We needed an open-on-Monday restaurant and friends recommended Osteria Trevi in Madison. While there are so many degrees of Italian restaurants in New Jersey, Osteria Trevi turned out to be a lovely neighborhood establishment close to our home that served scrumptious food (except for dessert, more on that later) and left us extremely pleased. We would not hesitate to return here.
Colorful photos of identifiable Italian sites such as the coliseum and Trevi fountain in Rome and a Venetian canal, white tablecloths and napkins, as well as Italian music, all added to the ambiance. Service was attentive and specials written out with their prices.
We shared two appetizers: Trevi’s eggplant parmigiana containing layers of eggplant with a delicious tomato sauce and gluten-free homemade meatballs with shaved pecorino. Both are recommended. We did not order pasta on this visit but after eyeing the beautiful presentations being brought to other tables we said, “That’s what we are having next time.” Some options were: penne with Bolognese meat sauce and mascarpone cheese; fresh spaghetti chitarra with tomato and basil sauce; and whole-wheat spaghetti with jumbo lump crabmeat, arugula, fresh diced tomatoes and garlic.
Lowell was let down that the slow-cooked pork braciole served with cavatelli was not available (we were told that it was still cooking) and opted for a crispy, tender meaty duck half painted with a wonderful raspberry port wine sauce. Speck (smoked prosciutto) created a crust on a chicken breast topped with melted Fontina, sage and surrounded by a veal demi glaze. Veal scaloppini also wore a sheath of prosciutto and came with a veal demi glaze and an accompaniment of sautéed spinach. The other entrees came with sides of mashed potatoes and carrot sticks mixed with ribbons of yellow and green squash. The pan-roasted chicken on the bone, which had been marinated in garlic and herbs, came with a lip smackin’ lemony sauce. The meat was still juicy the next day when reheated for lunch.
Dessert was a disappointment. We were told that the Italian cheese cake and cannoli were the only items made in house. The cheese cake, studded with chocolate chips, was extremely dry. We also ordered a lemon tart with pignoli nuts but what we got was an overly sweet custard pie.
Osteria Trevi is open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Friday, dinner on Saturday and closed on Sunday. Be sure to make a reservation. The restaurant was full on a Monday night.
Osteria Trevi
4 Park Avenue
Madison
973-845-9800
BYO
Duck with raspberry port wine sauce.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
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