Restaurant review: Bistro Henry, Manchester, VT

Each winter, my husband and I take at least one trip to Stratton to ski. Over the years we've tried a number of restaurants in the area. We had a few favorites but for some reason, last year most of them disappointed us. So when we went up this year, we wanted to try some new places. Good thing we did, because now we have a new favorite.

We've passed Bistro Henry a zillion times. It's right on the road to the mountain and we've looked at the menu but for some reason never went. We finally decided to give it a go on a Friday night a couple weeks ago. We made a reservation and were promptly seated by the host (who was also the sommelier). The dining room has a quaint, country look and feel - warm and cozy on a cold winter night.

The menu offers lots of classic French dishes along with a few oddities like Szechuan pork dumplings and tuna with pad Thai noodles. We stuck with the French food (but a guy at the table next to us was raving about the tuna.)

I chose the two items on the menu that they seemed very confident about, some might even say a little cocky. I started with "Our really, really, good lobster bisque, really." I wondered if it would live up to their boasting. You know what? It was better than really really good. It was the best lobster bisque I've ever had. Ever. Chunks of moist lobster in a creamy bisque that tasted like... LOBSTER!

For dinner I chose "Duck our way." I thought it was an interesting name because what if I didn't like duck their way? What if I wanted it my way? The description of the dish is as boastful as that of the bisque: "Medium rare breast & crispy leg, green peppercorn sauce. The best. No kidding." The duck was cooked perfectly - per-fect-ly. Crispy skin, fat rendered just right. My only issue was I would have liked just a little more bite in the green peppercorn sauce.

Jeff started with scallops - his favorite. They were served with apples, apple cider beurre blanc and crunchy fried onions. I took a bite and they were excellent, even if I'm not big on scallops.

For dinner, he had grilled veal tournedos with mushroom sauce and truffle butter. Like my duck, it was perfectly cooked and it had all that delicious richness that anything with mushrooms and truffles should.

The restaurant has a nice wine list with bottles across a wide range of prices. The sommelier is friendly and knowledgeable - he recommended a bottle for us and we loved it.

During the meal only one thing really bugged me. And it happened in the bathroom (don't worry! keep reading!) In every stall and on the mirrors, there was a flyer. It talked about a bad review they'd received and how you shouldn't listen to it and how you should tell your friends if you like them. It was written by a guy named Justin... 10 years ago!

So I get that bad reviews can hurt a restaurant. Especially one that turns up high in search results. But Bistro Henry is good - really good. And most of the other reviews I've seen online say so. We will go back - probably every year when we're at Stratton. So my only comment to Bistro Henry: Forget Justin. Your food is good - really good. I'll tell my friends. I'll come back. Let the confidence you show on your menu shine through and Justin won't matter.

Restaurant review: A Toute Heure, Cranford

It's been awhile since I've done a restaurant review. Having a baby will do that. We still go out but it's usually to our favorite local spots like Ginger Sushi or Bel Paese. But our anniversary was good reason to get dressed up and have Grandma and Grandpa over to babysit.

I first heard about A Toute Heure a couple years ago. I was reading an issue of New Jersey monthly and they had a feature on NJ's top chefs. It talked about David Drake and a few others, including Kara Decker. I'd never heard of her, but according to the article, she was doing great things with local ingredients right in nearby Cranford. Shortly after reading the article, we tried the now defunct Restaurant David Drake, but we just never made it to A Toute Heure (ATH), until now.

Reservations are a must at ATH; I made ours a month ahead via Open Table. Also note that this little gem is BYO, so bring your favorite bottle with you.

When we arrived, our table wasn't quite ready so the host (who owns the restaurant) offered us some house made rosemary nuts and a seat out on the porch. He promptly opened our wine and brought us some while we waited. After only about 5 minutes, we were shown to our table. He came over and welcomed us again and explained some of the night's features. The menu changes daily and features seasonal ingredients from local farms. A chalkboard in the restaurant lists all the farms that provide ingredients to ATH and the menu calls out some featured that night.

The menu offers starters, salads, bites and entrees. We shared two appetizers, a bite and two entrees. To start, I ordered a fricassee of mushrooms with green olives, and speck and topped with a local fried egg. The unusual combination includes some of my favorite things and it was delicious. Simply prepared, it was served in a small round pan. It had just a little bit of spice. The perfectly cooked egg added a silkiness to the whole thing. Jeff ordered peekytoe crab fritters. They were tasty, but a bit gummy inside and not quite as crisp on the outside as we would have liked. The "bite" we shared was a pulled pork croquette - these little nibbles were packed with flavor and crispy on the outside.

Our entrees were served promptly. I opted for duck leg confit with butternut squash puree and a light cabbage and carrot slaw. It was simply divine. The duck melted in your mouth and the squash puree was luxurious and creamy (perhaps more than a little butter in my butternut!). The cabbage added a fresh crunch. Jeff got braised short ribs over cheddar grits with wine braised cippolini onions. The ribs were perfectly cooked and the grits were so rich Jeff could barely finish them. Both entrees were perfectly made and full of flavor.

Other entree choices included steak frites, a pot of mussels (a signature dish), two types of fish, chicken and more, all using the best local produce currently in season. They also offer a vegetarian option.

For dessert, the restaurant offers a number of options as well as a selection of local cheeses. The menu was topped with an apple toffee cake and a note saying "It's back!". We ordered one to share - if it was good enough to make a comeback, we had to try it. Served with a scoop of homemade cinnamon ice cream, it was dense and sweet, delish! My only complaint was that it was served cold. The plate itself was cold, indicating the dessert had been plated ahead of time. ATH is a tiny restaurant and I'm sure the kitchen is small, so pre-plating the dessert may be necessity, but this cake, already amazing, would have been unbelievable served warn and just a little gooey, especially next to the cinnamon ice cream.

Warm, friendly service in a great atmosphere make ATH just the dof place we like. The food was seasonal, and very well prepared. The focus on local ingredients makes it even more appealing. We will go back (many times, I'm sure).

Island Getaway: Detente, Martha's Vineyard

With no big vacation plans this year, Jeff and I decided to take a little island getaway on Martha's Vineyard. We left early Saturday morning and came home yesterday. At this time of year, heading to the Vineyard can be a gamble: May can be cold and rainy or it can be perfect. We got perfection: sunny skies, low humidity, and temperatures in the 70s.

We roamed the quaint towns and hit a number of the island's best eateries: a couple of top-rated restaurants as well as local favorites my family has come to love over the years. Detente, tucked in a small corner of Nevin Square in Edgartown, is the top rated restaurant on the island and it's fast becoming a local favorite as well.

We went there Monday night, our last night on the Island and it was the perfect ending. We'd had plenty of good meals, but Detente is fine dining at its best. From presentation to the last bite, you can appreciate the hard work that goes into every dish. Each item on the menu is comprised of several complex flavors. For example, one first course was soup and salad. It was a lobster bisque and then next to it was a lobster salad with a tarragon aioli, and fresh seasonal vegetables. A diner at the next table ordered it and it was beautiful.

The menu, though short, has excellent variety and features the season's finest ingredients, including ramps, fiddlehead ferns, lamb, and veal. To start Jeff ordered seared scallops served with yellow tomato confiture, radish salad, and Parmiggiano. I don't really ike scallops but I had to have a taste. Cooked to perfection, they had a great crust on the outside and the added flavors from the confiture and crisp radishes were wonderful.

I chose a pork bolognese with goat cheese ravioli and pork belly crumbs. I was served a hearty pile of pork bolognese (think pulled pork, not sauce). It was surround by a basil puree of the deepest green and topped with a single egg pasta ravioli stuffed with soft creamy goat cheese. Atop the ravioli was a paper thin slice of preserved lemon and a sprinkle of crispy bit of pork belly. The tart lemon with the rich bolognese was an amazing contrast and the ravioli was simply delicious. Not a speck remained on my plate!

After a short wait, our entrees appeared. I can rarely resist halibut, so my decision was an easy one. It was served with prawns, gnocchi, asparagus and leek puree. It's like they figured out my favorite things and put them all together in a perfect combination. The dish was served on a long rectangular plate. In the center, the halibut filet sat on top of a pile of light gnocchi. Three spears of asparagus lay across the fish and a pile of frizzled leeks topped the whole thing. On either side sat a big, beautiful prawn, served with the head on (yum!). An artistic smear of dark green leak puree cross the whole plate and I could swear there was a bit of white truffle oil on those little gnocchi. The combination of textures and flavors was inspired: tender gnocchi, crispy leeks, sweet prawns... I ate just about everything on my plate (Jeff ate the rest).

Jeff's dinner was equally appealing. He chose grilled veal with a red wine reduction, ramps, potato gratin and a watercress-pancetta salad. To his delight some fiddlehead ferns also appeared on the plate. The veal was cooked perfectly: tender and juicy and it was seasoned with a spicy black pepper. The pepper contrasted beautifully with the watercress, pancetta and red wine reduction. I probably don't have to tell you that there wasn't a speck left on the plate.

We didn't have room for dessert, but the menu featured a selection of cheeses as well as a pot de creme, a trio of chocolates and a couple others that I cannot remember (probably because they didn't have chocolate!)

Detente takes reservations one month in advance so if you are booking a trip to the Vineyard, plan ahead. They book up quickly especially in the prime months of July and August, but they have added more seating this year with the addition of a second floor. The restaurant also features a wine bar, so the wine selection is excellent and the staff knowledgeable about pairing the wines with the different dishes.

Restaurant review: BLT Market

I have a not-so-secret crush on Laurent Tourondel. I've long been familiar with his restaurants but had never been to any other than BLT Burger. I've cooked my way thru much of his cookbook, loving every recipe more than the last. It seems the man has got my number when it comes to flavor combinations...

So if you're expecting anything other than a rave review of BLT Market, too bad. I had one minor complaint about the meal, but we'll get to that...

At Christmas, restaurant gift certificates are a popular gift in my family of food lovers. This year, I was elated to get one for the BLT restaurant group from my brother and his family. It's been packed away for the right opportunity and with Spring weather upon us, Jeff and I ventured into the City for the day. I booked the reservation on Open Table about 3 weeks ago - it was surprisingly easy to get a prime-time table.

Situated on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Central Park South, the restaurant offers glimpses of Central Park. It's smaller than I expected, but very pretty. A chalkboard announces the additions to the seasonal menu and the hostess station is surrounded by shelves of market items for sale, including Tourondel's cookbook and postcards of the stunning paintings that add color and flare to the restaurant.

The menu offers a good selection of seasonal fare. Appetizers included Maine scallops, Mache salad, and an asparagus terrine, among other things. Entrees included fish, duck, chicken, veal, and lamb, all prepared with seasonal produce. Spring was definitely in full swing at BLT Market.

Our order was promptly taken and we were served an amuse bouche and some garlic bread. The amuse bouche was, well, odd. It was pigs in a blanket. When I heard that I thought it must be some sort of gourmet sausage, but to my surprise it was a hot dog. It was wrapped in a flaky dough and topped with a little sauerkraut and some mustard. It was very good as far as pigs in a blanket go, but seemed out of synch with the rest of the menu. Our only guess was that it was selected due to the beginning of baseball season, but it just seemed odd...

The garlic bread was another story. It was moist and delicious and each slice was slathered with a pesto that was flavorful but not too garlicky. Yum! That was more like it.

Our first course came quickly. We shared an appetizer portion of the risotto: Arborio risotto with English peas, morel mushrooms, Rock shrimp and Coach Farm goat cheese. This dish was sublime, divine, and well, just other-worldly. The peas were crunchy and sweet, the shrimp tender an surprisingly plentiful and the morels added an earthy flavor to the whole dish. The rice was al dente and the whole thing came together with creamy aged goat cheese. My mouth was in heaven.

I doubted my entree could top that, so I waited eagerly for a taste. The wait wasn't long. A server promptly placed our dinners in front of us - they say you eat first with your eyes, and this food looked good! I had opted for one of the additions to the menu: Branzino stuffed with seafood and served with a radish and micro green salad. Jeff selected veal cheeks blanquette with pearl onions, and fava bean ragu. The dishes were very different but equally delicious. My fish absolutely amazed me: it was a whole fish, skin on, but had not a bone in it. When you think stuffing, breadcrumbs usually come to mind - this didn't have a single breadcrumb. It was full of chopped shrimp and scallops and a few sweet plump raisins. Jeff's veal cheeks were tender beyond belief with perfectly cooked vegetables, including sweet, crunchy fava beans.

Needless to say, there wasn't a bite left on either of our plates. We did not, however, save room for dessert. We were presented with two cinnamon crusted donuts: little munchkin-like donuts, steaming hot and a perfect ending to the meal.

Gracious service and excellent food in a lovely setting put BLT Market on our list of restaurants we'd visit again. If you get the chance, give it a try - you'll experience some of the best seasonal cuisine around.

Restaurant review: Brasa Grille

After a break of a couple of months, Ladyberd's Kitchen is back in business. I'll save my excuses for another post. But first, I have to tell you about this little gem of a restaurant...

Tucked in the corner of Hickory Square Mall in Chatham, this family-run Portuguese restaurant serves up food that'll knock your socks off (perhaps its the garlic!). With a few seats at the granite bar facing the open kitchen and a handful of tables, be sure to call ahead for a reservation. Upon entering, you'll be greeted by Claudio or one of his family. Fresh bread and olives are brought to every table and you'll find deliciously fruity Portuguese Extra Virgin Olive oil for dipping.

Don't fill up on bread though! I went on a Tuesday evening with one of my girlfriends. As we perused the menu, we were informed of the daily specials: grilled whole red snapper or Chilean Sea bass fillet. We both chose items from the regular menu. To start we shared an order of clams with cilantro and garlic sauce. A dozen or so clams came in a pot with a light sauce loaded with cilantro and garlic. (Note: now would be a good time for the bread!) We soaked up the sauce with some of the bread and already swore we'd come back - even if only for those clams!

Our main dishes gave us more reason for a return visit. I opted for my favorite Portuguese dish: Carne de Porco Alentejana, or pork and clams. I was served an entire pot of chunks of tender, marinated pork and browned potatoes in a cilantro sauce. Five clams completed the dish. Lighter than any pork and clams I've ever had, it was full of flavor. Some pickled vegetables lend just the right amount of acidity to this hearty dish. I ate about a third of it and had to have the rest wrapped up to take home.

My friend chose the Bitoque, a grilled shell steak topped with fresh ham, a fried egg and their special grilling sauce. A pile of homemade potato chips came on the side. Ordered medium, the steak had a warm pink center and was another very sizable portion. The egg looked perfectly cooked with a bright yellow runny yolk.

A glance around proved that all the portions are huge - paella looked big enough to serve at least two (or one with lots leftover - even better!).

All in all, friendly service and delicious, fresh Portuguese food put Brasa Grille on the list of restaurants I'll visit again and again. If you're looking for good Portuguese, give it a try - it's a lot easier to park than in the Ironbound district of Newark... And as I told the owner: it's as good as any Portuguese food I had in Lisbon!

Fast Burger: Five Guys

We don't eat a lot of fast food, so I was hesitant to try Five Guys. I'd read the reviews on Zagat, though, so we decided to give it a go. Immediately upon entering, you'll notice bags of potatoes stacked around the place. A large whiteboard announces the location where the potatoes were grown. We've been to Five Guys twice now and our first potatoes were from Idaho and the most recent visit gave us potatoes from Washington. In both cases, they turned into yummy fries.

When we ordered our burgers the first time, we both ordered regular cheeseburgers, Jeff added bacon to his. You're then asked what toppings you want and there's a huge list of free toppings: the typical lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles are obvious ones. But there's also fried onions, sauteed mushrooms, A-1 Steak sauce, BBQ sauce, and many more. I went with lettuce, pickles, ketchup, mushrooms and fried onions. Jeff got all those and a few more.

We also ordered a regular-size fries to share and a soda. We were given a number and went to await our burgers. What we got was a bag of hot, freshly-made food that weighed a ton. We removed two burgers, each with a number stuck on it so we could easily find the right burger. The rest of the bag was full of fries. We're talking enough fries to feed about 6 people. They were hot and crisp and not too greasy.

Upon unwrapping the burger, we realized that regular is two patties! I could barely get my hands around it, let alone my mouth. But it was tasty (and more than a little sloppy.) You could tell the ingredients used were fresh - lettuce was still crisp, onions crisp tender, and mushrooms just right.

On our second visit, I went with a single patty burger and was still stuffed. And we opted for Cajun fries instead of regular. Spicy and full of flavor, they're a great change from regular fries.

Five Guys is not a place I'd go to frequently, simply because burgers and fries aren't the healthiest option, but when I'm in the mood for a burger, it'll be one of my first choices. Visit their website to find one near you.

Restaurant review: Craft

We kicked off 4th of July weekend with a memorable dinner at Tom Colicchio's Craft in New York City. The restaurant itself is beautiful - sleek and modern but with comforting colors. Blond wood tables and leather on the walls provide a warm atmosphere, as does the gentle light from filament bulbs hanging from the ceiling.

Upon being seated, we were welcomed by our waiter, served some water and then presented with the menu. The menu at Craft is somewhat different. There are several sections of first courses, then main courses and then sides. The idea is to pick a main and sides that go well together - in other words, to craft your own meal. For some that might be intimidating but the waitstaff answer any questions politely and knowledgeably. For me, it was a chance to have a little fun! The menu was full of fresh seasonal ingredients with some not-so-common things too!

Jeff and I each selected a first course that was a little unusual. I picked stinging nettle agnolotti. These were delicious little agnolotti stuffed with a bright green stinging nettle mixture. Simply prepared, they were garnished with just a touch of fresh cheese. Jeff thought they were a little plain, but I enjoyed them. He ordered the pig Ballotine (vegetarians beware!). The waiter had to explain to us that Ballotine is made by using the snout, feet, ears and other interesting pig parts. They're seasoned and cooked in a roll and then thinly sliced. It was served cool on a platter with tiny fresh seasonal vegetables that were lightly pickled. I tried it (with some hesitation) and it was really quite good - the meat had a rich deep flavor and the tiny morels and other veggies provided a perfect contrast.

For our mains, I chose braised halibut which was finished with an almond foam. Jeff selected braised short ribs. We shared garlic risotto and their signature hen-of-the-woods mushrooms for sides. I love halibut and I order it or cook it as often as I can get my hands on it. This was the best cooked halibut I've ever had. Each bite was tender and juicy.

The braised short ribs simply melted in your mouth. The best word I can think of for them is luxurious. Silky and rich, they were perfectly caramelized and were served with a few tiny onions and carrots.

The risotto and mushrooms were both perfectly prepared as well. Not a bite remained!

We don't always have dessert but we felt like trying something at Craft. We shared their Boston Cream donuts. Two small homemade Boston cream donuts were served with a small dish of cheesecake ice cream and a shot glass of malted chocolate milk. On the side was some homemade blueberry compote full of big juicy blueberries. The dessert was definitely good, but the dinner itself was much better.

We finished off the meal by sharing a glass of Moscato d'Asti, a sparkling white dessert wine that we first tasted not long ago at Esca. A crisp cool finish to the meal, we order it whenever we find it on menus.

Throughout the meal the service was gracious and attentive. Our wine glasses were never empty and we were well cared for.

I've watched Tom Colicchio again and again on Bravo as one of the judges on Top Chef. After dining in his restaurant, he may in fact be more deserving of that title than those he judges. If you find yourself in New York and want a perfectly executed memorable meal, try Craft.

P.S. On our way out, they gave us each a homemade zucchini muffin which we had for breakfast the next day. It was moist and full of fresh zucchini and cinnamon! Yum!

Restaurant review: Pithari Taverna

For fabulous Greek food, you could hop a flight to Santorini or Crete, but why not grab your GPS and head to Highland Park, New Jersey? Pithari Taverna is the real thing. The owner, Tassos Stefanopoulos, will welcome you into the casual restaurant, which is decorated in traditional Greek blue and white. Take a peek into the open kitchen where the chef really is Greek!

When you're seated, you'll be served a selection of olives in garlicky extra virgin olive oil and a basket of fresh warm pita cut into triangles. Don't miss dipping the pita into the oil! The menu at Pithari is extensive, offering all of the traditional Greek dishes you'd expect.

For starters, we've tried a number of options, but there are two we never miss. The grilled octopus is other-worldly - there's a reason the menu boasts, "We are famous for it!" Served in a shallow copper pot, three tantalizing tentacles in a simple mixture of olive oil, red wine vinegar and dried oregano will leave you begging for more. If you've never tried octopus or think you won't like it, forget your fears of this eight-armed creature and order this appetizer! Tender, juicy, and extremely mild, it's not to be missed.

Our other favorite is saganaki. Kefalograviera, a dense Greek cheese, is lightly batted and then fried. Served on a sizzling platter, drizzle it with a bit of lemon and eat pieces of it on the pita. A little salty, a little chewy, and a lot cheesy, it's a great start to a meal and a crowd-pleaser.

You'll notice that the list of entrees is quite lengthy. Broken into a few categories, there's something for everyone. The first group are traditional Greek specialties, things like Moussaka, Pastitsio, Spanikopita, several lamb preparations and more. Under that is a section of Souvlaki and Gyro offerings. I don't typically order chicken in restaurants, but the chicken souvlaki is tender, juicy and packed with flavor. Served with tzatziki and your choice of starch (get the lemon potatoes), it's a simple, yet hearty meal perfectly prepared.

On the next page you'll find grilled offerings and seafood entrees. Fresh fish is a specialty at Pithari and they always have some Mediterranean fish available. You might find red mullet, porgy, orato and more, all imported fresh!

On our most recent visit, I tried a new dish while my husband went for an old favorite he hadn't tried in awhile. His dish, Arni Fricase, is a hearty stew of lamb, Greek artichoke hearts and dill in a lemon egg sauce. For a stew, the sauce is lighter than you might think. Definitely rich, the lemon lightens the taste and dill adds a unique flare!

I opted for Arni Kokkinisto Makaronada. This one had chunks of lamb as well, but the sauce was tomato based and it was served over a bed of homemade pasta, similar to a bucatini. Between lamb and pasta, I found bits of feta and they also gave me some grated Greek cheese to sprinkle on top. The lamb simply melted in your mouth and the pasta was cooked perfectly. The portion was huge so we took half home (especially after saganaki and octopus).

Sadly, I had no room left for my favorite dessert. Galaktomboureko is made from layers of fillo topped with a silky custard and more fillo. The whole thing is drizzled with Greek honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Few desserts are this good. Period. (I've been known to get one to-go if I'm too full!) Authentic Greek coffee is a great companion to this lush dessert.

Pithari Taverna is a restaurant we visit again and again. We've brought family and friends there and all return for more. Authentic Greek food in a casual setting with a gracious host - who could ask for more!?

Restaurant review: Bel Paese Cranford

"I am a pasta fanatic." Those were the words of Bel Paese's owner, Enzo, as he took our order and told us about his specialties. A native Italian, you can tell Enzo loves what he does and has a real passion for food. And he was right. His was some of the best pasta around.

But I'm getting ahead of myself...

We often passed this little restaurant on our way to other spots in Cranford. One day a co-worker of mine mentioned it and siad the food was terrific. Since then, it's been on my must-try list. So Friday night, we decided to give it a shot.

We made a reservation and grabbed a bottle of our favorite Italian wine. Upon entering, we were seated at small table toward the back. By day, Bel Paese is a deli, so don't expect elegant decor. It's clean and the service friendly, but it's casual - you could bring kids here without worrying. One thing I noticed immediately was the giant silver barrel of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the counter and the huge espresso machine behind it. I had a good feeling about this place...

We were served some bread and butter as we looked over the menu. Next time, I'll skip the bread. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. Once we ordered, we were brought two servings of bruschetta. The tomato topping was delicious, but the bread was again a bit lacking.

The menu is extensive. You'll find all the traditional dishes most people look for in an Italian restaurant: Chicken and Veal Parmigiana, Penne with vodka sauce, fried calamari. You'll also find some more unusual preparations of veal, chicken, fish and shrimp, as well as numerous pastas. Most appetizers are about $10 and most of the entrees are $15-$20. There are also a number of specials.

To start, we chose two appetizers off the main menu. One was a Stuffed artichoke and the other was Bocconcino al Forno. The Artichoke was huge and packed with breadcrumbs, garlic, more garlic, some pine nuts and some provolone cheese. It was delicious - did I mention the garlic? The Bocconcino were simply divine. There were four sizeable rounds of fresh, homemade mozzarella, each topped with a piece of prosciutto and a sprinkle of garlicky breadcrumbs. Around them on the plate was a bit of homemade tomato sauce. The whole thing was baked until the breadcrumbs were toasted and the cheese warmed through but not melted. The flavor was spectacular. Both appetizers were large portions - one would have sufficed for the two of us.

Then came the main course. My husband order a special that had veal scallopine with portobello mushrooms, peas, shrimp, melted cheese and tomato sauce. It came with a generous side of penne with the same sauce. At first glance, I noted that there was a good amount of mushrooms on it, but it looked like there weren't many shrimp - Jeff corrected me and said there were about 10 shrimp on the dish! I tasted it (twice) and it was excellent. The veal was tender, the mushrooms cooked perfectly. Definitely something we'd get again.

I ordered a pasta special - after all, Enzo is a pasta fanatic. It was called Boscaiola - homemade fettucine with crumbled sausage, bacon, parsley, mushrooms, egg, and cheese. One bite and I was back in Rome on my honeymoon. This pasta was delicious. There's no comparison to the stuff that comes out of a box - this was homemade - and fresh! And the flavors in the dish combined perfectly. The portion was huge too. About halfway thru his veal, we decided that the veal would travel better so Jeff pushed his plate aside and happily helped me thru my pasta. We were both stuffed and took half of his veal and about a quarter of my pasta home.

We had no room for dessert, but they do offer an extensive list of Italian desserts. We each had an espresso - reasonably priced at only $2.

If you find yourself in Cranford, let Enzo take care of you. It's obvious that he has a passion for what he does. Don't let the casual atmosphere alter your expectations. Try the pasta. I will certainly go back any time I miss Italy!

Enzo - if you're reading this, we will be back and we will bring friends and family. We felt welcome in your restaurant and your pasta is simply delicious. Thanks for a great meal!