|
Barelli's
219 Route 3 East, Secaucus, NJ 07094
201-865-0473
Italian
If you'd like to impress clients or friends from out of town you will do well to entertain them at
Bareli's. You will be pleased with the great (one might even say pretentious) ambiance, and we found the service to be impeccable. If only the food were on a par with the ambiance and service, Bareli's would be a phenomenal restaurant. To be fair however, we should point out that this review is based on a one-time visit. We can hope the fare is normally better than we experienced.
The interior is plush with part of the dining area in a garden-like atrium with a greenhouse window. All the surroundings have an aura of subdued opulence.
The extensive wine list covers a wide variety of prices, and even has several acceptable labels under $30. Iona selected a Rosenbloom merlot at $45. She was pleased when the waiter avoided the annoying practice in many restaurants whereby Iona asks for the wine list, Iona selects the wine, Iona orders the wine, then the server pours the first taste into Dan's glass for him to approve. (In the same vein, Dan was pleased that when the check came at the end of the meal, it was placed half-way between the two of us with no presumption as to who would pick it up. This apparently went unnoticed by Iona).
The menu is varied, and the waiter makes all the specials sound heavenly. There's lots of seafood, and the Chef will prepare it any way you like. We elected to follow a frequent practice of ours of dividing all dishes. We started with two appetizers which were served along with two small plates so that we could divide them however we wanted. We then ordered a pasta dish and a main course, which were divided in the kitchen and very attractively served with a small dam of mashed potatoes down the middle of each plate to separate the pasta from the main course.
One attractive appetizer, cold sliced calamari rings, looked somewhat like slices of small hard boiled eggs. The rings contained large chunks of crab meat in a very light pesto sauce. The second appetizer was portabello mushrooms stuffed with spinach, smothered in cheese and served in a pool of brown sauce. While all the ingredients were of highest quality and tasty, the dish was overall disappointing because the overwhelming flavors of the stuffing masked the more delicate taste of the
portabello.
Iona asked for a pasta primavera. The waiter suggested cappelini (which actually turned out to be angel hair). The dish was disappointing. She had envisioned it sautéed in garlic and herbs with maybe a touch of cream. Instead, it was served with a rather ordinary but tasty tomato sauce. In as much as primavera means "springtime" she had expected some imaginative spring vegetables such as asparagus instead of root vegetables like carrots.
The main course was rolled swordfish stuffed with crabmeat. The taste was offset by a strange chewy texture that detracted from what otherwise might have been a good dish. We could not determine the cause of the problem. The fish was not overdone. Perhaps it had been frozen and improperly thawed? We wouldn't have thought so in as much as all other ingredients in the meal were of high quality. Too bad they went to so much effort to prepare this dish because the texture is the primary characteristic that we remember.
We casually mentioned the texture to the waiter and he immediately offered to bring another selection, which we declined. Subsequently however, he brought a complimentary plate of delicious fresh fruit, melon, and berries, along with his assurance that the chef always solicits comments, both positive and negative.
For dessert Iona ordered a serving of key lime pie, which we shared. While it was not fantastic, it nevertheless was good. We're sure it would have tasted better had we been enjoying it in it's natural habitat of the Florida Keys.
Because we had ordered from the specials, we were unaware of cost until the check arrived. The total tariff for two appetizers, a pasta, one main course, and one dessert (but excluding the wine) was about $80. All things considered, that's an excellent value. While we were disappointed with the food, we agree that because of the quality of the ingredients, it is unlikely that we would ever be totally displeased with a meal at
Bareli's. And we know of no place that has better service and ambiance.
For a pleasant ending touch - as we left the table we realized the valet had not given us a claim check for our car. Not to worry. When he saw us approach the door, without a spoken word he scurried off to retrieve our car from all the others he had parked that evening. Just another way Bareli's has of making each guest feel that he is very important.
Grumpy Gourmet
|
