618 was the perfect spot to celebrate my mom's birthday this year. We started with the grilled…read moreflatbread -- loved the combination of mushrooms and goat cheese. I ordered the burger, which was pretty big and juicy. The fries were nice and crispy as well. For dessert, we got the banana dulce de leche gelato and ice cream cookie sandwiches. The gelato was so unique and rich. The ice cream cookie sandwiches were perfect for me and I loved the side of Nutella with nuts on top which added a nice crunch. Their commitment to hospitality beats most restaurants I've ever visited. In our reservation, I noted that we were celebrating a birthday. When we were sat at the table, a birthday card was waiting for my mom. Our waitress Bailey was so nice and accommodated my mom's request to not draw too much attention to the celebration. I also adore the atmosphere in 618. The lighting is so elegant with the many chandeliers and the flowers on the walls. 618 has easily become a top restaurant for me.

I've recently been mesmerized by sister property Mezcal, and haven't been back to 618 in some time…read more Last night we were in the area and decided to swing by for a cocktail and appetizers. Very cool that Venue 618 was the only NJ restaurant to make the recent Yelp Top 100 restaurants in the US. Sitting at the bar, we were served by Zoey, Steve, and Mike. They've re-done their cocktail menu to include beautiful color illustrations. I enjoyed "One in a Melon," a well-balanced whiskey cocktail with Frank August small batch bourbon, melon, poblano pepper, Aperol, and lime. This was followed by a tasty whiskey sour. My wife ordered a Lemon Drop martini, followed by a decadent chocolate-pistachio dessert martini. All of the cocktails were well-balanced and delicious. On the food side, I munched on a baked macaroni & cheese with chorizo. It was perfect! The Death of Hospitality brand thrives on personalization and unexpected surprises. Mixologist Steve, realizing that I'm a whiskey afficionado, surprised me with a small pour of Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel bourbon. This is a difficult bottle to find in New Jersey. Rock Hill Farms was incredible, with a super long finish. Thanks for the memories 618!

Went to Clarizio's Italian Ristorante and I'm still thinking about this meal closing my eyes…read moretonight. I ordered the pork chop and I swear it melted in my mouth faster than my paycheck disappears on Amazon. Perfectly cooked, juicy, and seasoned so well I almost stood up and applauded in the middle of the restaurant. Then came dessert... the cannoli cake. Whoever invented that deserves their own national holiday. Out of this world doesn't even describe it. I took one bite and immediately started questioning every other dessert I've ever eaten in my life. The staff was awesome, the atmosphere was great, and honestly I'd probably fight a small bear for another slice of that cake.

This past Saturday night was my husband and my first time dining at this restaurant even though we…read moredo live locally. Many of our friends have recommended Clarizio's to us but every time we gave thought about coming it has been particularly difficult to get a reservation on a Saturday night. I was working late on Saturday, so I was unaware that my husband was able to make a reservation for 8:30PM. Reservations are not made through Open Table. Instead, Clarizio's website send you to another site called Resy to make a reservation. What was shocking and disappointing is that Clarizio's hold your credit card number to secure the reservation and if you don't show a $25 fee is charged. My husband was so worried that they were going to count us as a no show because we were running a little late. He even tried to call to inform them that we were running late, but no one answered the phone. Luckily, Clarizio's called us because we were about 10 min late to inquire our whereabouts and we had just turned into the restaurant parking lot. Upon arrival, the hostess took us to a table set for 2 in a crowded dining room with all other tables holding large parties. Although it was crowded it did not take away anything from our wonderful dining experience! Our waiter John P was extremely nice and helpful especially after he learned that it was our first time dining here. Unfortunately, I was unaware that it was BYOB because I was working and was unable to check the website. Our waiter John eased our minds by saying that it was okay and that we would have to rely on their food to make a good impression. That certainly was no disappointment! Our food was so terrific, that we cannot wait to return and taste so many other delicious sounding items on their menu. John also told us that unless we have huge appetites, their entree portions were large enough to share. We were glad to take John's suggestion and shared the Zuppa di Pesce which was plentiful of shellfish in a tomato broth over angel hair pasta. We have had this dish in many other Italian restaurants and this was one of the best! This entree also came with one salad and I asked for an extra salad for me since we were sharing the entree. Not to go unnoticed was the crunchy outside and soft inside delicious bread. For dessert, we shared the Tiramisu suggested by John as it was his personal favorite. It was so light and flavorful that we too could make it our personal favorite! All in all this was a fabulous dining experience and I highly recommend this restaurant! Next time though, I will remember to bring a bottle of wine.

You MUST try Amorina Ristorante Italiano in Marlboro, NJ!…read more I recently had the pleasure of dining at Amorina with a couple of friends, and from the moment we walked into the beautifully decorated restaurant, we knew we were in for something special. Everything was phenomenal! We shared baked clams, stuffed artichoke and salads, followed by Penne Vodka, Veal Parmigiana, Rigatoni Bolognese, and Grouper & Scallops Oreganata. Every single dish was beautifully prepared and absolutely delicious. And dessert? Bananas Foster -- incredible and the perfect ending to an amazing meal! Owners Joe and Colleen are always on-site, and you can truly see the love and attention they put into every detail. They really do a beautiful job making you feel welcome. Colleen Pisacreta 100% recommend! Amorina Ristorante Italiano Marlboro, NJ -- right next door to the Marlboro Post Office. Open 6 days a week -- Monday through Saturday! Definitely add Amorina to your list. We can't wait to go back! Amorinaitalian.com

Life is precious, we all know that. Its so hard to find places where the food and ambience are…read moreworth your time and money. Amorina is a rare gem where you get savor great food and spend that ever so precious time with family to make unforgettable memories. The food, ambience, and hospitality was amazing to celebrate my husband birthday . We will definitely be back

This place is a bit of a mixed bag for me…read more When they're on, they're really on! The plain and margherita pies are some of the best in the area. Great flavor, solid sauce, and overall just really satisfying pizza. The issue is consistency. Sometimes the pies come out perfect with a nice thin crust, and other times they're thicker and a bit floppy. I'd say it hits that top tier about 70% of the time, and the rest is just okay. I also tried the cheesesteaks, and those were underwhelming. They felt light on meat and a bit underfilled, especially compared to what you'd expect. On a positive note, the kids' meal (chicken and fries) was actually really good.. solid portion and well done. Overall, it's a spot I still go to for pizza when I'm craving it, just hoping I catch them on a good day.

We did a vodka chicken pie and a philly cheesesteak pie becuase of how good the pic on here looked…read more Really thin, crispy crust here, so if you like that this is all you. My wife was into it, but it's never my favorite. The vodka pie was great. Loved the flavor and the basil tasted great. Worked really well with the thin crust. The philly was less good. Dry, no help from the thin crust, just not a fan. So a 5 for the vodka and a 3 on the philly gets us to a 4. Not my style, but pretty good.

Finally tried Lubrano's, had heard good things from friends. Decided to just go the take out route…read moreso no comments on dish presentation. We ordered the Pasta Al Forno as an appetizer & Chicken Scarpariello for the main dish. Was quoted 35-40 min when I called it in, arrived ~30 min, paid & food came out near the 40 min quote. The pasta - for us the cheese on top was perhaps over toasted as it was on the dry side. Flavor was fine otherwise. Not sure I'd order this for a main dish without added protein though. The Chicken Scarp - excellent. The chicken & potatoes were very tender. The mild sausage makes this dish come together, it adds a level of savoriness to complement the balsamic sweetness in the sauce. I also like the long angled slices of sausage nicely seared on each side, it was not expected vs other versions that I've had. Meal also came with bread to soak up that chicken sauce. Also noting the place seemed packed, only 2 spots on their lot were open plus it sounded busy inside. Will try it next time onsite with one of my many fine bottles of wine. :)

This location is right off the highway with plenty of parking…read more Cute little place with a diner kind of vibe. We had the calamari and the sausage and broccoli rabe for appetizers were delicious. We all had different entrees, we were all happy with our choices and had enough for lunch the next day. The service here was to par very attentive. I will be back.

Walked into a beautiful place. We stated with a great bread basket. Maybe the best I've ever had…read more And the great food continued. For appys, we had a wedge salad w/ a slice of bacon, which my wife enjoyed. I had baked clams, which I loved! For dinner, my wife had Filet Mignon and mac & cheese on the side. The meat was cooked perfectly and the mac & cheese was great. I had a Wagyu rib eye cap and Brussel sprouts on the side. The meat was perfect, and so were the sprouts. For dessert, my wife had the affogato, which both of us loved. The only disappointment of the night was the Tiramisu, not flavorful at all. The service was top-notch, I appreciated that the waiter was not a kid, which so many places use these days. It's very expensive, $380 for two (BYOB), including tip. As great a meal as it was, I don't think I will be a regular. If I come back, it won't be for the steak, mine cost $115. The mains don't include sides, it's all a la carte. If the money doesn't bother you, or it's a special occasion, I highly recommend this restaurant. Somebody in that kitchen, knows what they are doing!

What an unfortunate turn of events. We arrived as a party of 4 on a Friday evening around 6 pm…read moreexpecting a well needed, well deserved, enjoyable meal amongst friends. I was especially looking forward to ordering the ribeye and lit up instantly when the server listed it as one of the specials. The server shared that he would need to collect the orders for all of our courses at the same time which was fine with me. I actually had more confidence in the timing of everything for that reason. Our server had a delightful energy particularly at the beginning of our visit. After we placed our orders, everything began to fall apart. It did get noticeably busy since we first arrived, but we ultimately waited for our main entrees for over 3 hours. 3 hours. The table ordered the charred octopus and the oysters to start. The oysters hit the table fairly quickly, but then we began to gradually notice how long it was taking for the octopus to come. I had only a slither of the octopus so that I could say I tried it. Everyone at the table raved about the taste. I did, however, agree that their oysters were delicious especially when dressed with a little bit of mignonette, lemon, horseradish and a touch of Tabasco sauce. I'm excited to now report that I am a fan of fresh oysters from the east coast, because apparently the coast matters. The table also ordered the canaletto stuffed with mascarpone, parmesan and another cheese, langostines and lobster with morel mushroom cream sauce, garnished with truffles. I passed on this one also as it was too adventurous for my taste buds; although, their delicious bread and our drinks did distract me for a little while. The restaurant is BYOB, so we had our wine to keep us company while we observed other tables come and go. We eventually asked to see the manager and was told there wasn't a manager on duty which was either untrue or a very poor decision on the part of the owners considering it was a Friday evening. Having someone occasionally check in with our table may have also helped to take the pressure off of the server who may have gotten overwhelmed or decided to prioritize other tables. Having a manager offer a personal apology may have helped us feel less forgotten about. After the three hour mark, we decided this was enough. I didn't have much to eat at this point, but I wasn't at all worried initially since I was there for the main event, the ribeye. I stopped a hostess who was walking past our table and asked for the manager. We were again told the manager is not here but can be called, if needed. I simply replied, "Please do". Shortly afterwards, I noticed our server who at this time was standing by the host stand briskly walk into the kitchen and then return to our table with our plates. I sent the food back which was a decision that was supported by everyone at the table. Let me tell you, that was a difficult decision to make, but I also was ready to call it a night. Our mood had changed, and I truly felt like we were derservant of having the same experience as everyone else that night. Our server apologized for his part to play in the ordeal which I appreciated since I know his intention was never malicious, but unfortunately we had to call this night a bust. He offered us dessert on the house, and our entire meal was comped which we felt was an appropriate resolution. I ordered the Cinnamon Toast Crunch bread pudding which was a favorite. Very good. Jasper Stone is a beautiful establishment with decorative yellow and white floral arrangements throughout the dining area. It is clearly a popular restaurant and has many positive reviews. I regret that I could not have a comparable experience.

Via Sposito in Old Bridge, NJ is incredible. A family run restaurant with great people and the most…read moredelicious food. We have eaten there 3 times in 6 days. Absolutely amazing!!! Appetizers to die for - fried calamari, clams oreganato, everything is DELICIOUS. Pasta dishes that make you cry they are so delicious. Now let's talk about the pizza. True Neapolitan pizza. The crust is light and crispy and so special. The margarita pie is killer, the Emiliano - with prosciutto, Arugola, truffle oil and Parmigiano Reggiano is the best pie in Old Bridge. It is not even close. Via Sposito is a hidden gem and among the best restaurants in NJ. Get there as soon as possible. You will be blown away.

On a recent vacay to visit family, we met up with some north Jersey cousins for dinner at Via…read moreSposito. I loved that they accommodated our group of 12 with just a few days' notice. They're an Italian restaurant with a good selection of dishes to meat various diets: salads, pastas, meat dishes, etc. The food was also pretty good, and service was fine. Better Italian food can be found in NJ, not too far away, but the location, quality and price point served our purposes. The servings are generous. I had the "Sunday Supper" (pasta served with red sauce, braciole, sausages, meatballs, and ribs), which I shared with my husband, and even so we had plenty to take home for another meal! I found the decor unusual in that there was a noticeable religious motif. In fact, a life size statue of the a Virgin Mary stood in the corner behind our table observing our little reunion. Odd for a restaurant, but it made for some fun comparing of notes afterwards.

@il_leone_nj completely blew me away. You can feel the intentionality the second you walk in!!…read more The space is warm, stylish, & the vibes are truly impeccable. It does not feel like a strip mall spot at all... it feels like a hidden date-night gem. The owners, B & Izzy, are so welcoming, and their hospitality really sets the tone for the whole experience. The staff was just as friendly and made us feel taken care of all night. Now let's talk FOOD...We started with the garlic shrimp appetizer and I'm still thinking about that sauce it was so flavorful, garlicky & perfectly cooked. The spicy rigatoni had the perfect kick and was one of those dishes you don't want to stop eating. Honestly, everything we had was incredible. Obsessed is an under statement for their pizza. So DELISH! I also love our chicken entree, the pollo martini. It was such a delicious sauce and I loved that they served this with a sautéed garlic spinach! For dessert we had a warm banana bread pudding served with vanilla ice cream and it legit brought me back to life. Quite literally obsessed! I will be thinking about this dessert for a while! It's BYOB, the prices are reasonable for the quality, and the whole experience just hits. Definitely a spot we'll be coming back to!

First I would say the staff was welcoming and friendly. The food was good although some dishes were…read morenot as expected (which can be a good thing). The rice balls were made with black rice-quite a surprise when we cut into them! The pulpo was tender and excellent. Both appetizers were very good. If you are looking for spicy Fra Diavolo, I would suggest mentioning to the waiter you want some heat. The Shrimp Fra Diavolo was very good but not at all spicy. The mushroom risotto was very good as well. One of the specials was chicken cutlets with fresh tomatoes, olives, with a light sauce and topped with shaved mozzarella. This was served with roasted potatoes on the side, and it was excellent. The chicken was so flavorful and so tender you could cut it with a fork. Two of us had this special and it did not disappoint. We ended the night with coffee and two desserts. The creme brulee had a coffee flavor and was good. We also ordered a chocolate souffle, which definitely did not resemble anything close to a souffle. The flavor was fine but it flat, almost like a pancake. It was closer to a flatter molten lava cake. (Guess we should have been suspicious when we didn't have to wait extra time for the souffle.) Now for our main gripe. When one of us asked if the special chicken could be made without garlic (due to an allergy), the server said 'of course - nothing is impossible'. This was a lovely response to the request. However, when we received the check, there was a $4.00 charge for 'no garlic'. Really? We eat out in all sorts of restaurants from casual to very high end, and never have we ever seen this. This very small charge left a bad taste in my mouth (no pun intended). For this reason we gave only three stars - nice ambiance inside and outdoor seating under a gazebo, pleasant, friendly service, and good food, but the extra charge for omitting an ingredient was very disappointing.