Ristorante da Benito

Went to Ristorante de Benito just yesterday for the first time on Valentine's Day. We couldn't have picked a better place! I had the lamb chops, which were cooked to perfection and my girl had the pan roasted swordfish which she said was very good. The appetizers were grilled shrimp with corn and avocado salsa and the requisite melon and prosciutto. The wine selection was pretty good as well. While admittedly the portion size was rather small, the quality of the food and the atmosphere more than made up for it!

Of all the expertly prepared dishes such as radicchio salad, prosciutto wrap, scallops, monk fish, lobster ravioli, and osso buco, there was one simple dish that really wowed us all --

Past and Bean Soup -- such a humble dish. It totally went under my radar detection. Had my husband H not made a point of ordering it, I would not have expected such heavenly satisfying taste to come so unadorned.
The soup couldn't be plainer, with a number of beige past shells floating on what looked like a tomato based thinly pureed soup. It disguised itself very well as any kids friendly bland fair. However, the puree itself had rich and sympathetic flavors with hints of bacon, white beans, tomato, herbs, and parmesan, all delicately balanced so no one single ingredient appeared too strong. It was precisely due to this rich yet quietly balancing effect and the silky texture as soup base plus the cute past shells that it passed the scrutiny of my little picky eater. KyKy not only asked for another spoonful, which was a big surprise to the rest of us, but had eventually taken over the whole bowl of soup as well. We were very tickled that she took to something new so whole-hearted at a restaurant for a change that she cleaned the whole bowl. The chief Benito was very gracious while visiting our table when we complemented him on his special achievement in converting our KyKy so effortlessly.

FOOD WAS VERY GOOD; HOWEVER, THE ALLEGED OWNER, SIGNORE BENITO IS CERTIFIABLY CRAZY, BECAUSE HE BERATES HIS PEOPLE IN THE RESTAURANT BY YELLING, SCREAMING & POUNDING ON TABLES TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT EVERYONE HAD TO STOP & WONDER IF SOMEBODY WAS ABOUT TO BE MURDERED & SHOULD THEY BE FEARFUL FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY ~

THE FOOD IS GOOD, BUT NOT WORTH THESE APPARENTLY VERY COMMON OUTBURSTS FROM THE OWNER WHILE CUSTOMERS ARE ATTEMPTING TO ENJOY THEIR EVENING OUT FOR SOME FINE WINE & FOOD.

JUST STAY AWAY; OR ELSE POTENTIALLY FEAR FOR YOUR LIFE ALONG WITH SOME POOR UNFORTUNATE MEMBER OF BENITO'S STAFF !

AND, YOU KNOW WHAT; HE JUST DOESN'T GET IT, BECAUSE IT'S HIS PLACE & HE FEELS HE CAN DO WHATEVER TF HE WANTS WHENEVER HE WANTS TO DO IT TO WHOMEVER HE F'N CHOOSES !

PLEASE; JUST DO NOT GO, BECAUSE YOU WILL FEAR FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL SAFETY; OR ELSE BRING A GUN OR CROSS TO PROTECT YOURSELF; IT'S THAT INTENSE, WHEN HE GOES INTO ONE OF HIS TEMPER TANTRUM TIRADES, WHICH IS APPARENTLY AN EVERDAY OCCURRENCE, EVEN DURING LUNCH !

Outstanding restaurant, the best Italian place in NJ by far. Extensive wine list. Naim does a fantastic job at the interesting bar. Benny truly is obsessive about the freshness and quality of the food and it shows. Recommendions: Dover Sole , Osso Bocco, Veal chop, Chicken Ricoperto. For the cognoscenti, Thursday is meatball day (better than your Grandmother's.

Went a few nights ago. We got are food pretty quickly but hte waiter was not much help due to the fact that he was new or he just didnt know much about the menue. My pasta was good but a very small portion. The place was boring and overpriced. All in all i was not pleased. Would not go back.