to be struggling .

Like Lou said, its tough keeping a restaurant open for a few years...we're seeing why at Rocca and Trat. Fresco. I, for one, hope they both turn themselves around...

[tommy]

Like Lou said, its tough keeping a restaurant open for a few years...we're seeing why at Rocca and Trat. Fresco. I, for one, hope they both turn themselves around...

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did you have a bad experience at Rocca?

fascino's big test will come after they expand that dining room. i hope they can keep up the level of service and food afterwards.

[Lreda]

did you have a bad experience at Rocca? 

fascino's big test will come after they expand that dining room.  i hope they can keep up the level of service and food afterwards.

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Fascino's interests me with their expansion. When we had the egullet dinner there Ryan showed me the kitchen and how he was expanding it. I didn't know they were going to the same with the dining room. They'll need the expansion in the kitchen to match the dining room. I wish them good luck. It took me a little adjustment to add 14 tables in my new room and I had plenty of space kitchen-wise.

[adegiulio]

did you have a bad experience at Rocca? 

fascino's big test will come after they expand that dining room.  i hope they can keep up the level of service and food afterwards.

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No, I have not had any bad experiences at Rocca, but I must admit that my opinion of Rocca is tarnished a bit after Markk's posts and Chef Levy's weak rebuttal. Assuming Markk isn't making any of his story up, I think the points he raised indicate deeper issues than Rocca "just having a bad day" It seems they dropped the ball at every checkpoint....I, of course, won't write them off until I have a bad experience on the level of Markk's, but in the back of my head I can't help think that they really f-ed up that night, as well as when the chef posted...

[tommy]

I, of course, won't write them off until I have a bad experience on the level of Markk's, but in the back of my head I can't help think that they really f-ed up that night, as well as when the chef posted...

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i read it as a plea for feedback at the point at which the service/food is failing. this is a common sentiment in the industry, from what i've heard from other chefs/owners/managers. whether or not chef L chose his words as carefully as you or me might be questionable.

[coughy]

I am sorry to hear everyone's complaints about service. When TF first opened my husband and I were there, most often with friends, almost every week. At first, the service was slow but seemed to have gotten better. We haven't been there since the middle of July because of the horrendous service we had. I don't know who is watching but someone should!

[kimmyb72]

i just got off the phone with an evan at trattoria fresco. i asked him if there had been a change in management. i figured maybe that's why things have gone down hill. he put me on hold, then came back and said the owners have been there since january. i then proceeded to say i have to be honest with you, we have been to your restaurant a 1/2 a dozen times in the past, always pleased with service and food. but this past friday we were there and the service was god awful and the food just so-so. i then expected him to ask me what my experience was like. instead he said the next time i made a reservation to make it with him. so i said ok and he muttered he was sorry and that was that. kind of turned me off even more. he wasn't at all interested in what went wrong. felt like he didn't even want to hear what the problem was. maybe i should have said it anyway.

[Casey]

We had dinner with friends at Trattoria Fresco last night, and had a wonderful experience in terms of service and food. The friends live close by and eat there quite a bit, and offered an explanation of the recent service woes. Rumor has it that the entire previous wait staff was let go and replaced with younger, less experienced staff. Last night was an exception, as we had a wonderful server, albeit a little over the top with his gushing comments.

They were debuting their new fall menu. Bread and highly addictive breadsticks arrived promptly and wine opening and service was excellent. I started with the goat cheese dumplings in the most wonderful roasted tomato and olive sauce. Friends has the grilled romaine salad. My husband had what I think was a new dish--stuffed roasted peppers, which he devoured completely and quickly. One was stuffed with a crabmeat mixture, and one with veal, which he said was out of this world (he refused to share!).

For entrees, two of us had a dish of alternating skewered pan seared scallops and miniature crabcakes, served over a multicolored sauce (I cannot recall what it was made of, but it was a wonderful mix of savory and sweet), served with a spinach and polenta tart. The other two had sardinian (sp?) pasta with large shrimp and big chunks of lobster.

Desserts were the infamous zeppole with butterscotch dipping sauce (Rosie, I never thought they could live up to the hype but WOW were they good!), apple marzipan tart with dulce de lece gelato, and assorted berries with zabaione (sp?). Coffee was good, not great, but cappucino was very good. All plates were cleaned, no doggie bags! With tax and generous tip it came to $110 per couple.

Overall, a wonderful evening. The only downside I can mention is that the floors were very slippery while walking on them (even before I drank the wine!), and I could definitely see that as an accident waiting to happen....

Casey

[WestOrangeFrank]

kimmyb72 or coughy - have you been back lately?

Nancy Thorp gave Trattoria Fresco (TF) a good write up on Jan 7th in the Bergen Record.

Trattoria Fresco needs some back-up here....

It was my birthday this past weekend, and I must admit I wanted to go to Fascino for dinner, a message on their machine said they were closed for winter holiday. So I figured we go to Basilico, they couldn't get us in until around 9:00, and their tables are sardine-like as it is. So much for making plans in advance!!! This doesn't sound like a nice post but...

everything worked out for a reason. I figured I'd call TF and try to get a table for 7:30. I remembered the GM Evan from our e-gullet dinner was good to us, so I was sure to mention that I was part of the e-gullet crew last Friday when I called last minute for a table. He told us to come on down.

Upon walking into the busy place, Evan greeted us warmly and offered w/o asking to chill our Conundrum and decant a DOGC Massolino Margheria 1998.

We were seated in a tucked away table and were quickly greeted by a young but attentive server Vinny.

Lindsay started with the greens and slow roasted duck with sour cherry vinaigrette, YUM. I had to try the special wild mushroom soup topped with crisps and a checkerboard of melted goat cheese. I could've drank that stuff by the quart. Serious mushroom flavor.

I wanted a pasta course, but remembered to try something other than the pappardelle (a little gummy last time we had it). We split an order of the lobster and shrimp over spaghetti. Holy garlic and lemon. Bold flavor, not for the faint of heart, bring your mints.

For the main course my date had a special from the app menu Crabello, crab cakes made from real crab wrapped in thinly sliced portobello mushroom, served in a dijon sauce, which I thought overpowered the crab and mushroom, but she didn't think so. I had the juicy-perfectly-slightly-pink-inside pan roasted veal chop crisped on the bone with seasoning and herbs. It was served over a white bean ragu, and with crispy asparagus which I swear tasted like asparagus in zeppole dough - but was told it was just a beer batter, vegetables never tasted so good.

I was about to ROLL out onto Bloomfield Ave until an unordered dessert of fudge glazed cake, chocolate truffles, and chocolate chocolate chip gelato came out on a chilled marble plate with a candle on it.

The pace of the meal was perfect, any faster or slower wouldn't have been. Total for two was around $85. The attention to detail was great - the funky service plates, to the silverware, to the bathrooms.

Seeing so many things on the menu I wanted to try, I invited my immediate (very picky and critical Italian family) family of 12 to TF on Sunday (yesterday) to continue my b-day celebration. In my family, they call me the garbage disposal, so I was able to get a little taste of almost everything. The meal was excellent once again especially thanks to chef/owner Paul and server Nicole. From the pizzas to the strawberries, pineapple, bananas and zeppole fundu.

If service or food quality ever slips at this place, I'll be the first one to let you all know, but until then, I'm a regular and can safely recommend this place to anyone. You can't go wrong, from imaginative brick oven pizzas, to a $17-feed-you-for-lunch-the-next-day Lasagna bolognese with fresh mutz, to insane specials.

Has anyone else recently had a similar experience?

Edited January 11, 2005 by WestOrangeFrank (log)

[Rosie]

Have always had excellent meals and service at Trattoria Fresco.

[kimmyb72]

west orange frank, no i have not been back. but maybe it was an off night. from your description it sounds like you had a great meal and great service.

[coughy]

We have been back, reluctantly though. We tried to get into 6 different places on a days notice for a Saturday night before Christmas. TF was the only place that could accomodate us at a reasonable hour. We were greeted warmly and I was shocked that the restaurant was packed. We were seated at a table with our friends and another couple were seated at a 2 top very close to us, so close they were listening to everything we said.

I don't remember exactly what we had but I do remember that everything was delicious and the service was good. Our waitress was very nice and helpful. The kitchen was extremely slow so they brought out a plate of salamis and cheese.

Overall, we had a wonderful dinner and we will definitely go back.

[hitmanoo]

I've been to this place several times, both as Trattoria Fresco, and back when it was Oggi's. I've only had one good experience at this place, when both the food and service were excellent.

Am I going to have to go back and give it another shot??? I'm batting about 10-15%. I'll have to go back with an open mind.

[coughy]

I was there when the restaurant first opened as Sabatini's. We have wonderful memories and always feel good being back there.

[Rail Paul]

Trattoria Fresco has a seasonal promotional going on now. $22.95 for the three course prix fixe, good on Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday only. It should be on at least until the weather gets better in the Spring.

It's a pretty good deal. The included items were the goat cheese dumpling, carpaccio, fresco insalata and antipasto from the appy side; the skirt steak, salmon and crab wrapped in puff pastry, and the vegetarian pappardelle. There were several desserts included as well.

The resto is often completely filled on Friday and Saturday nights, and usually empty to nearly empty on Monday thru Thursday (I often walk my dog in the area). Since TF is on OpenTable, it's relatively easy to see whether space is available. On Wednesday night, there were no more than 25 people in the place between 7 pm and 830, that's prob about 1/3 capacity. I've walked by when it seems like there are fewer than 10 people there.

[WestOrangeFrank]

The Spring/Summer menu is about to be released.

For those of you who wonder why some tables have table clothes and some don't... those with red table clothes are wrought iron patio furniture...

Saturday's at TF are getting more and more popular, we tend to eat there on weekdays (incl. Fridays).

So I asked to see the tentative summer menu, there are two new pizzas on the menu - 1) agrodolce - at first I thought it was another TF made up menu item name - but it turns out it means 'sweet and sour'. sausage and cherry peppers. TF needs a glossary on their menu! 2) Yellowfin tuna. with spicy greens.

The fall/winter staples have made it to the main course, but prepared a little diffrenetly.

Don't quote me on this, the summer menu is still being worked out . I'm looking forward to eating in the 'secret garden' outside.

[AlwaysCravingThai]

Just ate there with 3 other couples (8 total in our party). We had 8:30 reservations. We wanted 8:00, but were assured that if we took 8:30 we would be seated immediately. We arrived at 8:20 and were finally seated at 9:25! Since I complained 2 times, the hostess offered an apology, but noone else nor was anything offered in terms of "on the house".

There is no doubt that the food served here is among the best Italian food I have had anywhere in the U.S. My only major complaint, other than the wait, is that the restaurant was much too noisy. Not just loud, but so loud that I actually could barely hear my wife sitting next to me!

A minor complaint is that the menu was still a Winter menu. Now into April, the menu should have changed if that is something the restaurant wants to be known to do.

What did we eat? Heavy on the appetizers. We had Frito Misto (2), a prosciutto pizza, and a Crabello (portobello mushroom covered crabcake). A fried cheese ball of sorts made its way to our table but was not ordered. I don't like ricotta cheese (which was in it) so I didn't taste it, but my friends said it was much too salty.

For dinner, I stayed light and had the shrimp and lobster over spaghettini with a lobster aioli. It was very good except that the shrimp were a bit overcooked.

For dessert I had the chocolate sorbet. I must say that I have had none better.

Hate to end it on a sour note, but we were celebrating my wife's birthday. They had to be coaxed to bring something with a candle and it wound up on our bill! It wasn't very good, either (apple crisp of sorts).

[adegiulio]

Wow!! It took them nearly an hour to seat you? You are much more patient than I. I like TF, but I would have left after the first 1/2 hour passed....I hate waiting for a reservation...

[scarlet knight]

How hard would it have been for the staff to send your table complimentary calamari? I never understand why business owners want people to leave with a bad story instead of a good story. For a few bucks, they could be heroes, but it almost never happens.

We went to Fascino on its first weekend. The air conditioning did not work and we were very hot. We received free desserts. We've been back many times, our friends have gone, etc. Fascino gets it. Besides the great food, they treat their customers very well.

We were treated badly at TF a couple of times, we let some time go by and I think that they changed ownership or at least the staff and we gave them another chance and we were glad that we did. But this story is disappointing.