These are some of New Jersey’s best Italian restaurants

I feel I owe it to you to share my favorite Italian restaurants here in New Jersey. There are many restaurants that are outstanding that I have not had a chance to try, and not one of them is on this list.

Other writers or rankers who list the “best” restaurants haven’t experienced the restaurants and rely on just other customer reviews to choose them as the “best”. I rely on my experiences to share with you what I feel is the best in New Jersey. I don’t review restaurants for a living, but I do appreciate good food and have studied the culinary arts with some of the best chefs here in New Jersey.

Allow me to make it very clear, the radio station and I have not been compensated for any review that I’ve made, and I pay and buy my own meals at every restaurant. It keeps it fair.

I live at the Shore so most of the restaurants that I frequent are located at the Shore. I am a creature of habit, but I take dining very seriously. I welcome your dining suggestions.

In no order, here are my favorite Italian New Jersey restaurants.

Trama Trattoria – Long Branch, NJ

Chef Owner Pat Trama is a tribute to his respect for the traditional Italian dishes and how they are prepared with local farm-to-table ingredients that make Chef Trama’s dishes fresh and delicious.

I’m a big fan of his Cacio e Pepe (cheese and pepper pasta), his scallops and pasta and white clams is so very good and his meatball is a great way to kick off your meal.

Normally many of us skip the bread to reduce carbs or in trying not to fill up before dinner but you have to try the bread: it’s from Brooklyn and is so very good.

Every meal is prepared with care and elegance and is served by a great staff. Trama’s has an astounding wine list and a great bar where I like to dine.

Brando’s Citi Cucina — Asbury Park, NJ

Walk into Brando’s and you’ll feel like you’re in a New York City Italian restaurant that’s going to serve up good Italian cuisine. They have huge and delicious steaks but their veal parm is big and delicious, as is their rigatoni with vodka sauce and rigatoni Bolognese.

Brando’s also has a great selection of seafood dishes. Chef/Owner Steve Botta has fine-tuned his culinary skills after learning the basics from his mother when they lived in Brooklyn and then exploring the regions of Italy and choosing the right dish for the right time. They have a great wine list and the service is very attentive and I’m a big fan of their bar where bartenders serve up classic cocktails to make your experience full service.

Piccola Italia – Ocean Township, NJ

Piccola Italia is one of my favorites because the food is so outstanding. Chef Brian Gualtieri and his wife Carolina who is the General Manager serve up innovative Italian cuisine. They do amazing dishes that are so well flavored and executed. To start my dinner I always like the homemade bruschetta, calamari or eggplant rollatini. Then when you’re ready to dig into dinner you have to check out the perciatelli carbonara, the slow braised veal ragout and the scallops these are just some of my favorites. Chef Brian serves up specials each night and the wine list is filled with many regional Italian wines along with California and other wines from around the world. This is a great dinner experience.

Jimmy’s Italian Restaurant – Asbury Park, NJ

This is a restaurant that has been around for over 40 years. Diane Marrucca and her husband Jimmy had a wholesale produce business around the corner. They wanted to open this restaurant and keep it small and serve the freshest of ingredients. That explains why the food at Jimmy’s is so very good.

A walk into a past that is filled with great memories and outstanding classic Italian dishes. It’s a walk into your neighbor’s house and it’s everything that’s good with that experience. They have an “old school” feel with simple red sauce dishes, a big selection of pasta, fish, steaks and meat and Jimmy’s serves up great apps, including my favorite, the clams oreganato and stuffed mushrooms. Bring your appetite.

They have a fully stocked retro bar where I like to sit and dine on their very good food. The food is delicious, and the customer base has been very loyal to Jimmy’s for many years. While celebrities have graced Jimmy’s with their presence, it’s still the place for loyal customers and those experiencing their goodness for the first time.

Buona Sera Ristorante – Red Bank, NJ

There is a great feeling that you get when you walk into Buona Sera. The smell from the Italian dishes being prepared leaves you wanting to try everything on the menu and the atmosphere is inviting and very comfortable. The food is awesome and I like to start out with a stuffed meatball or clams oreganato and their bruschetta pomodoro is very good. They have a famous pasta capellini agio olio, their steaks, chops and more pasta dishes make this a must-stop for great authentic Italian cuisine.

Buona Sera has a great bar that I enjoy and their wine list is filled with outstanding wines from around the world. Buona Sera is next door to the famed Count Basie Theatre and is a must if you want to grab a great dinner before a show.

Johnny Piancone’s – Long Branch, NJ

I’m a big fan of Johnny Piancone’s. Chef Rick Piancone and his wife Cynthia have succeeded in presenting a great Italian dining experience. You can’t get any closer to freshness as Chef Rick makes the mozzarella several times a day at Piancone’s and is the freshest possible when it’s brought to your table. One of the many things I’ve learned at Piancone’s restaurant is the difference in taste in a fresh serving of mozzarella as opposed to a serving that’s been hanging around for a while in other restaurants.

Chef Rick stays close to his family who still owns an olive oil company in Italy and Chef Rick proudly uses the product at his restaurant. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better antipasto plate. It is really good and filled with the freshest ingredients, pair that with his delicious bread and some fine wine and you’ll have one of the better dining experiences here in New Jersey.

Anjelica’s Restaurant – Sea Bright, NJ

For over 25 years Anjelica’s has been a staple of outstanding food in Sea Bright, NJ. While the place is small and they are a BYOB, the plates of food that they serve up make you come back for more. The antipasto plate is very good with aged Italian meats and formidable Italian cheeses. I like to start our dinner with a pasta course, the spaghetti cacio e pepe is so worth splitting at the table before you dig into your main course and then try the double pork chop or the rigatoni Bolognese. The desserts at Anjelica’s are sinful and delicious so save room. Reservations are a must and getting a table in the summer is pretty difficult but worth the try.

Porcini Italian Ristorante – Highlands, NJ

Executive Chef and Owner Chris Atamian and his wife Alexandria run this quaint and comfortable restaurant in Highlands. They do a great job in presenting an outstanding menu with great service. I’m a big fan of the crab cakes, and the wild mushroom tart for an appetizer. Then I enjoy digging into the pork osso buca, the scallops and the pasta dishes. Chef Chris uses fresh local vegetables and fish and his efforts have named him one of the best Italian restaurants at The Jersey Shore. The restaurant is BYOB so bring your own beverage to pair with Porcini’s very good food, save room for dessert and you’ll be glad that you headed to this treasure in Highlands.

LouCas – Edison, NJ

This is a very good BYOB restaurant that serves up traditional Italian dishes. The food is outstanding. I’m a fan of many appetizers but I love the clams oreganato, the chilled seafood cocktail for two which has some great choices, the stuffed mushrooms are also a must on your next visit. The menu is extensive, many fish, meat and pasta choices and I never had a bad meal at LouCas. It was very good.

Undici – Rumson, NJ

A walk into Undici and you are walking in a Tuscan restaurant. A very cool enjoyable place. The food at Undici is very good, serving authentic Italian cuisine that is so delicious. On my last trip, I had a special grilled octopus as an appetizer that was so fresh and light, with a vinaigrette dressing that was so tasty. Start with a small pizza, and try the fish, fresh pasta and meats. I have never had a bad meal there. Undici has a wine list filled with choices that have garnered many awards from the prestigious Wine Spectator Magazine. The bartenders and servers are well-versed and can help guide you into choosing some of the best wines that have ever tasted. Take a trip to Undici.

Chef Vola — Atlantic City, NJ

This is some experience! For over 100 years Chef Vola have been serving large homemade Italian favorites to those fortunate to get a seat at one of the small tables that are crammed into a house. This is such a popular restaurant that your reservation is more of a request! I had the pleasure of squeezing my large body into the restaurant for dinner a couple of times. The food was exceptional and the service was old-school professional. I had the chop which was so good, we had a pasta course with clams, then the desserts came and they were over the top. You will have a very good meal at Chef Vola. If you are claustrophobic, you’re in trouble.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.

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