We are grateful for restaurant recommendations. After all, there are so many worthy restaurants to try in New Jersey, and although we know about a large percentage of them, there are plenty of places that we have no knowledge of. Also, there are restaurants that we have been to and have enjoyed but have fallen off our radar. So when we received a note espousing the food at La Pergola, we decided to put this Millburn restaurant on our let’s-get-back-there list. We had not been there since 2011.
Cloth covered tables set far apart, attentive service, enchanting Italian operatic music playing in the background and an extensive menu—with something for everyone—create a serene ambiance to have a leisurely dinner. Specials were recited without their prices and may be considerably higher than menu items (buyer beware).
Fresh Parmesan chunks, olives, warm bread and bruschetta topped with a tomato mixture were placed on the table as soon as we were seated. Homemade and dry pasta are on the menu and since friends had raved about the pasta dishes, we opted to start with plump beet panzotti (large, triangular-shaped red colored dough similar to ravioli) stuffed with goat cheese and fresh herbs. It was the highlight of our dinner. The accompanying champagne and walnut sauce was so rich and luscious, we just had to mop it all up with bread. A special of grouper francaise came with a thick, buttery sauce that needed more lemon and while the fish was fresh tasting and perfectly cooked, the $38 price seemed extremely high. Rather than having linguini, which came with this entrée, we asked for vegetables and the waiter graciously replaced it with chopped sautéed kale. Calves liver, ($28) which is seldom seen on menus and one of our go-to dishes, was disappointing as it was overcooked. Accompaniments were carrots, string beans and roasted potatoes. A few of the other menu items include: grilled quail stuffed with dried figs and Gorgonzola cheese over mushroom risotto; fish stew; pork chip Giambotta; and veal Toscana.
The dessert menu was uninspiring with the usual choices, such as tiramisu, almond cake, chocolate mousse cake, tartufo and gelato. Our choice was a raspberry tart consisting of a raspberry jam filling and topping along with a scoop of vanilla gelato surrounded by fresh blackberries. The waiter told us that all of the desserts were made in house. We finished our wine, which an eagle-eye waiter poured when needed, and ventured home sated.
La Pergola is open Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 10 PM; Saturday from 5 to 11 PM; and Sunday 4 to 9 PM, and is a good option if you are attending a show at the Paper Mill Playhouse.
La Pergola
120 Essex Street
Millburn
973-376-6838
BYO
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