It was a foggy, damp Thursday night and most of First Avenue in Atlantic Highlands was winding down at the end of the day, but when we opened the door to Strada, a self-proclaimed pizzeria/bar, a party was in full swing. The tables were filled and all the bar seats taken. No, it was not a special event, but just another night at this 2-year-old restaurant.
The acoustics, plus the background music, made it a bit of a challenge for conversation, but the festive atmosphere made for a great setting for an evening out. We were busy eating more than talking anyway.
From our exceptionally kind and helpful server, we learned that many of the dishes are cooked in the same woodburning ovens the pizzas are fired in.
Listed on the menu under Sfizi (a little whim, or fancy), the warm dates and Marcona almonds ($17) provided an appealing appetite teaser. The very large roasted dates were soft and savory with the almonds providing a nutty, crunchy counterpoint. There was also an offering of soppressata (Italian salami), provolone, olives and taralli (small, wheat-based crackers) ($17), but as tempting as the snack plate sounded, we decided to save room to allow us to explore the other interesting menu choices.
From the Antipasti section, which had a large number of enticing vegetable-based dishes, we started with Carote ($17), roasted carrots with stracciatella cheese, vincotto (a cooked wine similar to balsamic vinegar) and hazelnuts. The slender, young carrots were served whole and were perfectly cooked – tender, but not mushy. Our intention was to share all these appetizers and the portions were generous enough to do so.
Caulilini ($18), woodfired cauliflower with capers, raisins, mint and pecorino cheese, was an instant hit with our table. The cauliflower was cooked al dente, but done just enough to not be chewy or tough. The addictive blend of flavors and the satisfying textures made this one of our dishes of the night. Recommended!
We were also drawn to order the Broccolini ($18), grilled Italian broccoli with garlic vinaigrette topped with strips of provolone and pangrattato (flavored bread crumbs). The combination of textures and flavors took this simple green vegetable to a whole new level.
Polpo ($25), woodfired octopus with Sicilian potato salad, arrived as one very large tentacle, perfectly seared. Octopus lovers know that it can often be rubbery and chewy, but not in this case. It was perfectly cooked and very tasty.
A pleasant surprise was the Pane di Casa ($10), oven-roasted bread with sea salt, rosemary and EVOO. It was crusty and chewy and way too good to eat just one piece.
There were other tempting offerings in that section of the menu, such as Roasted Beets with grapefruit and scallion ($18), Braised Butter Beans with tomato and garlic ($18), Whipped Smoked Trout with chives, saltines and crudite ($22) and Tomato Braised Meatballs ($18), to name but a few others, but an unusual moment of not ordering too much food prevailed.
We did opt for a salad. Verza ($19) proved to be shredded Caraflex cabbage (a small, pointy-shaped, tender and crunchy cabbage) plated with Parmigiana cheese, farro speck (lightly cured ham) and dressed with a cider vinaigrette. This made for a nice mid-meal palate refresher. Recommended.
There were nine different Pizzas offered: Four “red” and four “white,” plus a Special pizza ($29) of the evening, which we wanted to try. It was topped with broccoli rabe, sweet Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella and garlic. Done in a brick oven, the crust was thin and crispy, with a light char in a few places. The mild smokiness from the oven was a pleasant addition to the other flavors. We will definitely return to try some of the other pizzas.
There is a nice list of cocktails, wines and beers from which we chose a glass of 2021 Casa D’ Ambra Leninfe ($15), an unusual blend of Italian white wine grapes – falanghina, malvasia, Greco, and trebbiano. With lots of fruit and body, but not sweet, it made a great pairing for the varied dishes. We also had a glass of 2018 Fuedo Montoni ($16) a Sicilian white made from the Inzolia grape. This also had a great nose and paired well with the dinner.
We never made it to the Entrée portion of the menu, because we were quite full and happy, but one of my companions said, “There’s always room for a bite of dessert!” So she ordered Budino di Chocolato ($14), with dark chocolate custard, salted caramel, whipped cream and hazelnut praline. Indeed, a bite or two of that creamy, smooth confection was really delicious.
Considering that there is no shortage of Italian restaurants and or pizzerias in Monmouth County, Strada manages to make itself unique and stand out with lots of tasty, interesting menu offerings not seen elsewhere. So, join the party that is going on inside, have a fun time and eat well!
Strada
91 First Ave.
Atlantic Highlands
stradapizzabar.com
Bob Sacks, longtime food and wine buff, writes about food, wine and restaurants in this column. Follow him on Instagram @dinnerwithbob.
