Coltello Ristorante Italiano - Crosswicks, NJ

For the second year in a row, I have held my holiday party at Coltello Ristorante Italiano in Crosswicks, NJ, and based on tonight's performance, you bet we'll try to book Coltello again next year!


We had a party of 42 tonight, and Chef Dominic and the Coltello staff had us. set up at one HUGE table down the left hand side of the restaurant.  The setup was perfect, with 2 large round tables at either end, and rectangular tables joining the two down the middle.  The festivities started with the Commander making some a few statements, and then we were on our way to yet another one of Chef Dominic's incredible meals.


The first course of the evening was a Spedini alla Romana, a thin, pan fried mozzarella that is breaded, with an anchovy and caper sauce served family style.  Everyone LOVES fried mozz, and this was a great way to set the tone for tonight's meal.  The mozz was fresh, and fried to a crispy golden brown, and the anchovy sauce paired with the capers gave it some great flavor.  Everyone ranted and raved about this, and I am guessing that half of our people wouldn't have touched it had they known it was an anchovy sauce!  But what they don't know, won't kill them!  ;-)

The second course was a flatbread, topped with an aged cheddar cheese, prosciutto, and a sunny side up egg.  The flatbread itself had the perfect texture, with a nice crunch on the outside, with a soft chewy center.   I'm not sure if Chef Dominic makes the bread in house, but it sure tastes homemade!  The cheddar had great flavors, and the prosciutto was perfect...not too salty, and not bland at all.  This is the kind of prosciutto that I could snack on all day long.  I was a bit worried that people may not understand the sunny side up egg, but I found it to be an awesome element, and innovative.  The ones that didn't understand why the egg was on here just don't get it, but what a genius take this was for Chef Dom to come up with this.  This was absolutely awesome!

Needless to say, the appetizer plates were clean and crumb less, and and there was no shortage in portions.  Chef Dominic sent out a lot of food, and for the price what we paid for this party, I could not be any happier.  You just cannot get the quality of food at the price as we are tonight.

Next course was the salad course, with a fancy green salad of mixed greens and a house made balsamic vinaigrette. Again, served family style, and a huge helping of salad for the entire table.


From here, we went onto the pasta course, and Chef Dominic did not skimp once again, and pulled out all the stops.  I was actually walking around making sure all our personnel were enjoying themselves, and if it wasn't for the Commander filling my plate, I would have missed out as these giant bowls went fast.  This was a Rigatoni Carbonara, with pancetta and caramelized shallots with a Parmesan cream sauce that was to die for.  Again, delicious, and again, there were no leftovers here anywhere on the table.

For entrees tonight, Chef Dominic came up with 4 choices for us.  The first, and the entree that I could not pass up was a marinated flank steak with a jalapeno chimichurri sauce with grilled fingerling potatoes.  All I have to say about this is AWESOME!  The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare/medium, and was juicy and tender.


This was so good in fact that many of us in the office were craving it the following morning, stating how good it would be with some eggs for breakfast.  This was perfectly seasoned, and the chimichurri added such great flavors, but this would have been good on it's own.  This is definitely an entree that I will order again, and I hope that Chef Dominic decides to leave this on the menu as it is such a great entree.


Some of the other entree selections tonight included a salmon dish with roasted corns and scallions.  I was actually hoping to get a bite of this from someone, but unfortunately, there was nobody near me who ordered it, and when I did finally make my way around there restaurant, there wasn't any left to be found.  From one person I talked to that had it, they said it was one of their favorite salmon preparations ever, and that the salmon was fresh and cooked perfectly.


We also had the option of a chicken marsala, with wild mushrooms, and a marsala wine demi-glace.  This is a staple in any Italian restaurant, and Chef Dominic does it right.   Again, everyone who had this enjoyed it, and enjoyed the freshness of the mushrooms, and the flavors in the sauce.


Finally, Chef Dominic also prepared a pork tenderloin, with wild mushrooms and a truffled demi-glace.  Again, the pork was flavorful and juicy, and once again, the plates were clean!


By this point of the evening, the rest of the restaurant had been turned over, and all the tables had been reset and filled.  In talking with my Squadron, everyone had been having an enjoyable evening, and there wasn't an empty stomach in the house.  The food was absolutely amazing, and everyone could not have been any happier...and many said that they will be back often.

I also brought plenty of wines to be shared with the table, and some of the selections went over very well.  Some wines to note that were enjoyed by many included a 2007 Stefania Haut Tubee, 2009 Congruence Zinfandel, 2009 Stefania Chardonnay Chaine D'Or, 2007 Curran Grenache Blanc, and a 2005 Stefania Uvas Creek cabernet sauvignon.  All of these showed very well, and even the non-wine drinkers enjoyed them.  That being said, how can you not absolutely LOVE the fact that Coltello Ristorante is BYOB friendly?


From here, HUGE helpings of cannoli's were brought out to the tables, along with coffee.  The shells of he cannoli's were crunchy, and the filling was sweet and creamy and delicious.  Though already stuffed, I forced myself to eat one, and it hit the spot.  It actually drank really nicely also with the zinfandel, so I was a happy camper.


At the end of the evening, I have no doubt in my mind that we threw the best holiday party within the Wing, and we were truly blessed to break bread with our Air Force family tonight.  Our squadron was lucky enough to be joined with our Wing Commander and Command Chief, and all had a great time.  People ranted and raved about the menu, the atmosphere, decor, etc.  We couldn't be happier, and we hope to have Chef Dominic and the crew at Coltello Ristorante host us again.

I have said it before, and I will say it again.  Coltello is hands down the best Italian restaurant in this part of New Jersey, and when I need a go to Italian restaurant, Coltello is the place!


On behalf of our entire Squadron, we cannot thank Chef Dominic, the entire staff at Coltello, and the Conti family for all of the support they show for the United States Air Force.  For what we paid per head for tonight's dinner, there is absolutely no way any restaurant could match the quality of cuisine that we had tonight, and we are all truly grateful!  Thanks a million for your support Coltello Ristorante, and we look forward to spending many more holidays with you!  Thank you for being such good friends, and know that your generosity is second to none!  Cheers!


Coltello Ristorante Italiano
460 Main Street
Crosswicks, NJ  08515
Phone:  (609)298-6128
http://www.coltellorestaurant.com/

Photos compliments of:
| r media photography and design | www.rmediainc.com | rashad pleasant | phone:  202-642-6642 |

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Coltello Ristorante Italiano - Crosswicks, NJ

Tonight Zelda and I headed out with People Papers pioneers Bill & Marilee, and headed back to one of the best Italian restaurants in New Jersey, Coltello Italiano located in Crosswicks. 

For whatever reason, we haven't made it back to Coltello in the last 8 months, so tonight was a great night to do so.  And yes, that is Chef Mario Batali in the picture with Chef Dominic.  And let me tell ya, if it is good enough for Mario Batali, it's good enough for us!  But we know that long before "Molto Mario" showed up there!  ;-)

We have frequented Coltello quite a few times, and have always enjoyed the food and the service.  So much in fact that last year we hosted my holiday party there, with about 50 guests in attendance, and our group is begging to return!  That being said, we have already booked our December party for Coltello once again this year!

Tonight we were greeted and seated at a nice round table in the back right hand corner of the restaurant, and had plenty of room.  Coltello is BYOB, so our wine selection tonight included a 2006 Antica Terra pinot noir, as well as a 2008 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountain, and a 2008 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Crimson Clover Vineyard.  Both of the cabs were decanted for 4 hours in the cellar prior to dinner.  Though they are young wines, they are very open for business with a nice decant, and all showed nicely.

Our server tonight was great as she came over and greeted us, and let us know that there were no special tonight as Chef Dominic was launching his new menu this evening.  Even so, the menu has plenty to offer, so who needs specials tonight anyway?  We certainly didn't, and with the care that Chef Dominic puts into each and every one of his dishes, they are all special.
We popped and poured the 2006 Antica Terra pinot noir as we ordered appetizers.  Our starters tonight included the Pane, which is actually no longer on the menu, but this is a delicious, fresh baked stuffed bread with fresh mozzarella, fresh garlic, and topped with caramelized onions.  I am so glad that they could do this as this is a Coltello staple in my mind, and absolutely delicious!  The bread had a nice crust, and the mozz, onion, and garlic were delectable.  Until you have had this, you just might never understand!

Our second appetizer tonight was the Pork and Figs, and what a perfect combination this was.  These were pork medallions and figs cooked nicely with a hazelnut glaze.  The pork was tender and delicious, and the glaze was sweet and savory.  This was one of those dishes that I could eat anytime!  I could probably even eat it for dessert!  It was fabulous.

Finally, we had the Seafood Trio, consisting of a butter poached lobster tail, Colossal lump crab meat, and jumbo shrimp!  I had some of each element of this dish, and if I had to pick a favorite, I would have to go with the crab!  I buy lump crab meat often, but more often than not it is pasteurized.  In all honesty, I have no idea if this was pasteurized or not, but if it was, I would never be able to tell.  The pieces were huge, and had just a slight mustard (?) sauce on them that was awesome!  The flavors were fresh, and it was the best crab meat I have had here in New Jersey.

The lobster was also nice and tender, and shouldn't be over shadowed by the crab meat.  The flavors were nice and simple, and it was just downright good.  But how can you not love lobster?  The shrimp were also fresh and flavorful, and this was just a great way to start a meal tonight.

Soups and salad followed, and as usual I ordered the salad with the house dressing.  The greens are always fresh, and the homemade dressing is always tasty.  This is always a winner, and a nice pre-dinner treat.

The entrees around the table varied tonight, but I can tell you that not a single one of us left anything on our plates, and everything was awesome!  Marilee ordered the pork chop, which wasn't on the menu tonight, but she had Chef Dominic do it up in a Cajun style with Cajun spices and it looked awesome!   She very much enjoyed it, and I am sure that I would have as well.  Bill had the Veal Carcofi (I think), with artichoke, tomato, mushrooms, lump crab, in a lemon white wine sauce.  I too thought about ordering this, and it too looked great!  I am sure that Bill enjoyed this as well.

Zelda ordered the house made gnocchi tonight, in a basil pesto, plum tomato, and whipped ricotta sauce.  If there is a gnocchi connoisseur, Zelda is definitely that person.  She truly enjoyed these, and from the taste that I heard, they were very flavorful.  The sauce was nice and fresh, and the homemade gnocchi were great.  We both liked the gnocchi so much that it has actually inspired us to make our own at home, which is something that I have never done.  I've made enough homemade pasta to stretch from Princeton to Hollywood, but we've never done gnocchi.

Zelda also had a side of creamed spinach, and even me, who is not a spinach fan LOVED this.  The spinach was cooked perfectly, and the cream based sauce was rich and flavorful.  If I could figure out how to make this, I would eat it constantly, and this is something that I would love to have the recipe for.  I guess I will have to do some searches and look for recipes!

I went the filet Mignon route as this would pair perfectly with the big, juicy, Santa Cruz Mountain cabernet, and I was indeed correct.  This was the 10 ounce filet served with a parsnip puree, fresh spring vegetables, and a citrus gremolata.  The last few years, I have been saying that Tastebuds in New Hope just might have the best steak in the area, however, I think that this may just take the cake.  The mean was tender, perfectly cooked and seasoned, and extremely delicious!  I can definitely say that Chef Dominic is acquiring good beef, and I would go back for this in a heartbeat.

At this point of the evening, nobody had room for desserts, but how could we come here and not order something?  Bill and Marilee both ordered chocolate based desserts.  Bill had an Oreo dessert of sort, and I think that Marilee had a mousse of sorts.  I forget what they were exactly, but I had a taste from both, and there we very rich, and definitely tasty!

I ordered the Italian custard, and I can't remember what it was called, but it was rich, fluffy, and elegant.  This screamed homemade, and is probably my favorite dessert so far this year.  This alone would be worth going back for, and just the kind of thing that I love as I am more into something like this than something with a lot of chocolate in it...unless of course I am craving chocolate.

Overall, it was a great evening at Coltello.  From the amazing dishes coming out of the kitchen, to the awesome service, to the well done, cozy decor, it was an evening to remember.  The restaurant is just done with such coziness and class, it makes it the kind of place where you could sit for hours.  The vibe in the restaurant is alive with joy, and you could see nothing but smiles and happiness as the customers enjoyed their dinners!

Hopeully we can get back before our holiday party in December, but if not, we will definitely enjoy our holiday event there.  Kudos to Chef Dominic and the Coltello team for one of the best dinners of the year!  If you are anywhere in the area, I highly recommend calling ahead and making a reservation!  You'll be glad you did!  Cheers!

Coltello Ristorante Italiano
460 Main St
Crosswicks, NJ 08515
http://www.coltellorestaurant.com/

Coltello - Crosswicks, NJ

After a quick visit to the Trenton City Museum for two openings tonight, Zelda and I headed over to Coltello in Crosswicks, NJ to visit Chef Dominic’s new venture. Coltello is located in the heart of Crosswicks on Main Street, in the location that used to be home to Café Giangella. The restaurant is set up the same way as the prior establishment, but it has a much warmer feel. You walk in the door and see the glass sign adorning the name Coltello, and are greeted by a small table, nicely dressed with tulips, candles, and a great picture of Chef Dominic and some family. The walls have been painted a nice dark green evergreen color, with gorgeous white trim and dark green curtains. The tables are topped with nice tablecloths, and finished off with place settings, a vase of tulips, and a candle. They did a great job decorating, and the place looks truly elegant. Shortly upon entering, we were greeted and asked if we had a reservation. Of course we didn’t but thankfully they squeezed us in. Needless to say we took the last 2 top, but there were still a few open tables, that had all been reserved. We pulled out the Riedel’s and a bottle of 2001 Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale Oro, and it was immediately opened by the gracious host Richard Sr. Upon looking over the menu, the first thing that I notice is the pricing. For the area, I have to say that this is the most reasonably priced, value priced menu for an Italian restaurant in the area. I won’t name other establishments, but I thought the pricing was better than most. Our bus boy came over shortly after, offering us tap or bottled water, and he was very friendly. The appetizers ranged anywhere from soups and salads, to stuffed breads, and many others. Unfortunately, they do not have the menu online yet, but I am sure it will be in just a matter of time. Our server came over shortly after, and she was very friendly. We ordered the Spedini to start, which is a stuffed bread appetizer, and continued to look over the menu. They also had a few nice specials tonight, ranging from an appetizer to entrees. Out came a nice basket of bread, as well as a gorgeous plate of olive oil infused with garlic, and topped with several whole cloves of garlic. This tasted as though the garlic had been soaking in there for years. It was awesome. Shortly after a bowl filled with sautéed onion, mushroom, some sort of Italian herb, and parmesan cheese came out, and this was to die for. I am not a big mushroom fan, but the way that these were cooked made it impossible not to shovel these onto my bread. It had a great crispness to it, and was just so flavorful. Zelda mentioned that it almost tasted as though this was baked. Absolute deliciousness! Our server came back and took our order. Zelda opted for the Tortolini with grilled chicken, and I went out of my norm and ordered Lobster Francaise. Shortly after ordering, our Spedini came out, and this was a gorgeous, large serving of skewered bread, stuffed with a ton of mozzarella cheese, then dipped in batter and friend to a golden brown. It was then topped with a nice marinara sauce, and garnished with just a few anchovies. The crispiness of the batter was very nice, and the red sauce was homemade and delicious! The anchovy added just the right amount of salt and flavor to the dish, and I think that this was a winner. Out came our salads after this, and we had both opted for the Caesar. This was a nice, light dressing, with very subtle flavors over a bed of fancy greens with cucumber and tomato. Perfect size portion as to not ruin our dinner after a heavy appetizer. By this time, the entire restaurant was filled with a few two tops, many 4 tops, and quite a few larger round tables. It was great to see the place packed, and great to see many familiar faces from The Little Flower, where Chef Dominic worked a few years ago on Farnsworth Avenue in Bordentown. It was like seeing the old gang hanging out, and it just screamed family. Out came our entrees, and they were both nicely sized. Zelda’s pasta came out in a giant bowl, and tasted as fresh as can be. I don’t know if they are making their pasta on premise, but it sure tasted like it. The flavors in the pasta were very nice, along with a great sauce, and very nicely cooked chicken. They chicken had a great grilled flavor, and a nice browned crisp to it. It was delicious, and I would definitely order this for myself sometime. My lobster came out with 2 nicely sized medallions, breaded and fried, served with a nice, rich sauce. The lobster was very tender, and cooked perfectly. There was no toughness to it in the least, and I couldn’t have cooked this any better. It was garnished with nice, fresh green beans, and a citrus sauce. Unfortunately, we were both stuffed, so we skipped coffee and desserts. By this time, we also saw some customers waiting, so we finished our glasses of wine, corked the ½ bottle we had remaining, paid our tab, and headed for home. On our way out, we popped our heads in the kitchen to congratulate Chef Dominic. Let me say that the kitchen was hoppin’, and absolutely immaculate. The grill in the back had all kind of things fired, and the stove had all the burners full with entrees cooking away. To the right side of the kitchen was a large salad station, where the servers were working away getting soups and salads ready to go out. It was great to see them working hard, and working as a team. All in all, this is a great place, and an up and coming new Italian restaurant that is going to thrive. Coltello has great ambiance, first class service with a smile, a great family feel, and most importantly, incredible Italian food with a personal flair. Crosswicks might be off the beaten path for some, but it is just a 7 minute drive off of Route 130, and absolutely worth the trip. This is definitely the best Italian BYO in the area, and it is just a matter of time before their name is on the map. Kudos to Richard Sr., Richard Jr., and Chef Dominic for putting family back in their food. This is just what the area needs, and I look forward to hearing experiences from others who frequent this great new restaurant. Chef Dominic has always been one of the most talented young chefs in the area, and I look forward to trying many more of his creations! Hopefully he’ll put his Chicken Oscar back on his new menu, or as one of his specials. This has always been one of my favorite dishes that he creates. Keep up the great work! Coltello 460 Main Street Crosswicks, NJ 08515 Phone: (609)298-6128 http://www.coltellorestaurant.com/