Caffe Anello's intimate dining setting and farm-fresh menu are a break from my family's typical dining-out experience. With two kids ages 4 and almost 2, our restaurant options are limited to those that offer pizza and/or chicken fingers on the menu. And we are always done in less than an hour - just long enough before my almost-2-year-old will squirm and fight her way out of her high chair.
I am happy to report that both kids sat through the entire two-hour dining experience without a meltdown. The whole family enjoyed Caffe Anello's menu of familiar Italian favorites. The bonus for this health-conscious mommy was that what we ate was local and fresh - just like home, except I didn't have to cook or clean up!
Caffe Anello's dining area is small, with seating for 4 families of 4 and 2 couples at most. Strollers are best left in the car. If you're with small children (and train-lovers especially), I would recommend sitting by the window: our kids were thrilled to watch every train that crossed Westwood Avenue, and it gave them a nice distraction while waiting for our food to arrive.
As for the food, we devoured the homemade Tuscan focaccia bread. It was delightfully crusty on the outside and warm and fluffy on the inside. The herb-infused, hand-pressed olive oil for dipping was an added bonus.
For an appetizer, we had the mozzarella caprese, made with fresh mozzarella that was pulled from the curd just hours before it was served.
The main dishes featured pastas that were hand-cut on the premises and homemade tomato sauce that used tomatoes grown from Sunset View Farm in Andover, New Jersey. My daughter and I enjoyed the carbonara (pictured in the middle), which had a pleasantly light sauce and a nice hunk of bacon. The thin spaghetti with meatballs (to the right) was a crowd-pleaser. The meatball was tasty and moist and the tomato sauce was flavorful. We were also served a spicy shrimp fra diavolo (pictured on the left) which I unfortunately couldn't eat because of shrimp allergies.
The best part of the whole night was dessert: homemade poached pear with cinnamon crumble and vanilla ice cream, which my daughter could not stop eating.
The homemade poached pear with cinnamon crumble was literally to die for. When we asked "Chef John" how he kept the pear so tender and juicy, he said "I can tell you but then I'd have to kill you." I'll take my chances.Overall, we gave Caffe Anello two hands up, or applause in sign language:
Owners Chef John and Alissa Vitale made every effort to create a warm, inviting dining experience for a relaxed family meal, or a date night (just make sure to BYOB.)
Because of its limited seating and the made-to-order menu, Caffe Anello only takes reservations starting at 6PM. For more information, visit their Facebook page or call 201-786-8137. (Note: phone number for reservations has changed. Updated 12/20/13)
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