Restaurant Review: Christine's Italian Restaurant

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CHRISTINE’S

Rating: Good+

We have all been to restaurants that strive to emulate haute cuisine and fall short because they lack the culinary chops to pull off such an overly ambitious goal. They are often pretentious, and one leaves unsatisfied, and disappointed. Then there are the places that don’t try to reinvent the wheel; they know what they do well, and turn out consistently good, honest food, rooted in fresh ingredients, much made from scratch.
Christine’s, in Atlantic Highlands, belongs in the latter category. Chef and owner Ron Marino’s mission is to recreate the food and camaraderie from his Long Island upbringing, and serve it in a warm Sunday Italian family dinner atmosphere every night. The menu features many familiar favorites as well as a welcome twist or two in the form of daily specials.
We were immediately taken with the glistening roasted red peppers served with warm garlic bread, which arrived as soon as we placed our dinner order. The nicely charred strips, redolent of garlic, and slicked with a high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), are made fresh daily. It would be so much easier to buy them pre-made in a can and doctor them, but that is not what this place is about.
The appetizers were all big enough for two to share, and then some. Chef Ron’s memories are of the family being sent home with plenty of leftovers so that the food could be enjoyed yet again at another meal, and that holds true for here as well.
Three large, near softball- sized Veal Meatballs ($15), garnished with two rosettes of fresh ricotta, and covered in a classic tomato sauce, were flavorful, not overly breaded; but softer in texture than we had hoped for.
Eggplant Rollatini ($13) was properly cheesy, but remarkably light. The ricotta filling was airy, and the tomato sauce deeply flavorful but still delicate. We were tempted to finish the dish, but knew there was much more to come.
We really liked the Zuppa di Clams ($17) in a fresh-tasting tomato broth, even if they were a bit on the smallish side for our taste. We had not intended to use the extra bread that arrived tableside for “dipping” but it was impossible to resist tearing off chunks of it to get more of that savory broth.

Wild Atlantic Salmon served with sautéed leeks, broccoli rabe and roasted rosemary potatoes. -- Courtesy B. Sacks
Wild Atlantic Salmon served with sautéed leeks, broccoli rabe and roasted rosemary potatoes. — Courtesy B. Sacks

An order of Cavatelli with Broccoli ($25), garlic, EVOO, and parmesan cheese, was enough to feed us well and still fill a doggie bag to take home. The crunchiness of the perfectly cooked broccoli and the parmesan made for a very satisfying dish. It can be had with or without hot peppers, but we opted to skip the heat that night so we could taste the nuances in the remaining dishes.
A thick, very generous filet of Wild Atlantic Salmon ($29) was seared to perfection; it sat under a layer of roasted leeks, atop crispy roasted rosemary potatoes, with a side of broccoli rabe sautéed in garlic. This was a memorable dish, worthy of a return visit.
A daily special of Halibut ($38) was flame seared; seasoned with a pignoli nut pesto, and broccoli and rosemary roasted potatoes. Juicy, but cooked through, this convinced us of the kitchen’s skill in selecting and cooking fish.
Christine’s is a BYO and we took advantage by bringing two Italian wines. The white, 201 Laura Aschero Vermentino from Liguria, sadly, was oxidized. This grape is a personal favorite, as it is light and fruity, yet dry, with a gentle herbal quality we enjoy. Normally, we bring backup bottles just to cover a situation like this, and of course, this one time, we did not. Lesson learned! Happily, our red, 2010 Iulli Barbera Superiore, from Monferatto, was a perfect foil for most of our food. Since Barberas rely more on acidity, not tannin, for structure, they pair well with a variety of dishes; this was ripe but not at all heavy.

Reginetta Ice Cream confection from the famous Nasto’s
Reginetta Ice Cream confection from the famous Nasto’s

Desserts are not made in house, but we could not resist a piece of Junior’s (of Brooklyn) Cheesecake ($8). We have not had it in years, and it is still a benchmark for this style of cream-cheese cake. One suggestion: the two accompanying florets of cream and a dusting of powdered sugar were overkill; ask for yours au natural. Reginetta ($8), a frozen confection from Nasto’s Ice Cream, had chocolate sponge cake, raspberry sauce, amaretto ice cream surrounding a cherry, then rolled in crushed almonds and topped off with a drizzle of dark chocolate and marzipan. Again, the powdered sugar was superfluous.
The service is consistent with the theme; the gracious and knowledgeable staff work together to ensure that diners lack nothing required for a relaxing, enjoyable evening.
On the one hand, Christine’s is a classic New Jersey Southern Italian Restaurant, but on the other, it is doing a fresher and lighter style of preparation that makes it somewhat more contemporary, without losing the feeling that you are part of the family when you sit down to eat there.

The Two Bobs rate Christine’s: Good+

Christine’s Italian Restaurant

42 First Ave.

Atlantic Highlands

732-872-4790

christinesitaliandining.com

Bob Sacks, wine aficionado, and Bob Sickles, owner and operator of Sickles Market, review restaurants in this bimonthly column. Read their reviews here.