RED BANK IS remarkable for many reasons, not the least of which is that it is home to two live venues: The Count Basie Theatre and The Two River Theater, thus the need for restaurants for pre- and post- show dining. We wanted to try one of the newer ones….Pazzo, on West Front Street. We must confess to approaching it with a degree of trepidation. Pazzo is Italian for “crazy,” and we wondered for a moment if we were crazy to go there. How could a restaurant that size possibly serve more than routine Italian fare, and be able to get food out to the many tables and bar area while it was still hot? Happily, those negative assumptions were totally wrong. What a nice surprise to find that there is nothing crazy about this contemporary Italian place. Pazzo served some very good dish- es; showed real thought in regards to creativity and flavor; and served all food promptly, at the correct temperature!
The overall space is large, but smart architectural use of ¾ walls and high ceilings creates cozy separate alcoves and areas of intimacy, and 80 seats available outside on a covered patio, provide different seating options. The two salads we tried had innovative twists creating a new take on the use of fresh ingredients. The Pazzo Insalata di Casa ($11) was a winner. Mixed field greens with toasted almonds, Bermuda onions, thinly sliced granny smith apples fanned out on one side of the plate, and crumbled Maytag Blue Cheese, topped with a light touch of balsamic vinaigrette dressing, providing a nice interplay of texture and flavors. The Seasonal Baby Beet salad ($12) came with purple and yellow baby beets, pecan pesto, arugula, fresh figs, and goat cheese, graced with a raspberry vinaigrette. The tang of the goat cheese, played off the sweetness of the crunchy beets and black figs just the right notes of tart and creamy.
There are seven different personal pizzas on the large menu, all fired in a central pizza oven; we were very impressed with the traditional Margherita pie ($14). A crispy, medium crust with plum tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, served piping hot, was too good to leave unfinished. We will be returning to try the Pazzo Classico ($12), with San Marzano tomatoes, provolone, olive oil and oregano, which also caught our eye, but we decided would be just too much food, since we also wanted to try one of the seven pastas and some the many contorini (side dishes) as well. After much negotiating, we agreed on the Bucatini All’Amatriciana ($19), a spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running through the center, to better capture the delicious sauce: Guanciale (cured pork cheek – the best “bacon” you’ve ever had), onions, garlic, San Marzano tomatoes, Pecorino cheese, and a touch of red pepper flakes. This classic Roman dish was addictive!
The special fish of the day, a pan-seared halibut, sat on top of a generous portion of farro (an ancient wheat grain)intermixed with spring vegetables, and encircled by smoky paprika oil and mango puree. It was a toothsome blend of crunchy grain and spring vegetables, and had the fish seen two minutes less fire, it would have been even better. Fish is always difficult to cook to just the right temperature, since it continues cooking even after it comes off the heat.
Meat selections did not disappoint. The veal chop on the bone was a menu high light ($42). The large chop was tender and moist, served with a generous por- tion of sautéed broccoli rabe, in place of spinach and potatoes, at our request.
The 14-ounce flat iron steak ($35), sauced with a cabernet demi-glace punched up with a bit of horseradish arrived with roasted fingerling potatoes and more of that garlicky Broccoli rabe. It was served rare as ordered, topped with a refreshing mint- basil-cilantro pesto, and large enough to take home for lunch the next day.
We also tried the Chicken Scallopini with lemon caper sauce ($24). The dish was delicate and flavorful. Tender boneless chicken breast was sliced thinly and perfectly sautéed, with sides of fresh spinach and potato croquette,but a bit too much sauce covered the plate.
We had been to a wine tasting dinner the night before, so, uncharacteristically, we decided to go easy with the vino; we chose just one bottle of white wine a Vermentino ‘Pagliatura’ ($40) – from the short but comprehensive wine list. It was refreshing, but a tad on the light side, with a fairly short finish. Pleasant, but unremarkable.
We started to falter by the time the dessert menu was presented by our obliging and dish-savvy wait-person, so we dialed it back a bit for us sampling an affogato ($8) and two orders of gelato: chocolate, vanilla, hazelnut, and pistachio ($7 each), along with some biscotti. The gelato is not made in-house, but it was one of the best renditions of that creamy confection we have ever had!
We think a mix of salads, pastas, pizzas, and gelato would make a memorable pre-show dinner, and not cause us to slip into sleep in a darkened theater afterwards! Add in the quality of the food, attentive service, and free parking in the adjacent garage, and Pazzo becomes the least crazy choice we can think of for a satisfying dinner in Red Bank.
We rated it Very Good.
PAZZO 141 W. Front St. Red Bank 732-747-4551
Bob Sacks, wine aficionado, and Bob Sickles, owner and operator of Sickles Market, will be reviewing restaurants in this bimonthly column.
