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La Pastaria

3.2 (181 reviews)
Closed • 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Updated 2 weeks ago

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Recommended Reviews - La Pastaria

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Dinner Chicken Savoy
Rich A.

Almost every town in New Jersey has at least one family-owned casual BYOB Italian restaurant featuring tasty cuisine in a laid-back ambiance that's perfect for a casual night out with family or friends. La Pastaria checks all the boxes for the residents of Summit and the restaurant was packed with diners of all ages when my dining companion and I stopped in for dinner on a recent Saturday night. The overall ambiance is what one would expect from a casual BYOB -- slightly better than average decor; adequate but not overly attentive service; and freshly-made and tasty Italian favorites at reasonable prices. It's obvious that the chef takes pride making meals that present well and taste great. The dinner menu features a variety of Italian favorites including pastas, chicken, and shrimp dishes, which offers enough variety to appeal to everyone (including those with dietary restrictions like gluten or dairy intolerance). My dining companion and I started off our meal by splitting the Bruschetta Di Pomodoro ($13), comprised of three pieces of pane toscano topped with freshly-diced tomato and red onion. I opted for the Chicken Savoy ($26), with a generous portion of white-meat chicken sautéed with garlic, oil, balsamic vinegar, and Italian spices, and served along with side of pasta and tomato sauce. My dining companion ordered the Chicken Milanese ($26), a generous portion of breaded chicken atop a bed of arugula, fresh tomato salad, red onions, garlic, basil, and olive oil, and (unlike Milanese dishes at many other Italian restaurants) served with a side of pasta and tomato sauce. Both of us really enjoyed the freshness and flavors of our meals. We'll definitely be back. PRO TIP: La Pastaria doesn't have a private parking lot, but there is plenty of on-street parking and parking in the Summit municipal parking lots off Springfield Avenue. Bring change or use the ParkMobile app for the meters ($1 per hour) Monday through Saturday from 8am til 6PM; all street meters are free Monday through Saturday after 6pm and all day on Sunday.

Claire M.

Came here again recently and it was delicious as ever! We had a birthday and boy did the staff delight the birthday girl with a birthday jam. Love this classic place.

the dining area of a restaurant
Mary V.

Decent Italian food in charming downtown Summit. Coming from California I was surprised that service staff weren't required to wear masks...a little alarming after the fact as Omicron cases surge. Service was fine. They did let us sit there for 4 hours catching up with old friends, so thanks for that. Food was fine. It's BYOB so we brought wine. We ordered: Polenta with mushrooms - surprisingly this was the flavor standout of the entire meal Mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, roasted peppers - I found this uninspiring, not very different from what I could pull together at home. Portobello salad - fine Cavatelli with broccoli - my favorite dish to order in NJ. It was fine. I was a little confused my the tomato element. Crème brûlée - tasty Cannoli - this and the polenta were the standouts Would I return? I wouldn't rush back but yes I'd return if in Summit again.

Salad (side)
Kristen G.

Disappointing. It was nice that we were seated right away without having to make a reservation. My boyfriend and I ordered a few appetizers and then our main course and dessert. We started with the Italian long hots which come with house made chips, the burrata, and grilled octopus. It took a while to get to us. The burrata was fresh and delicious!! It was just smaller than we expected because it was overpriced. Wouldn't order it again. The grilled octopus was also delicious but overpriced for the small portion of octopus you get. Wouldn't get it again for that reason. Nice char on it though. The Italian long hots, were cooked perfect and had nice spice. The chips were crunchy and good too. This was a decent appetizer but also a little pricey too for what it is. My boyfriend ordered the fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken and a side of the meatballs. I ordered the pesce del giorno, grilled salmon with mushrooms. My boyfriends father ordered the seafood pasta. Our food came out timely and my salmon was okay. It was a good size and cooked well. Flavor was good. Loved the mushrooms with the herb seasoning. I have had better salmon elsewhere so next time I'd try something else. If we come back lol. My side salad was fresh and had one olive lol. Would have liked more olives. Stingy! My boyfriend said the alfredo was not that great. There was minimal sauce! He wanted more alfredo sauce. The chicken was good. The meatballs were huge and bland. Very heavy. Not good. Marinara was also not the best he said. He didn't finish either dish and didn't want to take any home lol. Wouldn't recommend either of them. His father said his seafood pasta was good. He would get it again and he took his leftovers home. Definitely recommend the small size vs the large for one person. Large portion size or pasta. We both ordered the tiramisu. His father ate all of his and liked it. Though none of us were expecting it to be served in a wine glass. A bit unusual. My boyfriend and I shared ours. It's more on the sweeter side and they put whip cream from a can on top which kind of ruined it for me. I hate canned whip cream with a passion. It's garbage. We wouldn't order it again either. His father probably would. Service was pretty lack luster. And it wasn't even busy when we arrived. It got busy later. The bill for us three was about $150 which is crazy overpriced. We most likely won't be back.

Chanelle D.

We've been here three times for dinner. What's great about this place - plenty of parking, convenient location, patio option in the summer, romantic ambiance, bring your own wine and a service has always been pretty good. The menu has a good selection of Italian dishes but we found that the food was lacking flavour. The only thing we really enjoyed were the salads but the main entrees were not flavorful and at one time my chicken dish was tough and hard to cut. The saving grace was that the server offered to replace the food with the best dish on the menu at no cost. He was right, that was an amazing dish. I was impressed by his commitment to good service. So, I would keep coming back.

Chocolate Lava Cake
Kevin Z.

The food was outstanding here. I had a Chicken Valdostano, along with some Pear Salad and Chocolate Lava Cake. Everything was incredible, with huge portions to boot. Service was very good as well, with the food coming out in a timely manner and very professional waitstaff. Prices are somewhat high. With the exception of their more basic pasta dishes, prices mostly hover above $20. Not really a gripe though, since, again, portions are massive. Do note that they charge a $3 fee for splitting your entree with someone else at the table though. There is also a small fee for bringing your own dessert. The environment is amazing, especially their outdoor seating right on the main street of town and easy to walk around after in a nice area. Overall, a very solid place for some classic Italian food

Veal parm before the grated cheese

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Very average food. Overpriced in my opinion. Went there twice and was not at all impressed.

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10 years ago

Sat outside on the sidewalk on a beautiful evening. Ordered the zingara; it was VERY spicy; just the way I like it.

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Fiorino Ristorante & Bar - Shrimp App

Fiorino Ristorante & Bar

4.1(248 reviews)
0.2 mi
•$$$

Hands down, one of the best Italian restaurants in New Jersey…read more From the moment you walk into Fiorino, you feel genuinely welcomed. Everyone greets you with a smile, and there's a warmth to the hospitality that makes you feel less like a customer and more like family. This past Friday night, I had one of the best dinners and overall dining experiences I've had in a very long time. Mentor has done an outstanding job creating something truly special here. The service, food, wine, atmosphere, and hospitality all come together seamlessly. The ambiance is cozy, intimate, and full of energy. The dining room always seems to be buzzing, and you immediately understand why. The cocktails are always a hit, but the wines... oh, the wines! There are some incredible bottles to discover, along with an excellent selection by the glass. If you appreciate wine, this is definitely a place where you can have some fun exploring. Every dish that hit our table was spectacular. Everything felt thoughtfully prepared, from the pasta to the entrées and all the little details in between. There wasn't a single miss the entire evening. And now I apparently need to come back for the "Happy Meal" . As someone who works in the hospitality industry, experiences like this mean a little more to me. When you dine somewhere where the food hits, the drinks hit, the service hits, and the hospitality feels genuine, it reminds you exactly why you fell in love with this industry in the first place. Thank you, Mentor, and thank you to the entire Fiorino team for an unforgettable night. I can't wait to come back. -- Jeffrey Umaña @jeffrey.umana

Great authentic Italian spot! The menu features a lot of fresh, daily specials and an impressive…read moreselection of seafood dishes. We especially loved the shrimp risotto, it was perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The pasta fagioli soup was also excellent and tasted very homemade and comforting. This place is clearly a local favorite because it gets extremely busy, so I highly recommend making a reservation ahead of time. Would definitely go back!

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Fiorino Ristorante & Bar
Fiorino Ristorante & Bar
Fiorino Ristorante & Bar

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Felina Summit

Felina Summit

3.9(68 reviews)
0.6 mi

Felina Summit is absolutely beautiful. The restaurant, located inside the Albion Summit Hotel, has…read morebeen stunningly renovated and feels elegant, modern, and welcoming. The floor-to-ceiling windows create a gorgeous atmosphere, and the food was delicious. Service throughout the meal was very good, and our server, Abby, was friendly and attentive. That said, there were a couple of disappointments. It was my birthday, and we were asked multiple times throughout the evening whether we were celebrating a special occasion. However, nothing was ever acknowledged at the end of the meal. We even had to remind our server about the limoncello shots that typically accompany dessert, which felt a bit awkward after being asked so many times about the occasion. My biggest concern is the seating issue with the windows. While the floor-to-ceiling glass is beautiful, the sun glare was extremely uncomfortable where we were seated. The sun was directly in our eyes for much of the meal, and we found ourselves switching and repositioning our chairs just to be comfortable. The restaurant should consider installing shades, scrims, or another solution to help manage the sunlight during certain hours. Overall, Felina Summit is a gorgeous restaurant with excellent food and good service, and I would certainly return. With better management of the sunlight and a little more follow-through on special occasion acknowledgments, the experience would be even better.

The renovated space of the old Summit Hotel is exceptional. Really love the space and the…read morepotential to hold a meeting in their facility. I wish I could say the same about the food. The food was okay. Not worth the price. There are better places in Summit for food. We had the farm salad and the Frutti de Mare (seafood pasta). The salad was mainly greens with sliced tomatoes soaked in dressing which was uninspired. The seafood in the Frutti de Mare was tough and rubbery. The shrimp was overcooked while the lobster was difficult to extract even though it was completely cut in half. The dessert which was a peach cobbler was both overly sweet and tart. The service was great. Food came out promptly. Our server might have been overly attentive and checked in on us at least 5 times during the meal to see if we enjoyed it. So a great place to visit and enjoy the ambience but not a great place for eating.

Photos
Felina Summit - Interior

Interior

Felina Summit - Shrimp

Shrimp

Felina Summit

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La Focaccia - Veal Parm

La Focaccia

3.5(159 reviews)
1.1 mi
•$$$

We haven't been here in maybe 10 years and we were very impressed. It was a busy Friday night and…read moreit was packed but we were able to get seated pretty quickly. As soon as we sat down, the waitstaff brought us bread and water and opened our wine, well done. My wife and I shared the brussell sprout salad which was delicious and we both had the amazing chicken thigh and sausage entree, delicious. Our 4 entrees were all delivered to our table at the same time, a big plus for me. Great job, we'll be back!

Experience up front- One Star Dining Service once seated -…read moreFive Star Food - Four Star Overall 3.5 Stars. Decided to try this as the wife's pick for her birthday- first timers. We had a confirmed reservation at 7:45p and checked in at 7:40p. There were a few chairs in the entrance area, of which one was open so my wife sat and held our 2 yr old. 20 minutes in, a staff member arrives and simply asks her to vacate the chair as they needed it. So you take the one chair with the woman and a toddler- classy. The other individuals seated next to her were also appalled and so kindly stood up themselves offering my wife their seats. A 40 minute wait ensued despite a confirmed reservation. The attendant said it gets busy once it hits 7:30- I get that and that is a great sign for business, but what is the point of even confirming a reservation? We were told a few times a table was nearly ready and just had to be cleaned but the wait continued. Thankfully by the time we were seated we knew what we wanted to order and after placing the apps- our first selections arrived within minutes. Note- despite the terrible service up front waiting, our server(s) were on their A+ game! Fried Zucchini- shoestring cut and crispy- dare I say as a french fry lover that these were a wonderful alternative. The kiddos devoured them too. Burrata - this was a huge hit with the wife and perhaps one of the highlights for her. Rigatoni spicy vodka sauce- we ordered 2 to share amongst us and one bowl was gone quick. This was perfectly spiced and a hit for all. Bucatini Cacio e Pepe - this one fell flat. Thank goodness at least our toddler ate some. The other three of us found it way to diluted "watered down" - and muted flavors. The lone miss of the night- food-wise. If you like sundaes- get the Sundae Royale- enough for 3, maybe 4 to share and be more than satisfied. Odd note: While the name of the restaurant is Focaccia, the pieces they bring to the table once seated are rubbery and chewy. The other bread included was about an hour from being a crouton.

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La Focaccia - Fried Zucchini

Fried Zucchini

La Focaccia - Tiramisu

Tiramisu

La Focaccia - Lasagna Bolognese

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Jessica's Restaurant - Jumbo Lump Crab Meat Crepe

Jessica's Restaurant

4.7(418 reviews)
5.6 mi
•$$$

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.

Had lunch at Jessica's Was ok not as good as prior times…read moreHad the buger was average . Also order another dish was ok as well Been so many times maybe just need to try other options which I have not tried Attaching pictures Service is always 5 star I don't know how to do a half star but it was a 3.5

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Jessica's Restaurant
Jessica's Restaurant - Filet mignon

Filet mignon

Jessica's Restaurant - Apple Tart

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La Pastaria - italian - Updated November 2026

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