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Need Dinner Recommendation in Caldwell/Montclair

AlwaysCravingThai
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AlwaysCravingThai

AlwaysCravingThai

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We have 5 couples going out Saturday night and are looking for a restaurant in Montclair/Caldwell area that is fairly casual and Bring Your Own. Would love to hear your recommendations! Thank you.

rozrapp

rozrapp

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Epernay never disappoints us. Very generous portions of delicious French brasserie/bistro dishes. Excellent service. Casual, comfortable, attractive surroundings. BYO.
StInGeR

StInGeR

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I have to agree either Trattoria Fresco or Nori in Caldwell.

I want food and I want it now

richl2214

richl2214

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Forget Fascino on a Saturday night with a crowd that big. You need to book a month in advance.

Orbis is great. Palazzo. Epernay is good too.

"My rule of life prescribed as an absolutely sacred rite smoking cigars and also the drinking of alcohol before, after and if need be during all meals and in the intervals between them." ~Winston Churchill

Morels- God's gift to the unworthy human species

AlwaysCravingThai

AlwaysCravingThai

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  • Topic Starter
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Thanks, everyone! Of course with my forum name I know about Bangkok Kitchen, however, the crowd I'm out with Saturday is not so wide ranging in their tastes.

I have reservations at Trattoria Fresco. Will let everyone know how it is...

Curlz

Curlz

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edit: WRONG THREAD--sorry!

Edited by Curlz (log)

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My then-3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

"Wow--this is a fancy restaurant! They keep bringing us more water and we didn't even ask for it!" --My 5.75 year-old niece, about Bread Bar

"He's jumped the flounder, as you might say."

WestOrangeFrank

WestOrangeFrank

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I agree with the others on Trattoria Fresco. They have always appreciated the eGullters (say hello to the dining room GM Evan).

435 Bloomfield Ave, Caldwell, 07006 - (973) 226-8800

AlwaysCravingThai

AlwaysCravingThai

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  • Topic Starter
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I wish I had read West Orange Frank's post prior to Saturday night...

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).

menton1

menton1

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With 10 people at 1 table, most of these places mentioned are going to give you a long rectangular table, squeezed in. The problem with that is you are basically now 2 groups, and it is impossible to socialize with folks at the other end of the table.

An alternative would be Taro, it is one of my favorites, with a beautiful ambience, very interesting Asian fusion food, and very large round tables that could accommodate all 10 people at one round table. Then everyone can converse with everyone else. Taro Website

hitmanoo

hitmanoo

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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".

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).

I've been to Trattoria Fresco several times, and only once have I had a positive experience. I've made reservations, only to be told that they had no record of my reservation. I've been mistreated on my own birthday dinner. I've had subpar service. I don't think that their food is anything exceptional, aside from the occasional delicious dish--meaning that while they've made some dishes excellent, there is no consistancy.

There is no doubt that the food served here is among the best Italian food I have had anywhere in the U.S.

I don't know what to say about this other than you really need to get out to more places. Just because a restaurant tries hard and has some creative dishes, does not mean that their food is outstanding. In northern New Jersey, there are so many Italian restaurants that are creative, tasty, and consistantl.

My intention of this post is not to get personal, but rather to emphasize my overall disappointment with Trattoria Fresco after several bad experiences there. Sorry to use your own bad experience as a platform to vent my frustration with this restaurant. Unfortunately, with this place the potential is there, but they have yet to realize that potential in the eyes of this dissatisfied patron.

Blessed are those who engage in lively conversation with the helplessly mute, for they shall be called, "Dentists." (anonymous)

Life is too short for bad Caesar Salad. (Me)

Why would you poison yourself by eating a non-organic apple? (HL)

tommy

tommy

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  In northern New Jersey, there are so many Italian restaurants that are creative, tasty, and consistantl.

feel free to name names. :biggrin: i can only think of 3 or so. fascino, rocca, and the jefferson come to mind, but not many more. perhaps that other place in Hoboken makes the grade too (can't think of the name). but when i think "creative italian", i don't generally think northern jersey. in fact, i can't even think of many in NYC outside of the Batali empire, which to my mind does a great job carrying all of manhattan.

tommy:eats.com
Curlz

Curlz

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Heehee...I'm betting that Tommy meant the former. :biggrin: And I do agree with him--esp about The Jefferson. If I lived in Hoboken, I bet I'd eat there 3x a week!

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My then-3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

"Wow--this is a fancy restaurant! They keep bringing us more water and we didn't even ask for it!" --My 5.75 year-old niece, about Bread Bar

"He's jumped the flounder, as you might say."

AlwaysCravingThai

AlwaysCravingThai

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
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".

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).

I've been to Trattoria Fresco several times, and only once have I had a positive experience. I've made reservations, only to be told that they had no record of my reservation. I've been mistreated on my own birthday dinner. I've had subpar service. I don't think that their food is anything exceptional, aside from the occasional delicious dish--meaning that while they've made some dishes excellent, there is no consistancy.

There is no doubt that the food served here is among the best Italian food I have had anywhere in the U.S.

I don't know what to say about this other than you really need to get out to more places. Just because a restaurant tries hard and has some creative dishes, does not mean that their food is outstanding. In northern New Jersey, there are so many Italian restaurants that are creative, tasty, and consistantl.

My intention of this post is not to get personal, but rather to emphasize my overall disappointment with Trattoria Fresco after several bad experiences there. Sorry to use your own bad experience as a platform to vent my frustration with this restaurant. Unfortunately, with this place the potential is there, but they have yet to realize that potential in the eyes of this dissatisfied patron.

Nothing personal taken. I travel the world and have found the best italian food outside of Italy to be in Germany (Frankfurt), actually. There are great places in Manhattan, of course (San Pietro) and a couple in Jersey that I find decent. Napoli Napoli (moved) of Little Falls was a small place I would bring anyone from anywhere in the world to for Italian food. Unfortunately, they moved to Lodi under a different name, I believe, and I have not been able to get there and do not even know if it still exists.

Regarding TF, I won't be back anytime soon. I'm a Thai food fan afterall!

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