When you attend a soft opening, you have to remember “It’s a soft opening.” If you arrive at 6 p.m. and you don’t leave until 8:45 p.m., that’s okay. The kitchen is getting in the groove, the servers are learning how to work together, and customers still don’t know how to get to the bathroom. Anytime you attend a brand new restaurant, be prepared to give it a second chance—and that’s just what I did on Friday.
Arriving just before 6 p.m., my date Lance and I were greeted by owner John Perazoo, former Salvatore’s chef, and Becca, my favorite bartender/server from the now defunct ZING. (I was super sad when ZING closed. It was one of my favorite local restaurants). Shortly after taking our seats, Becca helped us each pick out a glass a wine. (I ordered a glass of Andeluna Malbec and Lance had a glass of Pacific Rim Riesling – Washington). Our goal for this meal was to order different items than last time, and I am so glad we made ourselves order the unfamiliar. The items we chose at the soft opening were delectable, and Friday’s menu proved equally delicious.
For an appetizer, we ordered the risotto balls. A classic Italian dish, this appetizer could easily become a J. Razzo signature item. The risotto itself melted in your mouth, but the spicy tomato cream sauce was the stand out. I wanted to bottle the sauce and take it home! Only two balls are in an order, but if you don’t have much of an appetite, add a salad and it would make for a nice meal—especially with their signature breadsticks (which are great dipped in that sauce). Insalate Di J. Razzo is a fine salad—a light option to clean the palate in preparation for the main entrée, but the dressings alone are worth making sure you add a salad to your meal. We tried both dressing options, a creamy garlic and the house vinaigrette. May I get these to take home, too? Please and thank you.
J.Razzo’s Carbonara and the lasagna were brought to the table with perfect timing. This carbonara was made with Fusilli with pancetta, mushrooms, Parmesan, and fresh egg. In my opinion, the egg doesn’t really add anything to the dish, but it was fun to watch Becca try not to flip it in to my lap. The lasagna was a hefty portion with great cheese flavors and very tender and juicy pieces of sausage from the meat sauce. The last visit’s entrees included the tortellini and pollo a bosco, and even though all the items are delicious, the tortellini dish is still my favorite so far.
Since we had only been at J. Razzo’s for about an hour by the time we finished our main course, we still had plenty of time to order dessert and coffees. This time, we shared a slice of chocolate confusion—layers of chocolate cookie crust, chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, chocolate icing, chocolate chips, and chocolate fudge. Did I mention chocolate? YUM! A nice cup of coffee for me and a cappuccino for Lance rounded out the meal quite nicely. Oddly enough, I didn’t feel like I needed to be rolled out of the restaurant. I should probably wear better fitting pants though.
If you visited J. Razzo’s for the soft opening, I’m sure the food was worth the wait, but for the full experience, visit again. Even the customers are friendly! The staff truly wants you to enjoy your time with them, the food is fantastic, and the atmosphere is relaxed and upscale without being snooty. Just remember, the restroom is in the back of the restaurant. Make a right after the booth seating and continue down the hall past the kitchen. I think not having a sign for the restrooms is a secret plot to get customers and staff to talk to one another. It’s working.
