I was really excited to try this restuarant because it is close to home. Â I went on a Sunday night at 6:45 because they were booked solid for a Friday and Saturday night dinner. Â Which I thought was a good sign. Â The restuarant was not busy when I arrived and it was relatively quiet. Â However, it took forwever for the waiter to come to our table to take drink orders and supply a menu. Â
Then it took forever for the waiter to even take our order and I ended up getting the wrong entree! Â I got an excuse for why it was wrong and nothing else. Â Given my experience when it was slow, I would not want to come during prime hours.
Plus, it is really overpriced pasta and the portions are small, and they only give about 4 oz of wine. Â I don't have an issue with small portions because it keeps me from overeating but this should be reflected in the prices. Â Plus, italian restuartants are know for giving large amounts of pasta.
I came here because I love the location downtown and I assumed the food/menu would be the same..and it wasn't.
I am basing this review on only two items on the menu - the pasta and the pizza:
The pasta with mushrooms was very good and tasted homemade. The sauce was a bit heavy, but the flavor was really good. I enjoyed it.
The pizza, however, tasted like Ragu canned sauce was thrown all over it. Not good. And the crust? Not crispy.
Not cheap for the quality of food presented. Can't say that I would run back here.
We were long time fans of Due Terre, the previous restaurant that occupied this space.
The obnoxious manager is still there, he does nothing but stand at his friends' tables and pour their wine while the rest of the restaurant looks around for help.
HELP!??!!! Â Non existent.
5 hosts/hostesses stand at the front and do nothing but bring you to your seat.
A menu will arrive eventually.
The place is SO LOUD that our party of 4 could not hear anything we were saying.
It was loud at Due Terre, but now that the carpeting and multi level has been taken out, this place is like a high school cafeteria.
Michael White (owner of Osteria Morini in NYC and others.....) is the owner in name only.
He has been to this location one time since its opening. Â He sold his name, so if you are expecting a NY experience, go pay the toll and cross the river.
It's a shame, because the food is GOOD! Â
We had an amazing salame platter, plentiful served w/ pizza bianco and fruit moustarda.
Wines are great by the glass, and thank goodness Karen the bartender is still there, she is the only one who knows what she is doing.
The crostini with tuna, mint & pea pesto & fresh ricotta was also delicious.
My tuna for $29. was average and my husband's short ribs also average with not much flavor.
Took 15 minutes to find a waiter to get check.
Ok, enough said.
Won't be back anytime soon.
Went for Sunday brunch with my family first time to restaurant we had 12:30 reservations showed up 20 mins late but it was ok bc there were no other tables in restaurant. Â The menu looks amazing...
Service was ok the waiter was nice to explain the menu to us especially the breakfast table... It's 17.00 but if you order an entree or pasta you can get breakfast table for additional 8.00 which was not bad deal. U just can't share or take breakfast table food home to go. There are 3 salads, (house, Cesar, spring mix) seafood salad, mozzarella salad, 2 types of cheese, 4 types of meat, smoked salmon, scones mini muffin, crumb cake, rosemary flavored popcorn so good and a yogurt bar I don't know if its house made or what but it was the best yogurt I hv ever had even my entire table raved about it they give you a lot of toppings honey hazelnuts granula etc on the breakfast table also desserts 3 types of cake and tiramisu SOOO much food for breakfast table definitely well worth it
For entrees they hv traditional brunch -- eggs, fritta, waffles, eggs Benedict , my mom ordered 2 eggs (sunny side up) my sister ordered 2 eggs ( over easy) my friend ordered eggs Benedict and all 3 eggs came prepared the same way as poached eggs!! That was disappointing our waiter said he would fix it but when we asked he said that it was eggs over easy so we didn't feel confident enough to change it besides by the time the food arrived we were all so full from breakfast table and we wnted dessert!
The potatoes that came w eggs were amazing crispy outside and mash potato like inside a giant French fry SOOO good
My hubs got the frittata it was so fluffy yum and I got the creamy pasta it was soo good that was probably the best of all the entrees that we ordered my cousin ordered the ravioli it was weird it was just one big gigantic ravioli w egg on top!!
my fav part we asked the bus boy how long restaurant was open for and he looked at us filled our water and I asked again and he whispers I don't know and walks off. So then we were determined to find out so we asked out waiter and he basically gave us his working career resume it was kinda funny as he wnt on and on as to where he has worked we just looked at each other and tried not to laugh
We were there for over 3 hrs and no other table showed up!
The breakfast table worth it especially if u get an entree the yogurt again amazing and I don't know why it was just really good maybe the honey the toppings no idea the pasta was good
But the actual breakfast/brunch egg entrees wasn't anything to really Rave about
Will return and see how dinner is... Would return for brunch but will only stick to pasta.
We ate here last week and I thought the food was excellent. Â We also ate at this restaurant before they changed their name, and they definitely helped themselves with the new layout. Â The tables used to be right on top of the bar and if you were unlucky enough to have one of those tables people were sitting on you. Â The new layout solves that problem.
I thought the food was excellent, and they had a good selection of scotches - which always makes me happy.
Overall, we had a very good meal and the service was friendly and attentive. Â We plan on going back.
This place is nice but over crowded. For a party of 2, they sat us near the bar, where you felt that the people at the bar were literally sitting on top of you.
Half of the time you couldn't hear the person you were sitting across from and that's why I gave this place 4 stars instead of 5.
I was expecting a fancy place but it's casual. Their cheese board starter was very good as well as the pasta tasting. Their pasta's are homemade and delicious. You can't go wrong with any of the pasta dishes.
My suggestion would be that people who make early reservation like 6:30pm to 8pm should sit closer to the back area of the restaurant, closer to the kitchen and for people who make reservations for 8:30pm or 9pm sit by the bar/front side of the restaurant. This way they can eliminate people having to go through the entire restaurant where you feel like the people are going to sit on you or smack you in the head with their purse since the place is so crowded.
I've been to Osteria Morini for dinner multiple times and gotten their pizza for take away. Â The food here is always delicious, with many freshly-made pasta selections, small plates, and inventive mains to suit a wide variety of palates. Â Like most dining establishments in Bernardsville, it is on the pricey side, but every penny of that goes into quality ingredients and great wine. Â The space can be quite loud and is almost always crowded. Â Dine at the bar if you're alone or there as a couple - the bartender's a gem!
Review Source:I wish I could give this place 4 or 5 stars but the service was just pathetic. It was 15 minutes before we had a glass of water and 30 minutes to get our wine. The food is exceptional....great homemade pasta-the rigatoni with mushrooms and fontina is pretty amazing. Meat & cheese plate is great and the calamari app was unique and delicious. The wine list offers a good variety of quality and price point. If they can figure out how to upgrade their level of service I will be back.
Review Source:Food took a bit longer than we would have liked. One appetizer came out (my salad) and we waited a good 5-10 minutes after for my husbands pizza. Entrees were good and we would go back. Service was decent. Chairs used to be 10 minute chairs until they put cushions on them the last time we went.
Overall it did not leave an impression but it was decent enough to visit again,
Osteria Morini or a restaurant by any other name! Â I have been having lunch at this location for years, the name has changed many times, and I assume the ownership, but the place is as lovely as it has ever been and the food divine. The new decor is terrific, the service is wonderful and the menu just right, I sound like Goldilocks! On my recent visit their were several large groups, which was nice to see, as well as tables of two and four and the service was still top notch. This is a hidden gem given its location but I think many will soon be discovering its charm and flavors.
Review Source:My husband and I went here for our 4th anniversary yesterday. Â It was seriously some of the best food I have ever had. First we had the pizza, it had cheese, mushrooms and butternut squash on it, it was SO good. Â The crust was perfect and it had so much flavor. Then we shared some cheese and meat, you cant go wrong with that. Â Then we each got the pasta tasting of three pastas each. Â Now heres the only problem, we ended up taking three of them home, but they were all so good. I would highly recommend going here! Worth the price! Which if you share a pizza, a salad and three pasta's its only $60.00 for two people!
Review Source:We were excited to try the Bernardsville location because we LOVE the NYC one. Â
The restaurant itself is small - in a strip mall next to what looks like an abandoned storefront followed by a dairy queen. Â There are two tops directly in front of the bar as a previous reviewer had stated. Â I can see where it would be really annoying to be sitting there when the bar was full. Â We opted to eat at the bar and were served by a lovely bartender. Â It was pretty hot on Saturday night and they had the doors open. Â Not sure if the place doesnt have AC or it wasnt working.
We started with a meat and cheese board. Â You really cant go wrong here. Â Prosciutto, Mortadella, bresaola - and we went with a pecorino and a robiola cheese that were both excellent. Â The flat bread that came with it tasted kind of stale. Â But it did make an excellent method for pushing the super soft robiola onto a fork. Â
We got a half order of the sausage ragu pasta and I got the wild mushroom stracci. Â The pastas were excellent. Â Cooked perfectly and the sauces were really good.
My husband got a secondi - the pork chop with charred raddichio and peaches. Â It had some kind of funky mustard jus with it that just tasted weird. Â The chop itself was a little salty but it was cooked perfectly.
The special dessert was gelato and waffles - Call it what it is - it was ice cream - and by the time we finished without any AC it was soup. Â That said, I love waffles and ice cream and it was as good as any.
If I were in the area and had friends who wanted to try it, I would go back. Â The food is good but the ambiance doesnt hold up to the NY location. Â If I want an amazing meal - I will go to the NYC location.
Don't be scared away by the Dairy Queen it's attached to (1st thing you see pulling in the lot)... Â
So we weren't sure what to expect, fancy, not fancy, somewhere in between? Â Well I loved it, it was pretty casual and the food was excellent. Â I had the duck (not the best I've had), and tried some of the pasta dishes which were awesome. Â We had a drink at the bar before dinner and they have an awesome selection of unique specialty drinks and a great wine selection. Â
Service was also great! Â Will definitely be back to try some other menu items!
Let me start off by saying that I dined at Due Terre before and found the food excellent but the prices too high for the neighborhood. I was excited to try the new Osteria Morini and was very happy with the experience. It is now much more casual and the food is less expensive but still score high in terms of quality. Service was very good.
My wife and I started with the special fritto misto (fried calamari, shrimp and zucchini). This was the weakest dish of the night as the batter was a bit mushy and it was a touch on the salty side. Next we had pasta - she had gnocchi and I had the sausage ragu. Both pasta dishes were very good - I would give highest marks to the sausage ragu. Overall a good experience and we look forward to returning.
We are longtime devotees of Due Terre Enotica. We ventured forth on the 2nd night of the new incarnation, Osteria Morini when it opened in February. Unfortunately, we were exceedingly disappointed.
We noticed the following shortcomings:
-The menu was truncated to half it's earlier versions.
-The raised dining area has been eliminated resulting in a larger single level with more tables.
-Where there previously had been cloth napkins & tablecloths, there is now paper, augmented by paper place mats.
-The noise level is unbelievably incredible! Couldn't even hear people at our own table.
In fairness, the selections we had for dinner were very good.
We look forward to the return to earlier amenities that constantly attracted us to their earlier absolutely marvelous service, ambiance and menu favorites. Â We look forward to again seeing old acquaintances, Francois, Rebecca and Gerardo.
Loved Due Terra and after giving Osteria Morini a few chances, came to the realization that it isn't as good. Â Not sure why they spent money on changing an already successful restaurant. Â The few times I have been here, the service has been fine but food not as good. Â Last time I ate here, the salad was bland and boring and had bones in my fish. Not a memorable dinner and will not be back soon.
Review Source:The restaurant was recommended by friends who dine at the NY location. Unfortunately this one has nothing in common. While the food was OK it was not the amazing experience that would make you return. Also it is nothing that would command the high prices. We were seated at a smallish 4 person table and we could not carry on a conversation. The noise level is horrible. They need sound deadening installed. The service was spotty. The water glasses were filled constantly, but we never got the extra bread that the waitress volunteered to get. On the plus side we tried a couple of their signature drinks and they were outstanding.
Review Source:SO disappointing!
I really wanted to love this place, since we loved Due Terre and assumed they closed it to open something better. Â Had heard great things about this restaurant in NYC, but this place is nothing to write about. I left wondering what the heck they were thinking replacing Due Terre with this. Â Due Terre was so great--and this is such a step down.
Ambiance was awful. Looks like a strip-mall joint. Extremely bright and bland. Â Cheap (not rustic) furniture. Â Paper napkins and placemats. Loud music playing Black-Eyed Peas and Taylor Swift (seriously? At a "rustic Italian" place?). Â
Food was ok, not great. Â Nothing near what Due Terre offered. Â Meatball app was good. Â My Branzino was fishy. Â My wife's lobster pasta was chewy and had shell in it. Desserts were crumbly and dry. Â
Overall, I'm left simply confused as to why they made this change from what was an amazing restaurant in Due Terre...and I'm at a loss as to why I would ever return.
I had not been here in years and was almost devastated to find that it was a new restaurant. Â
It was a sigh of relief when I saw Francois inside. Â It's still his place - just a new look, new name & new menu.
Fab wine list.
Still the same fab food! Â
Inside has been opened up and is now one large room. Â
Clock is gone (but it never worked anyway)
I'll b back.
Formerly 'Due Terre', the site of much fun, Â great dining and wine has now become 'Osteria Morini'.
Same ownership, same management, wonderful food and libations....in a newly designed and renovated space which has a more open, yet Earthy feel. We dined here at the bar Friday evening, when there was a packed house, with not a table free until 9:30. Clearly, fans of 'Due Terre' were missing Francois, Gerardo and the amazing staff and were eager to check out Osteria Morini. The place was abuzz.
Had several generously poured martinis before amazing pasta (now served in smaller and larger sizes).....mine was with gluten-free pasta and Sedanini cream, radicchio, truffle butter and prosciutto. (Just a little something light ;-). Also had roasted brussel sprouts with pancetta and onion. Everything was absolutely delicious and I appreciated the ability to get smaller portions and sides, mixing and matching, when I'd prefer that.
I'm a person who tries not to live in the past. Times change, people change, spaces change. I have a pretty open mind as long as the service and FOOD remain great. I was not disappointed in either.
When I first stepped in the restaurant, I was amazed at how different the physical space looked. We were last there New Year's Eve, bidding 'Due Terre' goodbye, a little sadly. We left Friday night, realizing that we are so fortunate to have 'Osteria Morini' and its leadership and depth of culinary skill in our town. What a gift. We're looking forward to many more drinks around the bar and excellent meals, enjoying a new and different 'buzz', Â in a more authentically Italian space, design-wise. I'm hungry just thinking about the pasta dish I enjoyed. Incredible.
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