Rocca, a new restaurant in Glen Rock

[Curlz]

Tommy, you got some 'splaining to do!!!

[tommy]

Tommy, you got some 'splaining to do!!!

well, i couldn't make it, but it wasn't as though i was going to skip a freakin' meal. we ate, watched "School of Rock", and were in bed by the time you guys rolled out of Caldwell. no doubt.

[jwjojo]

Going to Rocca tonight. I hope it is as good as Tommy says.....he could be a ringer too!

[Curlz]

Oh, Tommy's a ringer alright...DING DONG!!!

[tommy]

Going to Rocca tonight.  I hope it is as good as Tommy says.....he could be a ringer too!

what did you think?

just so i'm clear, i've based my comments on only 2 meals, which is not enough for me to really say that this place is excellent. they might have problems with consistency or a variety of other issues that i've yet to uncover. it could be luck so far. it could get worse when the summer's gone and kids (servers) go back to college. a lot of things could happen. but i think the chef can cook, and he's put together a menu that reads great, especially for this area.

i should also mention that the pasta dish from my first meal didn't have cinghiale as i reported, but rather guanciale, which bacon from hog jowls. it wasn't pancetta as far as i could tell.

Edited July 18, 2004 by tommy (log)

[tommy]

it might be interesting to note that the menu includes "spicy two minute calamari lifeguard style", which i assume is a classic sicilian dish, perhaps made most famous by Batali and Babbo.

imagine my surprise tonight when i noticed that there's a new addition to the menu: Mint Love Letters with Spicy Lamb Sausage.

additionally, after reviewing Babbo's menu online, i noticed even more similarities.

frankly, i don't care, as i love Babbo, and like this restaurant. it's just that i've never seen this much blatant similarity between Babbo and a NJ restaurant. i mean, it's not as though this place is in the middle of nowhere. clearly there is going to be some crossover business of savvy diners who are going to wonder themselves. could i buy all of mario's cookbooks and have a go at it as well?

i don't recall mario's mint love letters, as it's probably been 5 years since i've had them. but, Rocca's dish was quite good. really really good in fact. i don't recall Babbo's version coming with a tomato-based ragu, but as i said, it has been a while.

the two-minute sicilian lifeguard blah blah blah was super as well. and i don't usually like calamari. the celery leaf was a nice touch. something that isn't used enough, imo.

they were in the weeds tonight. a rainy sunday night. i'm pretty sure this restaurant will be very very hot in no time at all. "food the caliber of NYC" for sure.

[jwjojo]

mmmm....Rocca's. It was very good. I only eat fish and poultry, which made the menu a bit daunting. Most things had meat in them. I opted for the citrus salad and the Scallops over Israeli CousCous. The salad was wonderful with a mix of citrus and basil. The Scallops were cooked to perfection. The service was good, and the atmosphere is warm. A definite thumbs up!

[adegiulio]

We'll be trying this place tonight...hope it isn't too busy at 6:45!

[chefdavidrusso]

My wife and I walked past it today, and stopped in the food store. The menu looked quite good, so I'm anxious to try it out soon. I did think it was interesting that the food store had Mezaluna labels on some of the products (isn't that the former occupier of the space that most of you think was a waste of rent money?)

[fatcatbrew]

I dined here two times in the past week. Both times I had a very pleasant dining experience. The service was warm, friendly, and knowledgeable. The owner's wife came to our table and introduced herself to us and welcomed us. The fennel & orange salad was wonderful and refreshing. Tenderloin with walnut and gorgonzola was cooked to perfection and served on top of tender broccoli rabe along with fingerling potatoes. Homemade white chocolate blueberry ice cream was a delicious finale. I also sampled some of the pastas - garganelli with mushrooms and the orrechietti with escarole and sausage. The orrechietti dish had cherry peppers mixed in as well which made this dish quite spicey.

Anthony, how was your dining experience here?

PS - Do you think they would be willing to host our next egullet dinner?

[tommy]

PS - Do you think they would be willing to host our next egullet dinner?

if i have anything to do with it.

fatcat, can i ask why you went twice in one week? after my first meal there, i had the uncontrolable urge to return 4 times in one week. i don't usually do that, but i felt i had no choice here.

Edited July 26, 2004 by tommy (log)

[adegiulio]

Our meal was quite good. The atmosphere could use a little work. Service was quite good, our guy was frienldy, helpful, and confident. I had the orrechiette with sausage and escarole, then the hanger steak. Both were fabulous, though my pasta was a little overdone. Amy had the seafood salad and halibut, both of which she enjoyed a lot. The only bad part of the meal was when the hostess came by to inform the dining room that the Yankees had blown a lead in the ninth and lost the game.

I'm sure we will be back...

OK, after posting and seeing my avatar, I remembered the other bad part of our evening...when we returned home we found that little pup you see below my name had gotten sick in his crate. Everything, including little Frankie, was covered with poop....

Edited July 26, 2004 by adegiulio (log)

[tommy]

hanger steak? was it a special or on the menu. that's a new one to me, although they've added a few things over the last few weeks.

sorry to hear about the doody.

[adegiulio]

It was on the special menu...cause I am special...

[tommy]

It was on the special menu...cause I am special...

they haven't had a specials menu the times i was there. although you're probably right in that any menu you have is, by association, special.

if there was in fact a separate menu, i'd be curious to hear what was on it. i'm almost done eating through the regular menu.

Edited July 26, 2004 by tommy (log)

[GoodEater]

Checked out Rocca last night.

Started with the Grilled Shrimp Spiedini. This dish was uninspired. Three little shrimp that were grilled well but the polenta on the side had no taste. Added salt and that helped a little but this appetizer was not a winner. Split this dish with the wife.

Moved on the pasta and shared the Garganelli with mushrooms. Really good- Pasta was fresh and cooked perfectly. Mushrooms were great. Sauce was a little flat. Adding salt, pepper and cheese helped out a great deal. Could have used a little more garlic flavor for me as well.

Main courses- I had the Beef Tenderloin. Cooked rare. Wonderful dish- Topping melted on top of the beef was a mixture of blue cheese and walnuts. Served over sauted slices of potatos ( cut in the style of steak fries) and also over some excellent brocolli rabe.

The wife had the Scallops with Israeli Couscous. He dish was very good. Excellent sauce (must have been made with fish stock) The only problem was that she hit some sand in the scallops. At the $23 price range for her entree this should not have happened. They really should do the salted water and cornmeal purging of their bivalves for a few hours to make certain that they are clean (inside and out).

Service was very very good, but there were only two other tables occupied as it was getting "late" in Glen Rock, so it was a different experience had their been more people in the place.

One of the owners (Mike) asked us how everthing was at the end of meal and we told him that we were looking for some more flavors from the Spiedini and the pasta. He was really nice and told us, in effect, that they have to be careful as to not overwhelm the average diner with too much flavor or salt. I understand their predicament as they have to cook toward the "middle level" of taste/flavor as they are trying to please a range of people. This is my problem as my wife and I are "flavor-seekers" and many people complain because the food can overwhelm them.

Italian food should be made with passion and , unfortunately, the public can sometimes hold them back from really doing things that way.

Forgot to add that we were too full for dessert- another time as they have a pastry chef.

Edited July 26, 2004 by GoodEater (log)

[Curlz]

PS - Do you think they would be willing to host our next egullet dinner?

if i have anything to do with it.

Just name the date!!

[fatcatbrew]

I am traveling to Napa Valley and will not be back in the area until August 8th. I can speak with the restaurant owners at that time, unless Tommy wants to speak with them prior to that regarding hosting an egullet dinner. I have a feeling that the owners would want to accommodate us.

[adegiulio]

I am traveling to Napa Valley and will not be back in the area until August 8th. I can speak with the restaurant owners at that time, unless Tommy wants to speak with them prior to that regarding hosting an egullet dinner. I have a feeling that the owners would want to accommodate us.

Oooh ooh, where in Napa are you going? Love napa...love it

[fatcatbrew]

I'll be travelling all throughout Napa and Sonoma Valleys. I am staying at The Kenwood Inn & Spa. I am on the waiting list for French Laundry..... Any recommendations?

[Curlz]

Almost ditto for me! I'm back on 8/2, so as long as it's after that, I'm in!

[fatcatbrew]

Curlz,

I saw on the California board you will be in Monterey. Have a great trip!

[Curlz]

Thanks!! YOU TOO!

[Blondie]

Could one of you kind souls please tell this Manhattanite: is Glen Rock anywhere near Northvale? If not, how far out of the way of the bridge or tunnel would it take us?

[GoodEater]

Glen Rock is west of Northvale. It is around 15 or so miles west of Manhattan. Very close to Paramus. (You might know this town because of all of the shopping malls there.) Take Route 4 West to Route 208 North and you run into Glen Rock.

To get to Rocca take Route 4 West to Route 208 North. Take the first exit for Maple Ave. (This first exit will send you towards Ridgewood)

Follow Maple Ave for about 1-1/2 miles until you come to Glen Ave. Make a left onto Glen Ave and follow to the traffic light. This is Rock Road. Make a left onto Rock Road and the restaurant is in the first building on the right.

Normal travel time (without traffic) from the 40's and the West Side Hwy is around 35 minutes (without speeding).

I hope this helps you out. Let me be the first to welcome you to the rural countryside known as northern New Jersey.

Edited July 27, 2004 by GoodEater (log)