Hot Dish

I almost never take pictures of food. I'm not sure why people do. Unless they write a food blog, they're a food critic, or they're trying to cook and need it for some kind of reference. I felt compelled to take a photo of this seafood salad because it was so perfect. It looked like it was modeling for Bon Appetit. Or something else that would Italian. I would never eat seafood salad either, because I'm weird and picky. But I almost wanted to try that salad because it looked so fresh. It was my husband's food, by the way. I didn't just go up to a random table and ask for their dinner's autograph and a selfie. I was just looking at it and thinking how pretty it looked.

We had a gift certificate that was expiring the next day for RoCCa in Glen Rock. I was able to get a table on Thursday and a babysitter. I like to go there on Thursdays because they do the four course pasta tasting menu with dessert for $28.95. It's a really good deal. You think these small plates aren't going to be filling enough but they really are. We opted to get salads too, just because we had a gift certificate for $50 and I was starving. I got a house salad with the best balsamic I've ever had.

Every Thursday is a different set of pastas. As a picky eater, I advise people NOT to read the descriptions of the pasta plates. If I was to pick them apart, I could find something I think I don't like in pretty much everything. Yet, I've done this tasting almost every time I've been there and there has yet to be a course I really despised. Or even disliked. Of course, I like some more than others, but there hasn't been anything I couldn't eat. I read the descriptions AFTER I eat it. The tomatoes in one of the plates this time were just so amazing. I'm big on tomatoes but there are a lot of bad tomatoes out there.

The dessert this time was a mixed berry/ricotta thing in a champagne glass with a lady finger. The presentation was great. B LOVED it. He said- "This is awesome". For me, it wasn't really my thing, but I still can't say it was bad. I'm just more of a cake person. I should've take a picture of that though because it was really pretty. And the berry puree in there was good. I think I'm just not that into ricotta. I like it in a zeppole because the consistency isn't very ricotta-like in that but just there, not-so-much.

However, I do love the fact that they do add in a dessert. That's really reasonable price for what you're getting. The pasty plates are presented beautifully too. It definitely feels very high-end. We just don't get there enough. It's kid-friendly- they put paper on the table and don't mind if it's colored on. They do a Kids Eat Free Sunday dinner too. But if we're going to go there to enjoy a meal like that, we're not bringing our almost six year old. He's not going to eat and it's just going to be a waste. But it's one of those places that when someone asks for a really good meal, in a "nicer" restaurant, it's always my first recommendation. We've lived in Glen Rock since 2006 and have never had a bad meal there. I'm always impressed when the food tastes as good as it looks.

It's also BYOB and you can make reservations online, on their website via Open Table. And you want to make a reservation. People were turned away last night. The whole room was full.

 

 

 

Rocca

203 Rock Rd

Glen Rock, NJ 07452

(201) 670-4945

www.roccanj.com