I was visiting family back east and was craving Italian food, so we found this place on Yelp. Â This place is easy to miss as it's tucked behind some buildings on Delaware. Â There's street parking but there's also a lot behind the restaurant.
The food was really good. Â We pretty much ordered the majority of the pasta dishes between the five of us. Â My favorites were the BOLOGNESE sauce and the VODKA gnocchi, which is what I got. Â Both were amazing and the rest of the dishes (CARBONARA, FILETTO DI POMODORO, and CALABRESE) were good too.
I would definitely come back here the next time I'm back East.
My favorite local restaurant. Â I'm a creature of habit, and I always order the same thing here: Â chicken and sausage pellegrino. Â I have tried other things on their menu, and everything is good, but this is my personal favorite. Â Very nice people there and the owner is friendly and knows what good Sicilian cooking is all about. Â Nice place for a "special occasion" dinner. Â Lunch is also very good, when the prices are a bit lower. Â On every occasion, I've always felt I got what I paid for: Â a delightful, delicious mean with great service and atmosphere. Â Bring cash or American Express, they don't accept other credit cards.
Review Source:This place is in the middle of nowhere but the food is very good. If you are coming from the 202 or 206 you will feel like this place is a hole in the wall because the sign is next to the Barber shop but there is ample parking with a huge parking lot in the front of the restaurant.
Even though the appetizer was okay I rated this 5/5 because of the entree, desert and the ambiance. The place is very cute and have pretty chandeliers which I loved.
This place is BYOB and portions are huge for the price. The appetizer that you should skip is one of their specials (that's what they call it) it's basically fried mozzarella sticks with cheese sauce on the side but they have a sort of fancy name. For Entree I had the Linguine with Alfredo/cheese sauce, basically it was fettuccine Alfredo but the pasta was Linguine which was excellent. The other entree I remember that a friend had was Lobster Ravioli with Penne Vodka Sauce. Their Penne Vodka Sauce was to die for. I will definitely get that next time I go there. For Dessert, the mint cookies were very good plus the chocolate mousse cake was exceptional. It is rich but it was the best thing I ever tasted. I don't think the mousse cake is on a online menu but it was their specials for that weekend.
Overall, the place is great and everyone should try, I don't think anyone would be disappointed with their food.
Decided to try this restaurant based on local recommendations. The highlight of the meal was the wine we brought. The lamb was dry and tasteless, and the pasta bolognese had more sugar in it's sauce than Ragu. Less than average service and a bit noisy. Oh well.....DEFINITELY not a return visit and we live 6 minutes away. Disappointed and still in search for some decent Italian food.
Review Source:This place is really good (not great). The prices are spot on. Great ambiance, servers are very good, and the room is VERY nice. Â If I could give half-stars it would be a 3 1/2. Â But don't get too fancy when you order. Stick to the basic stuff and you'll be very happy. We didn't do that. Ordered Veal Norcia. The sauteed veal was quite good but the artichokes were right out of the jar as were the black olives (right out of the Kalamata Olives jar). Any home chef with half a load on can duplicate this, and probably improve upon it with a little artichoke/Kalamata discretion. Â For veal or chicken stick with the standard piccata or parmigiana and you'll be very happy. Â I don't get why the very first item on the Appetizer menu is Hot Peppers and Mushrooms. Â Sadly, we got that. Â Sauteed button mushrooms (believe me, nothing special) with peppers that burned (and ruined) your palate for the main course. Don't make this mistake...there are some very good looking appetizers beside these. Â I do want to go back and give this place a second chance...and I'm optimistic. Â On the bright side, the penne with Calabrese was amazing, and I'll bet the other sauces were just as good.
Review Source:Just had my first dining experience here and I'll be sure to visit again. Authentic Sicilian cooking in the heart of Pennington that wasn't over the top but some seriously good cooking.
We had apps including the rice balls, bruschetta, mussels in both red and white sauce, and artichokes francaise which were all solid. The stand out for me was the rice balls, which were in a cream sauce that was filling so be careful not to load up before your entree.
I got a veal special with a brandy cream sauce, shallots and portobello mushrooms. The sauce was heavy and a bit off-season but was incredibly good and also incredibly filling! I tried a bit of their roasted chicken which was killer with some well seasoned crispiness on the skin with tender meat inside.
Dessert was Tiramisu - my other half said it was awesome but I'm not much of a dessert person. Espresso was fine.
Service was very attentive and friendly. The chef came out and spoke with us for a bit. Turns out our friend and the chef come from similar areas in southern Italy.
Can't wait to check this place out again.
We've been to Avanti twice, once on a major holiday, and once last Saturday night, and both meals were extraordinarily delicious. It's the total package, though:
* The wait staff is friendly and helpful (my wife had to take a work call during dinner and someone immediately came over cover her plate to keep it warm).
* I can't get over is how reasonable the prices are. There are at least five other Italian restaurants within a mile or two that charge almost as much (or the same) for similar dishes but they just can't compete with the quality of food or atmosphere of Avanti. Â
* The dishes are so well prepared and flavorful, you can taste the freshness. I've had a pasta dish and a veal dish, my wife has had a chicken dish and a seafood dish, and we've raved about every one. And thank god they serve the bread hot (I really don't know why some places do not serve hot bread).
* During the warmer months they set up a super cozy outside area for dining, complete with chandeliers. But even the decor on the inside is perfect.
The only minor negatives, which still don't put a dent in the five stars, are that it can get pretty noisy inside when the place is packed (and it pretty much always is) and they only take American Express and cash. Which is fine, just something to know before you go.
Ahhh, Avanti... cannot wait to return.
When you're in the middle of Nowhere, New Jersey and you pay $40 for a cab ride to a restaurant, you pray that the food is good. Â (Mind you, we paid $40 to go like 2.5 miles).
Avanti did not disappoint. Â The food was better than good. Â Everything here was DELICIOUS and the portions were huge. Â
I had the carbonara sauce with linguini (YUM) and the ravioli with pomodoro sauce. Â Both were excellent dishes!
For appetizers, we had the roasted red peppers (SO GOOD), the bread thing (also very tasty - reminded me of brushetta except with a huge loaf of bread), and the fried artichokes (everything fried is good). Â
Desserts - we had this chocolate peanut butter bomb thing which was tasty if you're a fan of chocolate. Â Also had the cannoli which was a perfect size. Â Yum. Â
Limoncello dessert - that was one of the most delicious desserts I had...I ordered it on top of the cannoli I had! (I tasted someone else's and needed my own.)
The first time we were here, we couldn't get our hotel's shuttle to pick us up for awhile and didn't want to spend another $40 on a cab, so guess what happened? Â One of the waitresses gave us a ride back to our hotel. Â Can you say GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE??? Freakin' awesome. Â Also, Vincenzo (head chef) was awesome. Â Not only did he make us wonderful, authentic Italian food, he came out a few times to talk to us and was super friendly. Â No "I'm a head chef and too good to talk to my out of town patrons" here.
Oh, did I mention we went here twice in a row? Â It was that good. :)
This is by far the best Italian restaurant in Pennington. The staff is friendly, the ambiance is cute and they have well-lit, beautiful and cozy outdoor seating!
Food: I haven't been there for lunch but their dinner menu is fantastic. Â They give you a list of sauces and a list of pastas to mix and match, my favorite combination is the gnocchi with bolognese sauce -- the portions are HUGE! There are other options for entrees too - the usual chicken/veal scamp, chicken/veal marsala, etc. Their desserts are AMAZING -- exotic bomba is definitely the best - its mango, passion fruit and raspberry sorbet, all covered in white chocolate, YUM. The tiramisu and royal chocolate desserts are great too.
Attire is typically business casual. The restaurant is BYOB as most places in Pennington don't have liquor licenses.
Minor Cons: The restaurant only accepts AMEX or cash and their hours aren't very flexible -- they're closed on Sundays and Mondays, and close at 9 PM on weeknights and 10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. 4 stars only because of the hours.
This is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the area -- service is fast and attentive, the chef comes out and talks to all the guests almost every night. The atmosphere is homey and the food NEVER disappoints!
This place was picked by a business partner for a group dinner. The positive reviews raised high expectations that were not met. The appetizers were bland and uninspired, and my main course (lemon chicken) wasn't much different from what I could have picked up at the supermarket deli counter. What saved the three star rating was the appetizers. Tirimisu is always a gamble but this one was very tasty.
Review Source:Really amazing food! I've been going here for years with my family. We typically come on Friday nights, plus any other night we feel like going out or have a special occasion to celebrate. The chef/owner Vincenzo and his wife/owner Kathleen are like family, every night they mingle amid the tables of regulars and newcomers. It's a quaint, yet elegant, cozy restaurant, with an upper and lower dining room.
Their kitchen is possibly smaller than my own, but they manage to produce amazing food very timely! I enjoy everything on the menu, most likely because it's prepared with care (sounds sappy, but it's true!) I generally avoid Italian restaurants because the food doesn't taste like real Italian food, but the food at Avanti is genuine Italian food. Vince's Sicilian roots are evident in every bite of food, from perfectly al dente pasta to mouthwatering osso bucco.
It's a BYOB, so bring plenty of vino to share with your family and friends!
Ooh... Almost forgot, it's Friday! I'm think I'll go tonight!
As long time Pennington resident, I've eaten at Avanti on many occasions. I took some good friends there for dinner March 7th-What a MISTAKE! Â We had reservations for 7:30 and were seated on time. Â That's the only thing good about the evening.
We all ordered from the "daily specials" menu, after waiting about 20 min for someone to come to the table.  The men ordered a delicious pork and chicken dish.  The ladies ordered the beef filet tips.  After another delay, the waitress advised the ladies that there was only one order of the beef filet left.  She suggested pairing the beef with chicken and splitting it.  We agreed.  The meals were delivered and we all started eating.  The waitress returned to the table to let us know she had mixed the orders up. Beef and chicken went to the men, pork and chicken to the ladies.  OH well! No big deal we are married couples.  We switched meals with our spouses and got on with dinner. The ladies found the beef inedible-lots of grizzle running through the beef.  No one came by the table to see how our meal was.  So we didn't complain until the maître d came by after the dinner. She was very insistent that she would remove the cost of 1 meal-the split beef.  We told her it wasn't necessary but she insisted.  When the bill came there was no reduction.  I sought her out and she told me the cook refused to reduce the bill because we were taking the uneaten food home. We all have dogs-that is what you do!
I asked her why she didn't come back and explain that to me after spending time at our table and insisting we allow her to remove the price of the meal.
She told me it was not her call. It was the cook's. Â And I was embarrassing her in front of the other guests. Â I asked to speak with the cook. Â She refused. Â I went back to the table to finish my coffee and found the wait staff cleaning our table with fresh coffee poured and our guest sitting at the table. Â I asked if we could finish our coffee and wine uninterrupted. Â They told me the maitre d had directed them to clean our table without regard to our unfinished meal.
After leaving the restaurant, I noticed the cook standing by the back door to the kitchen. I told him through the door that our meal sucked and I continued walking to my car. Â He came out of the restaurant and yelled at me "I hope you die, you M...F... old man. Â You're a M...F... F...!
It was unbelievable.
I really like their food.. they have great great food. Â Can be pricey and on certain days the service not so friendly as posted previously. Â Shrug, everyone has a bad day..
Worth the price and worth the hassle of parking.. since there is none.
I wouldn't suggest a large group just show up, call ahead.. and be prepared to be in close quarters with groups larger than 8.
You will have a great meal!
This is a great Italian restaurant. Â The food is excellent and the staff is very friendly. Â My wife and I come here regularly. Â Many others do as well, judging from the camaraderie between many of the customers and the staff (or maybe they're "family").
The really amazing aspect of this place is that they can produce a large menu of really good specials (plus their regular fare) within a kitchen that is about as small as what I imagine to be the galley on a WW II submarine. Â How they do it, I don't know.
Some of the specials are about $30 or slightly more, but that includes soup or salad. Â Many of the regular dishes are only about $18 (again including soup or salad). Â The bread they serve beforehand is good, fresh and hot. A good selection of appetizers is available. Â Desserts are OK, but not exceptional.
They have an outside patio for warm weather dining, if you'd rather not be indoors. Â The atmosphere inside is nice too.
The best place to park is in a lot off of N. Main St., near the water tower.
You then enter the place through what looks like a rear entrance -- but it's really the only entrance. Â (Just before you enter, you can see what I mean about the small kitchen. Â The kitchen door is just to the left.)
One word of warning. Â Nowadays, one usually expects that all restaurants accept Visa and Master Card. Â That's not true here. Â They have an arrangement with American Express to accept only their cards and no others. Â So, if you don't have American Express, come with either a personal check or cash.
No liquor license, so BYOB.
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