Josh left for one of his business trips on a Sunday morning, which was a bit unusual as he typically has weekends free even with all the traveling he does. Luckily for me, Josh’s parents kept up the Sunday night dinner tradition even though both Jess and Lisa were out of commission that particular Sunday as well. Instead of eating in the city, however, they picked me up earlier in the evening and we decided to try out an Italian restaurant in NJ called Tomaso’s, in Edgewater.
The restaurant is kind of in an awkward location, as its parking lot entrance is on River Road but the restaurant itself is set further back, away from the main road. The building is a bit nondescript from the outside but the décor on the inside had an understated elegance to it. We were given a basket of bread to munch on while we looked over the menu, and it was really good, crispy bread that bode well for things to come.
The bread was served warm and had a crust that shattered nicely. The inside was chewy, and when spread with a little bit of butter, it was totally addictive to eat. I think we went through three baskets before our meal was over, which is impressive considering there were only three of us.
Crispy and chewy bread
There was kind of a mix-up with our appetizer order, as we all wanted to try the antipasto caldo that featured clams oreganata, shrimp, eggplant rollatini, mozzarella en carrozza, and stuffed mushrooms. Lloyd ordered “the hot antipasto for three”, and our waiter said that there was only one of each item in one order, and we said it was fine, but we wanted it for three people. I guess he misunderstood what was said and thought that we wanted to share one antipasto order with three people, instead of three antipasto orders, so they only brought one dish. Sure enough there was only one of each item except for the clams oreganata, which came with two, but the eggplant rollatini and mozzarella en carrozza were big enough to share. Realizing the mistake, we quickly placed an order for another antipasto dish, seeing that two orders would be enough for the three of us, and divvied up what was already brought.
Antipasto caldo
The mozzarella en carrozza was my favorite, with a light, crispy outside and gooey cheese in the middle. It was better than any frozen mozzarella stick, for sure. The eggplant rollatini was really tasty as well, tender and cheesy, and the restaurant definitely makes a really good red sauce that is tangy and not too sweet. While the clams tasted predominately of bacon, the stuffed mushroom was flavorful and earthy, and the shrimp was perfectly cooked.
We also ordered a Caesar salad to share between the three of us, which might have added to the confusion regarding the hot antipasto order. The salad was lightly dressed but packed a good garlic punch, and we all enjoyed it a lot.
Caesar salad
Since it was our first visit to this restaurant, I had to get my chicken parmigiana tester. And fortunately, it passed with flying colors. The chicken was pounded thin, had a nice crust, and was covered in a good amount of sauce and cheese. The red sauce here is really exemplary, one of the best that I’ve had. The chicken came with a side of spaghetti that was cooked al dente, and the portion was quite generous.
Chicken parmigiana with spaghetti
Alice went with the meat lasagna, which was also a large portion. The meat sauce was flavorful and there was lots of cheese throughout, making the dish very rich overall. I ended up taking home both my leftovers and hers, which I ate for lunch the next two days.
Meat lasagna
Lloyd had the veal saltimbocca, which was thin pieces of veal topped with prosciutto and sautéed in white wine. The veal was served with spinach and mashed potatoes that were ok but we all thought that the meat was a bit tough, and there was too much prosciutto on top. It wasn’t terrible, but definitely not as good as the dishes that featured red sauce.
Overall we thought our meal at Tomaso’s hit some pretty high highs and not too many lows. We loved the red sauce they served, and the wonderfully crispy bread. I think your best bet would be to stick with classic Italian dishes, like parmigiana and pasta. The portions are large and the food is comforting and hearty. Aside from the early mix-up regarding our appetizers, service was attentive and efficient. Prices are pretty reasonable, and its proximity to the city is always a bonus for us. I’m sure we’ll be back here, especially since most of the Sunday dinner crew missed out on this enjoyable meal.
Tomaso’s
163 River Road
Edgewater, NJ