An excellent way to ring in my Womb Exit Anniversary. My top-tier chum who literally went to the…read moreschool of hospitality brought me here last Sunday for a birthday dinner. I picked it knowing the solid rep of Jessica's Cafe in Plainfield, so I can't say I was stunned to find out this was awesome - but given the expectations coming in, this probably even slightly exceeded them. Pretty cool. This was literally my first time in Fanwood, unless you count taking the Raritan Valley Line through here to Hunterdon County back in the day (I don't think it counts). The weather was a little iffy throughout the day, which I'm assuming played a factor in the town feeling a little desolate when we showed up. It reminds me a lot of the Newport neighborhood in JC - super, super gentrified. Maybe it's just the section where Jessica's is though, right across the street from the train station. We parked over there, not entirely sure if that was naughty or not, but given our outdoor seating, we easily could have peeped a cop or tow truck driver before anything terrible happened (I think it was fine, given it was a Sunday night). All that to say though, I'm not entirely sure where the ideal parking is if it's not at the train station. We were only in the restaurant for a minute (enough time to ogle a fridge or freezer of tasty looking meat to the right of the entrance), so I can't speak to the spiffiness of the interior. Even though rain was a possibility, it seemed worth the risk to stay outside due to the temps and large umbrellas. No regrets in that regard. We were seated promptly and ordered shortly thereafter, while also receiving some decent bread and butter with a bit of olive oil drizzle. Quite tasty. Somehow it's become an informal tradition, but if it's on the menu we usually get the Grilled Octopus. One of the better ones we've had. Nice and crispy (texture to me is the key to this one) and seasoned well. The accompanying potatoes were a nice touch to the proceedings - would totally get this again. A lot of the other apps looked good too, but someone accidentally made me birthday weenies on the grill earlier, so I couldn't get QUITE as frisky as I normally would. Both of us gave the lamb a long, hard look (and my chum wondered aloud about the ribeye special for the rest of the evening - possibly the one that got away) but I ultimately went with my classic Short Ribs entree. Delicious. Tender, flavorful and the perfect serving size. I was a little nervous that a puree versus mashed would mean the potatoes were too wet or liquidy, but not the case at all - they maintained their relatively solid integrity as far as I was concerned. I forgot to take a picture of dessert, but I got the Creme Brule. Also excellent, and at the perfect temp. I think there may have been a birthday musical accompaniment with that, but it's all a blur. Arguably just as good if not better was the service. Our waiter was super personable and professional, stopping by regularly and just added a hospitable touch to the meal that brought this to the upper echelon for me. Service is king, and it matters - you can't take for granted the ability of your server to essentially riff for two minutes on their menu knowledge, as well as just good-natured banter. Had that in spades. Coming back for sure - Womb Exit Anniversary or not.

Jessica's is a beautifully designed restaurant serving a continental menu. Our party of four…read morestarted with perfectly prepared grilled octopus, and an order of mussels. Our entrees were the fettuccine seafood mix, the short ribs, and filet mignon. All were delicious and ample portions. Service is impeccable as servers are polite and friendly. There is ample parking behind restaurant in a parking lot.

4.5 out of 5…read more The vibe here is unexpectedly chill for a pizza spot, almost steakhouse-like, with a huge wood-fired brick oven anchoring the room as the centerpiece. I sat at the bar and was handed a short, simple menu. Service was exceptional the whole night, attentive without being overbearing. Started with the Caesar salad, deconstructed and nothing like the classic version. The dressing and nuts gave it a nice twist that worked. The meatballs were a mixed bag. Texture was spot on, and the basil added something nice, but overall they were bland. Needed more garlic, and I couldn't pick up the umami from the parm or the saltiness from the prosciutto. More of both would've balanced it out. The pizza was the real showstopper. Perfect char, perfect chew on the dough. The habanero pie with pork loin had just the right amount of spice, every bite landed. Overall, I'd go back, and next time I'm trying the truffle oil on the habanero

We ordered carry out pizzas (on a weekday) but upon entering the store, we really enjoyed the…read morevibe/atmosphere and we will be taking our family back to dine in next time. We ordered 2 pizzas and the carbonara. The pizzas were good. The folks were friendly and greeted us as soon as we entered the restaurant. There is some parking but if the place is packed, we're not sure where else to park. We would be coming back with the family on a sunday (and possibly need to update this post)

We decided to give this spot go while staying in the area…read more Its always a great start when you walk in and The place is clean & the employees are polite. They seated us quick and made sure we had what we needed. Me personally am Not into crispy pizza. I like to be able to fold my slice without any crunching. The pizza itself had great flavor, my wife had a grandma w pesto and loved the flavor. She isnt into crunchy wither but that does not take away from the taste. My chicken parm sub was good, i am use to having plenty of mozz on my chicken parm and this had very little. A sub is just not for me, i am a Hero guy. I like it to be hearty and this had a panini feel to it. We Loved watching the young man teach the other gentleman how to make the pizza.. he had such passion that it made my experience sitting where i did extremely fun. Kudos to that young man, team played for sure!

My first time at Granos was for their Galentine's event! The dining room has a classic, cozy "old…read moreNY Italian" feel with beautiful tile work. We started the night with drinks: the sparkling Cosmo, Cupid's Kiss, Sangria, and finally, an Espresso Martini. I highly recommend the Cosmo; it was just sweet enough, and the edible glitter made it so festive. As for the food, we started with complimentary garlic bread and oil. I could have easily eaten a dozen; the bread was soft on the inside with a perfect crust, and the oil had great Italian seasoning with a light hint of spice. For appetizers, we ordered the sausage and potatoes (which came with peppers, a nice touch), the Caesar salad, and truffle fries. For our mains, we tried the orecchiette, bucatini carbonara, mushroom and spinach gnocchi, chicken saltimbocca, and penne vodka with a chicken cutlet. The highlights were the bucatini carbonara and the mushroom and spinach gnocchi! Everything came out in a timely manner, and our waitress was super sweet and constantly checked in on us. I'd definitely say it's worth a visit if you're in the area!

My bestie and her husband brought me here. I have never had Roman style pizza before. I don't know…read moreif I can go back. The restaurant itself is on a nice strip of stores and restaurants with street parking available. They have outdoor seating if that's your thing. Indoors is nice and there were plenty of tables and chairs. The drink cooler has sodas, teas, juice, sparkling water--a good blend of choices. Some of the sodas are Massa branded which was kind of cool. I personally got a Diet Coke, my bestie got a sparkling blood orange water, and her husband got the orange soda. For pizza, I got a slice of clams and a slice of carciofo. Clams was good, but the artichoke was tastier. Either way, the crunch and softness of the dough was out of this world. Dough REALLY makes the pizza and this was no exception. It was really perfect. Unfortunately, I don't live here in order to get this all the time, otherwise I would. This was FANTASTIC. We also got suppli which were also good. I do recommend these. Reminds me of something my mom would make when I was growing up. Service was fast and friendly. Nothing negative to say at all. Wish I lived here because I would get this weekly very easily. It's probably the best kind of pizza I've ever had.

Leave it to my other half and we'd spend our life in a food square of someone cooks, Taco Bell,…read morePanda Express, or pizza. Which to be fair I'm generally OK with 95% of the time. However, on a Saturday if you want me to rise from the couch cushions my flesh has become indistinguishable from you're gonna need to give me a good reason. He did not. Instead he just whined lmao so I made us a reason. I wanted to go to Sierra f0r mY biRthDaY tRiP t0 AcaDiA (3 years running) so I chose a spot near there based on Yelp. Very meta. It was our first time so I had limited expectations other than price. I was right lol. $38 dollars later... This place specializes in Roma pizza and my only barometer for that is all the influencers going to Italy and complaining that the pizza looks "different" than here in the US. The gag is it always looked good to me so I was hype to try it as Massa. It kinda gives focaccia pizza and Massa does some really nice flavors. The slices are set up almost like a bakery - complete with the panic/relief that sets in when the person ahead of you takes the last slice of crumb cake. But then you see a fresh pan coming out the oven. We got: -cremini mushroom -pesto -hot honey pepperoni (The Stevearoni I think and the one someone grabbed the last slice of before me) -diavola aka spicy soppressata. We split a beet, walnut, and goat cheese salad and a Diet Coke. It was so good. Crunchy, crispy, flavorful, and yes different. We loved it. The salad was fresh, perfectly dressed and bright. Overall Impressions: -clean aesthetic and actually just clean -great food -good seating This would be a 5 star experience (instead of 4.5) if the staff was more outwardly friendly. They weren't rude or anything but a hello and goodbye is what separates this place from my local spot that is 2 miles away instead of 15 and $20 instead of $40. We look forward to returning - not every week at these prices but at least once a month. Delicious!

Max's is a solid, neighborhood Italian restaurant with excellent thin crust pizza and a large menu…read moreof Italian food. My companions shared a large Margherita pizza. I had penne filetto de pomodoro, which is pasta in a red sauce with sautéed prosciutto, onion, and cherry tomatoes. The sauce was perfectly seasoned, and it was delicious. The entrée portions here are massive, and everything is served hot and fresh. The servers hustle, and prices are reasonable. There are three pizzaria/restaurants on this same block in downtown Scotch Plains. Massimo's is sheet pan pizza, very good, but with a much more limited menu. I don't need to mention the third place, I'll just come back to Max's.

Best Pie in Jersey! Hands down! Cheesesteaks and the Parm Hot sandwiches generous portions and the…read morefairest prices in NJ! The owner Max will make sure you get your sandwich or meal the way you want it. If you want potatoes on your cheesesteak he will make it happen! While other pizzerias will tell you they don't have it or serve it that way. The specialty pizzas are superb, any way you like them prepared Max's makes it happen. Daily specials and 5-STAR SERVICE!! Best Pizzeria hands down! Stop in and give Max's a try I promise you will not be disappointed! Thank you Max's Pizzeria and Bistro, Park Ave, Scotch Plains NJ!!‍

Local pizza joint with good pizza, entrees, apps, and salads. Every topping you can think of on the…read morepies. Ample seating and parking. Nice people run the place.

This place has stepped up their game. They are always slammed. We always get a large cheese pizza…read moreand salad with grilled chicken. The pinwheels with bacon sausage pepperoni are delicious. The penne alla vodka is awesome. Tried a Stromboli with steak pepperoni and mozzarella. Comes with side of marinara sauce. Was amazing. Any pasta entree comes with a side of homemade bread. I'm a huge fan.

I haven't been to Fiamma Wood Fire Pizza in Westfield for a long time. I was really craving their…read morebaby spinach salad, so I decided to go and enjoy it. I went on a Monday night, so it wasn't busy and we were seated right away. We ordered the baby spinach salad, calamari, and penne vodka. I liked all the food, but the salad had too much dressing. That was my fault because I didn't ask for less. Overall, our server was very nice and we enjoyed our meal.

Always a great time at Fiamma. I love their penne bolognese and their fried calamari.read more

Despite the service being just a touch slow in bringing out the food, the waitress was very…read moreattentive to us. The food including the dessert was enjoyable and the interior gives classic New Jersey Italian restaurant. Totally recommend for a lunch with friends

First time at Ferraro's per a friend's suggestion. We were a party of 4 and seated without a wait…read more It was fairly empty on a Sunday afternoon. The ambiance was pleasant and there's an option to dine outdoors (not my preference, especially literally on the sidewalk). The service was wonderful, our server answered all of our questions, and made good suggestions. She was knowledgeable about the entire menu, which was great and useful. The food overall was mediocre. We began with Tomato Bruschetta as an appetizer and I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised by the flavors. It was delicious! The bread itself stole the show! I would not have ordered it, so I'm glad that my friend did. We also add the fried calamari, which was excellent. It was crispy and nicely coated. The marinara sauce was watery and flavorless, further proving why I am not a fan of it. However, I did dip my calamari in the mango & sweet chili vinaigrette... AMAZING combo! Then there's the Giuseppe Pizza, good but not great. Again, the bread and crust were the major flavor points. Not over or under done, just right. The chicken and arugula on top, nice touch. Lastly, the mango salad and an addition of shrimp. Overall, everything was just okay. I would not be in a hurry to go back, but we enjoyed our time. Keep in mind, there's an additional charge if you pay with a card. That seems to be the ridiculous trend these days with restaurants everywhere.

I mean look, it's not the fanciest Italian or pizza joint, but food is solid, it's nearby, and…read moreportions are generous. What more can I tell you? My only regret is not having more photos, because I usually eat everything right away as soon as I get home. If that doesn't scream comfort food, then what can I say?

We my husband 30 yrs and i 20yrs have been ordering from here for that long and the food is always…read moregreat. We are disabled and i am hearing impaired We use the online order on the website. We need delivery. We live about a 1 a mile or 2 from this business. However our last two experiences have been horrible. The website did not work correctly and our pizza has been delivered to another house and had to call to get it right and stand outside in pain while delivered. Twice The person on the phone did not understand me or where to go which was 2 minutes away. I called the restaurant to explain. Yes was upset told him same as i am writing here . The delivery man yes apologized but apologies mean not doing it again which was done again . Please fix this .

Here's a polished version that keeps your warm, genuine tone:…read more Fantastic food -- super fresh, flavorful, and made with real care. The owner is beyond hospitable and makes you feel truly welcome. We love this place, and the menu has a great variety, so there's something for everyone. You can really taste the freshness in every dish, the portions are generous, and the place is super clean. The Italian dishes are especially impressive -- truly authentic and restaurant-level quality. Whether you eat there or take it to go, it's a win-win. Highly recommend!

Googling Italian restaurant around the neighborhood and Big C's showed up. It was actually next to…read morethe town I live and was intrigued that I haven't heard of it. Clemente said the place had been there for two years. It was truly easy to miss despite their colorful signage. Place is spotless, very homey and quite cozy. I had the Chicken Parmigiana with spaghetti. It was served beautifully. Just look at the picture. It was comfort food. You feel the warmth, the generosity and the hospitality of this place with every bite. And it was delicious! Since I just happened to discover it, I'll call it a hidden gem.