by Rachel Terzo
Dedicating the time to preparing fresh, homemade ingredients is a daunting task. CJ’s Italian Kitchen is one of the few restaurants in the area that is dedicated to creating affordable, homemade Italian cuisine.
CJ’s is located off of Rosemar Road. The location may be a bit obscure for some people. The upside is that the restaurant is not on the Grand Central strip- which some people who don’t want to deal with the hustle and bustle of the main road will appreciate.
The décor is modern contemporary, and offers plenty of lighting. The outdoor patio provides an aerial scenic overview of the wooded area surrounding the building. However, the patio only contains four tables. The inside seating was cozy, but a bit loud. The room echoes from the tile floor, so when there’s as little as three tables in the restaurant, it sounds like there are about 20 tables.
The waitress was friendly and knowledgeable of the menu. She was prompt with refills, and kept a good pace without rushing us along. Visiting after the typical dinner rush hour for a more enjoyable experience. A wine list would be great to see before making a decision on an entree.
CJ’s offers a solid variety of choices. Aside from the menu, CJ’s offers the option to “Design Your Own Pizza or Pasta.” The pizzas are prepared in a wood fire oven. Guests have the opportunity to create a custom pizza with their choice of four different sauces, five different cheeses and 25 different toppings.
There are plenty of choices for designing a pasta dish – including five different pastas, seven sauces and six items for the pasta to be tossed in. This is a wonderful option for the pickier eater, or the opposite – someone who is feeling adventurous and wants to deviate from the menu. They even offer gluten free options for multiple pastas and pizza crust.
While appetizers are a great way to prepare for a meal, they tend to be a bit too filling for just two people, so a starter salad was sufficient. The salad contained mixed greens, roasted vegetables and walnuts – perfect portion for a starter salad. The house cider vinaigrette really brought the sweet and savory taste to the salad.
An entree that is definitely worth trying is the Smoked Cheese ravioli. A true lover of authentic Italian food should not be disappointed with this dish. The presentation wasn’t anything short of appetizing. The ravioli was served on a bed of white beans, arugula, fennel, and sausage. The first bite was full of flavor, and was pleasantly reminiscent of one of many home-cooked Italian dishes. The aromatic and fresh flavor of arugula paired well with the dish. The sausage was perfectly seasoned, and complimented the smoky flavor of the cheese and white beans.
The dessert menu is small, but contains traditional Italian choices. The cannoli filling was the perfect consistency, and very flavorful. The shell was crisp and fresh, whereas some cannolis tend to be a bit difficult to bite into.
Overall, it was a very pleasant experience. The menu is available online, and CJ’s is also open for review on urbanspoon.com.
Dedicating the time to preparing fresh, homemade ingredients is a daunting task. CJ’s Italian Kitchen is one of the few restaurants in the area that is dedicated to creating affordable, homemade Italian cuisine.
CJ’s is located off of Rosemar Road. The location may be a bit obscure for some people. The upside is that the restaurant is not on the Grand Central strip- which some people who don’t want to deal with the hustle and bustle of the main road will appreciate.
The décor is modern contemporary, and offers plenty of lighting. The outdoor patio provides an aerial scenic overview of the wooded area surrounding the building. However, the patio only contains four tables. The inside seating was cozy, but a bit loud. The room echoes from the tile floor, so when there’s as little as three tables in the restaurant, it sounds like there are about 20 tables.
The waitress was friendly and knowledgeable of the menu. She was prompt with refills, and kept a good pace without rushing us along. Visiting after the typical dinner rush hour for a more enjoyable experience. A wine list would be great to see before making a decision on an entree.
CJ’s offers a solid variety of choices. Aside from the menu, CJ’s offers the option to “Design Your Own Pizza or Pasta.” The pizzas are prepared in a wood fire oven. Guests have the opportunity to create a custom pizza with their choice of four different sauces, five different cheeses and 25 different toppings.
There are plenty of choices for designing a pasta dish – including five different pastas, seven sauces and six items for the pasta to be tossed in. This is a wonderful option for the pickier eater, or the opposite – someone who is feeling adventurous and wants to deviate from the menu. They even offer gluten free options for multiple pastas and pizza crust.
While appetizers are a great way to prepare for a meal, they tend to be a bit too filling for just two people, so a starter salad was sufficient. The salad contained mixed greens, roasted vegetables and walnuts – perfect portion for a starter salad. The house cider vinaigrette really brought the sweet and savory taste to the salad.
An entree that is definitely worth trying is the Smoked Cheese ravioli. A true lover of authentic Italian food should not be disappointed with this dish. The presentation wasn’t anything short of appetizing. The ravioli was served on a bed of white beans, arugula, fennel, and sausage. The first bite was full of flavor, and was pleasantly reminiscent of one of many home-cooked Italian dishes. The aromatic and fresh flavor of arugula paired well with the dish. The sausage was perfectly seasoned, and complimented the smoky flavor of the cheese and white beans.
The dessert menu is small, but contains traditional Italian choices. The cannoli filling was the perfect consistency, and very flavorful. The shell was crisp and fresh, whereas some cannolis tend to be a bit difficult to bite into.
Overall, it was a very pleasant experience. The menu is available online, and CJ’s is also open for review on urbanspoon.com.