I Cavallini in Colts Neck:

[albie]

I'm hearing good things about this place, just across Route 34 from Delicious Orchards; I understand the chef/owner to be the same Toni from the once-renowned Farmingdal House. All I know so far is that it's a tough reservation on weekend evenings, and wondering whether it's worth the trouble.

Has anyone been?

[jsfein]

You will probably receive overwhelmingly favorable opinions of I Cavallini. My one experience there several months ago may make my opinion the lone dissenting voice. That a reservation may be tough to get on a weekend is not surprising since the restaurant is quite small (maybe 15-20 tables). I was in a party of 4. I started with the beet salad and the others I think had mixed salads. The salads were fine, nothing exceptional. For dinner I had the crispy branzino. This was disappointing. The serving size was small compared to the other entrees. The preparation was way too salty for my liking and I'm not usually sensitive to oversalted food. My wife was similarly disappointed with her filet mignon. The meat itself was fork tender, but the saucing wasn't to her liking. Our dining companions seemed to fare better with their veal chop and salmon. The veal chop looked really good. I know that each couple shared a dessert, but nothing that I remember now. Service was not particularly polished ... perhaps a reflection of the rather young age of the servers, but I'm not sure. We were also a bit disappointed when Chef Toni emerged from the kitchen and made rounds around the restaurant. She literally stopped to chat, at some tables briefly and others much longer, but not ours. I certainly had no expectation going to dinner that I would meet the chef, but when she visited every table but ours we felt a bit snubbed. I don't know for sure, but I can't imagine that every other table was occupied by regulars. A nice touch was added when a couple of guys with guitars (employees?) serenaded the diners with a ballad or two in Italian. For me, it was a disappointing dinner. The reviews, however, from others whose opinions I respect have been uniformly positive. I'll probably give I Cavallini another try and get the veal chop.

[=Mark]

This was disappointing.  The serving size was small compared to the other entrees.

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I've found small portion sizes to be a problem at her last 2 or 3 restaurants, and I'm not one of those looking for an all-you-can-eat buffet portions either.

Another good place a few doors down from there is Christophers Cafe

[thecips]

You will probably receive overwhelmingly favorable opinions of I Cavallini.  My one experience there several months ago may make my opinion the lone dissenting voice.  That a reservation may be tough to get on a weekend is not surprising since the restaurant is quite small (maybe 15-20 tables).  I was in a party of 4.  I started with the beet salad and the others I think had mixed salads.  The salads were fine, nothing exceptional.  For dinner I had the crispy branzino.  This was disappointing.  The serving size was small compared to the other entrees.  The preparation was way too salty for my liking and I'm not usually sensitive to oversalted food.  My wife was similarly disappointed with her filet mignon.  The meat itself was fork tender, but the saucing wasn't to her liking.  Our dining companions seemed to fare better with their veal chop and salmon.  The veal chop looked really good.  I know that each couple shared a dessert, but nothing that I remember now.  Service was not particularly polished ... perhaps a reflection of the rather young age of the servers, but I'm not sure.  We were also a bit disappointed when Chef Toni emerged from the kitchen and made rounds around the restaurant.  She literally stopped to chat, at some tables briefly and others much longer, but not ours.  I certainly had no expectation going to dinner that I would meet the chef, but when she visited every table but ours we felt a bit snubbed.  I don't know for sure, but I can't imagine that every other table was occupied by regulars.  A nice touch was added when a couple of guys with guitars (employees?) serenaded the diners with a ballad or two in Italian.  For me, it was a disappointing dinner.  The reviews, however, from others whose opinions I respect have been uniformly positive.  I'll probably give I Cavallini another try and get the veal chop.

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[thecips]

You will probably receive overwhelmingly favorable opinions of I Cavallini.  My one experience there several months ago may make my opinion the lone dissenting voice.  That a reservation may be tough to get on a weekend is not surprising since the restaurant is quite small (maybe 15-20 tables).  I was in a party of 4.  I started with the beet salad and the others I think had mixed salads.  The salads were fine, nothing exceptional.  For dinner I had the crispy branzino.  This was disappointing.  The serving size was small compared to the other entrees.  The preparation was way too salty for my liking and I'm not usually sensitive to oversalted food.  My wife was similarly disappointed with her filet mignon.  The meat itself was fork tender, but the saucing wasn't to her liking.  Our dining companions seemed to fare better with their veal chop and salmon.  The veal chop looked really good.  I know that each couple shared a dessert, but nothing that I remember now.  Service was not particularly polished ... perhaps a reflection of the rather young age of the servers, but I'm not sure.  We were also a bit disappointed when Chef Toni emerged from the kitchen and made rounds around the restaurant.  She literally stopped to chat, at some tables briefly and others much longer, but not ours.  I certainly had no expectation going to dinner that I would meet the chef, but when she visited every table but ours we felt a bit snubbed.  I don't know for sure, but I can't imagine that every other table was occupied by regulars.  A nice touch was added when a couple of guys with guitars (employees?) serenaded the diners with a ballad or two in Italian.  For me, it was a disappointing dinner.  The reviews, however, from others whose opinions I respect have been uniformly positive.  I'll probably give I Cavallini another try and get the veal chop.

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[=Mark]

Excuse me, could you repeat that?