Quick Bite: Prime Time

Prime Time
Bloomfield
1047 Broad Street
973-338-0134

Open: Lunch and dinner, daily

Price: $$ BYO

Style: Neighborhood pizzeria and Italian restaurant with a welcoming vibe and a handful of tables, plus sidewalk seating in warm weather.

The Scoop: Owners Izzy and Nafi Sela pride themselves on using fresh, high-quality ingredients. Most dishes are cooked to order, with obvious exceptions like their superb baked lasagna. They’ll try to accommodate special requests, as they did when a friend of mine on a diet asked to have chicken replace the pasta in a pasta primavera.

The Menu: Pizzas come in thin-crust and thicker Siclian style, with a wide range of toppings. Both are good. The Selas use just enough cheese to balance the sauce and toppings. Pastas are another strength, and include several standouts with seafood, such as linguine with shrimp and broccoli rabe. Check the chalkboard for specials, such as the recent 3 Season, which topped lightly breaded chicken, veal and shrimp with marinara and mozzarella, or the gnocchi (left) with shrimp, broccoli rabe, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, garlic and oil and a touch of marinara.

Heads Up: Portions are generous. A big liquor store two doors down has an extensive wine selection. There’s parking in a shared lot. Prime Time also delivers to neighboring towns.