- Nice little pizzeria that shares its space (and menu) with an affiliated restaurant, with plenty…read moreof tables available if you want to dine in - Fairly busy on a Friday evening during the dinner rush, but the service was very friendly and impressively quick - You can grab pizza by the slice at the counter for a fast, casual meal - The pizza was very good, with a thin yet sturdy crust, well-seasoned sauce, and flavorful toppings; the beet salad was fresh and generously portioned, served with a tasty honey mustard dressing on the side--the grilled chicken was well seasoned and stayed juicy; the kids' rigatoni Bolognese was especially meaty with plenty of sauce - One small note: complimentary water is available, but was served straight from the kitchen sink

THE FOOD ---------------…read more+ Carnivore, Vodka Chicken Parm, Pepperoni, Buffalo Chicken, Drunken Grandma Pizza Slices - All of these reheated slices were excellent!!!! Relatively thin, crust wasn't overly thick, GREAT flavor (especially the Buffalo Chicken) and good crunch. I can't imagine how good the pizza would have been if we had ordered a whole, fresh pie instead of eating reheated slices. + Beet Salad with Grilled Chicken - Fantasticccccc salad. Lots of sliced beets and sliced grilled chicken. The honey mustard dressing was the perfect dressing for this salad. + Kids Rigatoni Bolognese - Very good bolognese. There was plenty of meat sauce and it was very tasty. Our kids absolutely loved it. + Menu consist of not only a variety of pizza, but also a nice selection of appetizers, strombolis, calzones, sandwiches and pastas. THE SERVICE ------------------- + Excellent all around service. ++++ Every employee was super friendly and asked if we needed help as we were figuring out what to order. ++++ Waiters came by multiple times to check up on us. THE SURROUNDINGS ------------------------------- + Spacious interior with lots of tables and chairs. + The restaurant is connected to Al Dente, which is a pasta restaurant next door. It seems both restaurants operate as a single restaurant even though they both have their own names. + Private parking lot is shared with other businesses and it gets bussssy on summer weekends. RANDOM OBSERVATIONS ------------------------------------- = Dine-in customers steadily streamed in and out on a July Friday evening at 6 PM, but business was reallllllly booming for takeout as many customers came in to pick up orders of pies.

This is Roman pizza, not flatbread! There are many different varities of pizza other than boring NJ…read morepizza with Sysco ingredients. Here, the dough is fermented for days and it is made from Italian wheat, rice and spelt flour (like a proper, authentic Pinsa Romana, Google it!) instead of unhealthy bleached, bromated flour found at 75- to 90-percent of most pizza restaurants in North Jersey. The quality of the toppings is also considerably better, which is why Mercato's pizzas are more expensive. Is the extra effort and expense worth it? I think so. I can taste the difference and I appreciate the crunchy exterior, soft inside textures and not feeling bloated after having a few slices like I do when I have a cheaper generic NJ pizza. I also prefer it over Neapolitan style pizza, unless it's pizza from Alta Irpinia (which also ain't cheap but so. Damn. Good.). If you're looking for run of the mill, cheap family feedbag pizza, go elsewhere. But if you can appreciate the finer things, Mercato is a good choice for a genuine, authentic Italian variety of pizza that's very hard to find around here, even in Manhattan too.

Went here last minute on a Saturday night, surprisingly, they weren't busy and we opted to sit…read moreoutside. Our waitress Alyssa was really great and had some good recommendations. We went with 2 pasta dishes and two small pizzas. The pasta dishes were the Paccheri and the Spicy Vodka sauce and the pizzas were the Truffle Potato and the Diablo. We have gotten the paccheri before, it's a fan favorite with a good amount of lamb ragu and the spicy vodka sauce was tasty but not too spicy. The truffle potato pie was the star of the dinner--perfect amount of truffle and cream with charred potatoes. The diablo was very tasty as well, I love the smaller pepperoni cups and the sauce was tasty as well. Overall, a very good meal and doesn't break the bank! Definitely one of our go-tos!!

Caught in the rain and was early for an appointment do I popped I. Two slices, can of soda. $8…read more Good crust. Lots of fresh tasting cheese and a good sauce. Lucky find.

Raw dough past 3 deliveries.... Keep giving them orders even asking for pizza to be cooked on…read morebottom but get raw dough past 3 deliveries...

Osteria Crescendo was an exceptional dining experience from beginning to end. The restaurant is…read morebeautifully decorated, and the service was absolutely stellar. We chose the seven-course tasting menu, and every dish was both beautifully presented and delicious. The chef personally came out with each course to explain the history behind the dish and where the ingredients were sourced. His enthusiasm and passion for every offering made the experience feel especially memorable. A truly special meal with outstanding food, thoughtful presentation, and impeccable service. Highly recommend!

The setting is nice, attempting a classy feel. The staff is friendly. The drinks are better than…read moreaverage. The octopus appetizer is very good, although I wasn't enamored of the sauce provided. The ravioli was good and tasty. Overall a good experience.

4/4.5 stars Ordered a vegetable pie, white pie with…read morebroccoli and 3 plain slices (plain slice is $3). Cost about $58 and took around 25 minutes on an early Saturday evening. My in law thinks they might have new owners. They now accept credit cards. Everything just came out of the oven when picked up and was still hot by the time we got home! We were blown away by the amount of toppings they put on the pies. The vegetable pie had a great assortment too. They weren't chintzy with the amount of ricotta on the white pie either. You can't go wrong with a plain slice! Well priced and rather large size.

TONY D WHYD YOU SELL??? New ownership. Different place altogether. So sad…read more Before it was old school cool. One gent, that I can only assume was Tony D, serving up simple good pizza. No frills. Old radio playing old rock music. Now it's half a dozen people working but what appears to be none of them making pizzas as the offerings look like they've been sitting out way too long. No change in decor. No improvements made. Only thing I see is a new electronic card reader... yay? Pizza is $3.25 a slice when paid in cash. Sigh. Pizza is decent. Not what Tony D served but decent at best. I use to go out of my way to drop in here. That isn't the case anymore. Good night, sweet prince. Thanks for the memories, Tony. You made great pizza. I'll miss it.

Classic Italian restaurant with solid food and pizza. They have both counter service and a sit down…read morerestaurant. It's been a staple in the area for many years.

My granddaughter and I stopped by Pompilio's on Thursday evening for dinner. Unfortunately, the…read moredining room was closed, so we ordered take out. I was impressed how quickly they got our order ready and greatly appreciated it. We ordered a large pizza with meatballs and an order of french fries. The pizza had a good portion of sliced meatballs on it which were tasty. The crust was very good! Even though the crust and the meatballs were tasty, it wasn't overly flavorful. Could it be a plain sauce? Not sure. The french fries were the thinner kind, but cooked and salted just right. They were quite the hit with the pizza. We will return again as Pompilio's is a solid Italian option.

Ordered off postmates two pies, one mushroom and one pepperoni…read more When I first ordered the pizza, I thought this was the Calabria's in Livingston, but the order was already in and on the way. All good, the two pizzas were delivered within the hour and still hot which is good! Both the mushroom and pepperoni pies were really good. I appreciate that they used real mushrooms as toppings! Makes a huge difference vs canned. Since it was delivered, I decided to re-heat some of the slices on a pan and then add some water near the end to steam the cheese. Always comes out perfectly with a nice crispy bottom and the pizza was delicious! Very affordable prices here and will order again some day

So, this is the last time I allow Calabria to screw up my order. Tonight I ordered a large pie…read morewith bacon chicken cutlet, via phone & was told "20 minutes". Arrived on time and the staff & owner could not find my ticket. After searching, and finding it, I was told $27.80 (cash price). Then was told it would take 10 more minutes. I then saw an employee making my pizza. Owner didn't have the decency to apologize for forgetting/ losing my order or offer if a discount for the inconvenience. Normally, The staff makes the wrong pie & has to remake my pie. Tonight was first " lost order". The last three times I've ordered, there were issues, wrong pie, requiring re-make. Also, the website prices do not reflect current pricing. I paid $27.80 for a large pie with two toppings. The website says it should be $22. Come on, seriously?? Calabria makes a very good pie but the staff, and owner, does not care about customer service. The owner seems to be going through the motions, which is unfortunate. Thankfully there are other quality pizza shops in the area where my business may be appreciated more. I will not be going back.

Hold My Knots 134 Broadway…read moreHillsdale, NJ 07642 Corn Fritters Three Garlic Knot Sliders In the strip of Hillsdale lies this restaurant with a very interesting, yet catchy name. (Before you get any wrong ideas, read the sign carefully.) Corn Fritters: The appetizer was hot, crispy, and filled with kernels! Good luck trying to have only one because that won't happen! Three Garlic Knot Sliders: It was truly a difficult decision choosing three specialty sliders because I wanted to explore them all. I ultimately went with philly cheesesteak, buffalo chicken, and chicken bacon ranch. Each bite will blow your mind because your typical hoagie bread is now replaced with a knot of goodness! If desired, you can even order the knots on the edge of a pizza slice. Imagine replacing the end of your pizza with garlic knots in lieu of crust! As you're dining, make sure you have plenty of napkins handy to wipe up the grease. Have a knot day at this Italian pizzeria! #garlicknots #hillsdalenj #cornfritters #pepperonirolls #sliders

Hold my Knots did a great job for our pizza requests. The 2 came out great and was very tasty…read more The character Mickey Mouse pizza looked fantastic, but it wasn't our favorite in taste. All the ricotta and black olives were overwhelming. Service was friendly and attentive and I would gladly return to try other menu items.

Awesome service always and still the best pizza in the area. Lost in the sauce because their…read moremeatballs and sauce are also soo good. Salads and wraps are always good too, you really can't go wrong.

We ordered a small pepperoni pizza, and had several plain slices. The slices were underwhelming,…read morenothing special. The Pepperoni Pizza was better than the regular slices but also nothing special. It's okay if you are in the area but not worth driving for.

Al Dente Fresh Pasta Co. 301 Center Ave…read more Westwood, NJ 07675 Eggplant Siciliana Using the kiosk, you have the option to choose your own pasta, sauces, and toppings or simple order a specialty plate. I always leave it to the professionals and I'm glad I did because the penne, marinara sauce and toppings were spot on! This was my first time mixing fried eggplant and prosciutto. #aldentefreshpastaco #eggplantsiciliana

Pasta is certainly a weeknight dinner hero. Quick pasta recipes are easy and inexpensive to throw…read moretogether, so dinner can be ready in a flash. While each pasta shape has a unique cooking time, just about every package instructs one to cook the noodles until they reach the "desired consistency"/"al dente." This phrase literally translates from Italian to mean "to the tooth." It describes the texture of cooked pasta when it's tender but firm and chewy when one bites into it. Located on Center Avenue in Westwood, my colleague and I had the opportunity as first-timers at Al Dente Pasta Fresh Pasta Co. for lunch. Upon entering their casual and friendly vibe, we were greeted by the staff and had the place to ourselves in their dining area with an open kitchen. Their menu features a fantastic variety of appetizers, salads, pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, and desserts. The star of this establishment has to be the fresh homemade pasta dishes made from Caputo Semola flour imported straight from Italy, accompanying the amazing sauces, each crafted with care and creativity. We decided on their Pasta Bar--Spicy Chili Vodka Cavatelli with Chicken Cutlet and Bolognese Pappardelle. Each came with fresh focaccia bread. The food arrived, and one can taste the difference of freshness. It was absolutely delicious using the high-quality ingredients. The portion was just right as well as the price. Our server, Hunter, was friendly and accommodating. We even had a chance to make small talk with the owner; Joe connected next door at the sister location, Luciano's, for pizza and garlic knots. It's Old World charm with a modern twist, and we can't wait for a repeat performance.