Casa Dante

Love 'em!!!. I live in walking distance of Casa Dante, and as such, I try to get there at least a few times a month. Each visit is highlighted by the wonderful staff, and the food is always top-notch! Drinks are huge and well made. We were there over Valentine's Day and the chef's special of braised short ribs over pappardelle was so good I could eat it every night. A fantastic place for grown-ups!…

Great Comfort Food. Casa Dante is by far the best Italian restaurant in Jersey City if not in all of New Jersey period. The food is the best quality/quantity you can expect. The elegant atmosphere and friendly/professional staff makes this place extra special…. This is what fine dinning is all about. I look forward to my once a week date night with my husband since its Casa Dante we almost always end up going to!…

Average Food, Below Average Drinks. I went to Casa Dante with 2 girlfriends for a single girls' night out on Valentine's Day. We purposely picked this restaurant because it had great reviews, beautiful decor (via the website), and we wanted a high end place to make it a special night. The food was really good but I wouldn't say there's anything spectacular to it the way all of the reviewers before me seemed to imply. The only thing high end about this restaurant is the parking, decor, bathroom ammenities, and inflated prices (not super expensive but definitely a little more than the food was worth).

The overall experience and service at the place was very good but I do have two gripes:

1.: The menu. In honor of Valentine's Day they had a special a la carte menu. They had mentioned this on their website but we thought it was going to be in addition to their regular menu (clearly a mistake on our part). We were not allowed to order off their regular menu (we asked). The problem was not with me though but with my two girlfriends (they are Vegetarians, I am not). There was only one pasta dish on the menu and it had to be ordered without meat. It's not a big deal to request no meat but do you think they could have added a few more Veg. friendly options/pasta dishes (besides salad)? Why couldnt we order off the reg. menu? Valentine's Day is one day. You can't tell me you didn't have the ingredients for regular menu items back there!

2. The drinks. When I'm paying good $ for a drink I want it to taste...good. My friend and I both got pomegranate margaritas ($9) and they were so overloaded with sour mix (is sour mix even usually put in a margarita???) that they were undrinkable. $9 down the drain instead of in my belly. Stop being stingy and add a little liquor in them. You'll still probably make a 6 dollar profit off it.

Even though this review was very critical I would return - only I would return on a day when the regular menu is being offered and stick to non alcoholic beverages.…

You don't want to miss this one.. If you like adult beverages, be careful. One will do, even if you were thinking of 2 or 3. I like to start the meal with a double clam cocktail, followed by tri-colour salad, zuppa di clams marinara, and linguine carbornara. I'm not an expert on desserts because I'm usually full by then, but I do love their canolis. As far as service is concerned, well, I was in the business myself for many years and I was real good. It almost pains me to admit that these waiters are better than I was, and I mean ALL of them. You won't go wrong on this one. One time, and one time only and you'll be hooked and hooked good (I only use incorrect English for purposes of emphasis).

~ O. William Marshall III…