Civile É Tornato

Civile É Tornato
140 Durham Avenue
Metuchen
civileisback.com, 732-548-7740

Hours: Tues-Sun, 5-10 pm

Price: $$

Style: Dark wood floors and subtle candlelight create a rustic hominess in a small eatery set in a former residence.

Don’t Miss: The most popular appetizer, with good reason, is Zuppa Di Clams (or the family-friendly Super Zuppa) with crumbled sausage in a spicy marinara broth, served with garlic bread and topped with basil ($15). The impressive seafood selection includes fresh lobster tails, littleneck clams, salmon, mussels and crabmeat dishes galore. Linguine with white clam sauce ($22), generously heaped with clams (and a touch of basil), is as it should be, simple yet delicious. Carnivores can splurge on filet mignon topped with crabmeat over gnocchi ($32). All these dishes were specials, rattled off by the waitress in an interminable monologue since there’s no printed version. For a quick fix, order off the menu.

Heads Up: The cozy dining room is inviting, but it’s small and can get fairly loud, especially on weekends.

The Scoop: The original Civile, in Kenilworth, closed in 2004 after a fire. Civile É Tornato means “Civile is back”—with, fans will be glad to know, the same chef/owner, Jim Katims.