I wanted to post this last night, but I had just finished a Calzone the size of a sofa and was essentially out of commission for the next eight hours.

 

I went to Tarentella's in Medford, NJ for dinner last night.  I've been going there for he past 15 years and I quite honestly think it's the best Italian Restaurant in NJ. 

 

What say you all?  Where is the best place in the Garden State to get an Italian meal?

Ah man it's a toughie, I am corrupted/spoiled considering I lived in Italy for several years.....................

@ home!

 

Locally, we love this place: Ninuzzo Trattori in Cream Ridge

For my money...

 

Café Bello in Bayonne.  Love the food and atmosphere.  I used to go there so much they actually knew my name.  I miss that place.

 

C

@ home!

 

Locally, we love this place: Ninuzzo Trattori in Cream Ridge

Very good. Have been there a few times.

Cafe Bello is great but so is Mona Lisa. They have a great atmosphere in their restaurant and the food is top quality. That's only one of two places we'll go to in Bayonne.

I am predicting that one or more ex-New Yorker forum members will tell us we can't get good Italian food in New Jersey.

Additional guess - they will be from Brooklyn.

 

With the shortage of Italians we have in this state, they must be right.

         You are correct, the food there is the best. I take the family there for Christmas Eve dinner, it's a ride from north Jersey, but worth the trip.

I'm Italian and picky...I've eaten at numerous Italian restaurants. and the best I've found was "Zepolis" in Collingswood,NJ.

Not NJ but right over the border in Morrisville, PA Cafe Antonio's

^{DiPaulo's in Pennsville}

Not NJ but right over the border in Morrisville, PA Cafe Antonio's

Is that the one at the Calhoun ST bridge? If so, I live 5-6 minutes from there and never tried it and may have to...

I'll tell you if I have any good Italian in NJ.  I'm sure they're out there, just not by me. 

Main Street Trattoria in Metuchen isnt bad..  (but havent been there in probably 10 years)..

 

Spano's in Point Pleasant Beach is pretty good as well..

 

a place called Casanova's in Jackson wasnt bad, but they've been taken over by new management and havent been there since then..

Sola Bella in Jackson pretty good.. Was told owner from Red Hook Brooklyn

Luchento's on Route 33 in MIllstone (or Englishtown) used to be fantastic, but i also havent been there in probably 10 years.. 

Luchento's on Route 33 in MIllstone (or Englishtown) used to be fantastic, but i also havent been there in probably 10 years..

 

still pretty good...completely renovated the whole place 2-3 years ago

Here's the thing about Italian food...what most American's consider to be Italian food most Italians wouldn't feed to their pets. 

 

At the same time, Italian food is specific to a region....Northern, Southern...Coastal.

 

With all that said the only really good Italian restaurant that I personally know of is La Cippolina in Freehold.  A "cippolina" translated means small onion.  I haven't been there since forever but recall them being true to the heritage of Italian cuisine and offering regional diversity.

 

Mangia!

Is that the one at the Calhoun ST bridge? If so, I live 5-6 minutes from there and never tried it and may have to...

Yup that's the one Antonio is a friend of the family he's from Italy as well as a renowned chef

Old School Italian American....Laico's in Jersey City

but I've grown fond of Due Mari Pesce e Vinotecca in New Brunswick.

hmmmmmmmmm  I'm gonna have a hard time swallowing that one......  Red Hook back in the day ( i hate that phrase but) was a shite hole......I lives about a 1/2 mile away along the lower harbor by the piers...all longshoremen working class neighborhood and dive bars.... Red hook was a run down mess.......it was an area you NEVER went alone if at all.....

 

Now it is a cruise port..........  go figure...  I never heard of Red hook EVER being known for good chefs back then

Doesn't mean he's not a good cook..could be he just lived there but learned back in the old country....try it..you wont be disappointed...

Paisanos in Rutherford, for ginger calamari.

Tutta Pasta in Hoboken, for ink pasta, now apparently closed. 

Luchento's on Route 33 in MIllstone (or Englishtown) used to be fantastic, but i also havent been there in probably 10 years.. 

Still pretty good, we eat there on occasion.

I was just gonna type Tutta Pasta in Hoboken!  When did they close?

Ristorante Venezia on Main st. in Woodbridge. about three doors up from Bullseye Tactical...

^{DiPaulo's in Pennsville}

They are in pennsgrove. But they are very good.

I went to Tarentella's in Medford, NJ for dinner last night.  I've been going there for he past 15 years and I quite honestly think it's the best Italian Restaurant in NJ.

 

They have the best vodka sauce ever.

Augustinos in Hoboken

Sola Bella in Jackson pretty good.. Was told owner from Red Hook Brooklyn

+1 on Sola Bella - very good, was just there last night!

Bona Sera in Red Bank is pretty dang good!

 

Teressa's in Westfield is excellent as well!!!

 

Antonio's Trattoria in Wall township is a fairly new restaurant and have not had a bad meal there!