NJ Dining Guide: Review of The Restaurant - Hackensack, New Jersey Restaurants

Review
NJ Monthly

The fact that the owner of this hot new restaurant, Anthony Palmeri, is a former opera singer explains the grand opulence of this wonderful addition to Hackensack's dining landscape. As I pull into the semicircular valet-attended driveway beneath an enormous snow-white canvas canopy, I feel as if I've arrived at a brilliantly lit Atlantic City casino. This place has style. The lobby, decorated with beautiful floral arrangements, is abuzz with guests waiting to be seated in the dramatic two-story dining room. Obviously, the tenor in charge here has acoustics in mind, and the initial sound I hear is ah! We are greeted by Palmeri himself, a gracious, witty, and distinguished 66-year-old, who jokes as he shows us to our table. We immediately feel welcome.
The staff is exemplary in terms of attentiveness, though some nights they dote on us a little too much. But in matters of service, too much attention is better than too little, no? Most nights a pianist plays, and you'll hear everything from Happy Birthday to the theme from The Godfather.

Although the feel of the Restaurant is Italian-American, the menu, devised by executive chef Cliff Pereira, seems more American, with a hardly discernible Italian accent. Start with lobster spring rolls, crisp creations stuffed with crunchy vegetables and served with a tangy mango sauce. The crab cake is tasty but heavily breaded. Fried calamari and shrimp, presented in a giant wonton basket, come with a mild tomato coulis, but I suspect some diners would prefer a spicy marinara. A special of tuna tartare is nicely balanced with crisp cucumber and a pungent rice-wine vinaigrette. Another special, wild-mushroom sauté dressed in a brandy-cream sauce, is earthy and rich.

Two seasonal soups are exceptionally fresh, though one night a smoky-sweet and creamy pureé of split pea with ham could do without the unbreakable crouton plank that fills much of the bowl.

Pastas are lackluster across the board, which surprises me considering that Palmeri has his entire staff spouting Italian phrases. The Free-form Ravioli is really lasagna--two pasta layers concealing whatever the chef tosses in that day. The arugula fettuccine, crowded with shrimp, asparagus, olives, and tomatoes, is a gloppy, overcooked mess that never should have left the kitchen. Risotto with wild mushrooms and fragrant truffle essence is a little too al dente and not at all creamy.

Mediocre risotto again shows up with a veal osso buco special, which is otherwise perfectly braised and falling-off-the-bone tender. Entrées are all hearty, bountiful, and well executed. A beautiful cut of grilled ahi tuna is seared to a perfect medium-rare and paired with a shallot-soy sauce. A crispy half-duck, which thankfully arrives unsliced, is served with an interesting sauté of spaetzle, corn, and wild rice. Roasted pork tenderloin comes with buttery whipped sweet potatoes and a tasty sauce of Jack Daniels and apricots. A gorgeous Black Angus shell steak is served with classic mashed potatoes and retro-style maître d' butter. The menu's most fabulous piece of meat, though, is the veal porterhouse, a fork-tender cut topped with a morel-red-wine sauce. The house bakers and pastry chefs create breads and desserts that vary weekly. When available, try the wonderfully tasty Restaurant Tart, filled with sweet raspberries, and the perfect crème brûlée. --A.G.

160 Prospect Avenue, Hackensack (201-678-1100). Lunch: Tuesday through Friday, 11:30 am to 3 pm. Dinner: Tuesday and Wednesday, 5 to 10 pm; Thursday through Saturday, 5 to 11 pm; Sunday, 5 to 9 pm. Brunch: Sunday, 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. Wheelchair access easy. American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa. Dinner for two without wine averages $85.

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