Palazzo, Montclair, NJ:
A Restaurant Review
11 S. Fullerton Ave.
Montclair, NJ
973-746-6778
Website
Restaurant Highlights
Fare: Italian with Mediterranean influences
Price: Moderate
Food Quality: 2 Stars
Service: 2 Stars
Decor: 3 Stars
Overall Rating: 2 Stars
Note: Four star Rating System from 1/2 Star = poor to Four stars = Best in Class
Well prepared Italian dishes with homemade pastas, sauces, and desserts
BYOB with California bottled wines available for purchase --- a plus for Montclair.
Parking - May have to circle around for a spot.
Value: Excellent
Noise Level: Moderate - High
Dress: Casual
Recommended For: Diners who enjoy a BYOB restaurant with well prepared Italian food complimented by live jazz, piano entertainment
Not Recommended For: Diners who prefer an eclectic menu while being served a cocktail or craft beer in a trendy setting
Recommended dishes: When available, The Ostrich Steak, 98% fat free organic red meat, grilled with a vintage port-wine sauce sauteed asparagus & a sweet potato hash; The Fresh white linguine with clams, mussels & Grilled octopus in a white wine sauce, chili peppers & crispy pancetta with a 3oz. Brazilian lobster tail; and The linguine alla Nostra with homemade black linguine with shrimp, clams, mussels and calamari in a marinara sauce.
Liquor: BYOB with California bottled wines available for purchase
Restaurant Review
Palazzo is a long time favorite Montclair restaurant, conveniently located near the Wellmont Theater.
Chef/Owner John Giglio, a graduate of the New York Restaurant School, honed his culinary skills at New York's historic Fraunces Tavern and later joined the restaurant as a chef prior to purchasing the restaurant in the late nineties.
Chef Giglio serves up a menu of homemade pastas, sauces, and desserts using fresh ingredients. The standard menu selections are limited, though it is enhanced by a large number of fresh, daily specials.
The Palazzo dining room is spacious with seating for 100. The decor is done up with natural wood trimming and flooring, soft blue and gold toned walls adorned with art work, and tables set with linen. The baby grand piano is the centerpiece of the dining room.
Request a table near the window and enjoy some people watching along Fullerton Ave.
During the warmer months there is outside dining with seating for 16.
There is soft live piano jazz on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, creating a relaxed atmosphere.
The service is friendly and attentive.
Restaurant is child friendly.
Palazzo is open seven days/week for Lunch: Monday – Friday, 11:30am – 3pm; Saturday, 11:30am – 4pm.
for Dinner: Monday – Thursday , 5pm – 9:30pm; Friday& Saturday, 5pm – 10:30pm; and Sunday, 2pm – 9pm.
(updated: October, 2016)
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