Ahhh, the Jersey Shore in the fall. A slight chill is in the
night air, the crowds are gone, you can get a restaurant reservation for a
Saturday night, and the traffic on the Garden State Parkway is bearable. These
reasons are what drove me to Rumson last Saturday for dinner at Ristorante Giorgia (well, that, and
the “worth it” review
from the New York Times). My usual
pattern of reading the restaurant reviews in the Times is to jump to the bottom
of the article for the rating. If it’s anything other than “worth it,” I turn
the page or swipe the screen.
I enjoyed this restaurant so much that at the end of the
meal, I turned to my husband and said “I want to come back next week!” It’s
very rare that I feel that way about a restaurant and I haven’t said that
since my first dinner at Maialino two
years ago.
Ristorante Giorgia is owned by Francesco Panucci, who grew
up in southern Italy near Calabria. The restaurant is named for his mother, who
has been his biggest influence.
On a quiet street (diagonally across from the famed Fromagerie), there is only a
small sign with the initial “G” to signal you have arrived. A good omen is the
fresh herbs growing in boxes alongside the building. Inside, the restaurant is
warmly decorated – soft lighting, rustic art, and about 12 tables for lucky
patrons.
Our dinner began with the zucchini stuffed with veal, parsley, Parmigiano reggiano, and
mortadella, and surrounded by the lightest, sweetest tomato sauce. The
second appetizer was a special: grilled
artichokes over perfectly dressed arugula. After my first bite of the
artichoke, I knew we were in for a good meal.
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| Tagtliatelle Bolognese |
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| Veal Saltimbocca alla Romana |
I had read that Francesco makes pasta every day, and even
though there were many wonderful sounding entrees offered, I was not passing up
fresh, house made pasta. I chose the tagliatelle
Bolognese. Pure delight on every level. A hearty, savory meat sauce clung
to the pasta like it was emotionally involved.
My husband’s standard test meal at every new Italian
restaurant is veal saltimbocca alla
Romana. And he’s disappointed 9 out of 10 times. Happily, the 10th time was the
charm. Tender veal scaloppini topped with prosciutto, sage, and sautéed with
white wine and served over spinach, but my husband asked for escarole instead
and they were happy to accommodate his request. What makes this stand out from
other saltimboccas (besides the ethereal veal) was the lack of cheese, which
usually tops this dish. Hands down, this was the best veal saltimbocca we’ve tasted in years.
My brother-in-law's go-to meal at almost every restaurant is the pork chop. And Giorgia's did not fail him. Look at the beautiful char on that chop! Surrounded by fresh vegetables, only the gnawed bones were left when he got done.
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| Pork Chop |
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| Biscotti with Cannoli Cream |
All the desserts are homemade (other than the gelato) and
I’m sure you would not go wrong with any of them. However, I am a biscotti girl
through and through and Francesco’s right-out-of-the-village Italian cookies served
with exquisite cannoli cream called me. And, as Snoopy says, when a cookie
calls, you answer. Nary was a crumb or drop of cream left when we got done. I
managed to snag two cookies from the quick hands around the table and counted
myself lucky!
I can see we are going to be making alot of trips to Rumson
over the next few months. We better get our fill in before summer returns and
we can’t get a table.
102 Avenue of Two Rivers
Rumson, NJ 07760
732-741-3880
BYO
Open for dinner every night except Tuesday.
