Published November 10, 2019

On a cold Saturday night, I joined my Dad and his girlfriend for dinner. My dad recommended we try La Riviera Trattoria, an Italian restaurant in Clifton, NJ with homemade Italian food that’s been there for years.

We made a 6:30pm reservation and managed to grab the last spot in La Riviera’s parking lot. La Riviera Trattoria was a narrow, yellow-sided building with a glass-front. Their signs advertised Gluten-free menus.

We stepped into the exterior hall, past the gold La Riviera Trattoria sign, and through the front door.

La Riviera Trattoria Interior

I first noticed the decorative clay pots lining the top of the coat rack to my left. My dad’s girlfriend pointed to the wall on my left, which had framed awards and newspaper articles.

A few steps into the narrow entryway had a table with the catering menu, a few chairs lined against the wall diving us from the dining room (which were filled). To the right was the hostess stand, and a wall lined with photos of celebrities who dined at La Riviera Trattoria.

The table between the coat rack and hostess stand, had boxes of Gluten-free pasta, which I assumed La Riviera used in their dishes.

A small bar took up the back-right corner. The two bar stools were taken and served by one young man with a white button up shirt, rolled at the elbows.

Saturday Night Reservations

The dining room was long and narrow, with light cream walls and large paintings of the Italian Coast. The front dining room could seat 55 people, with four-top tables scattered around the room. The back room was mostly used for parties, or walk-in guests, and could sit 65 people.

I was glad that we had the foresight to make a reservation. We took the last table in the front dining room.

Our table had beautiful floral-patterned dishes which reminded me of high-tea. A special wine menu sat in the middle.

La Riviera Trattoria Dinner Menu

The dinner menu was an orangey-red leather with three doubled-sided pages. The pages had a sky background and were handwritten in red and black ink.

One waiter stopped by and filled up our water glasses while we browsed the menu. I spent most of my time thinking about the entrees. Most of the dishes were classic Italian recipes that I grew up with. La Riviera also had a large selection of seafood options, which I was impressed with.

We met our waiter, Al, who's worked at La Riviera Trattoria for a year. We asked him if there was a separate wine menu. We normally go to restaurants that are BYOB, so we weren’t planning on spending $80 on wine.

The separate wine list was more reasonable, so we agreed upon a bottle that we normally drink at home. When Al returned, we gave him our appetizers as we debated the specials.

Appetizers at La Riviera Trattoria

The Super Antipasto for Two | $20

If you’re Italian, then you know a cold antipasto is a given. We selected the serving for two, since we wanted to try more than one appetizer.

I was happy with the size and selection of meats on our platter. As found on the menu it reads: Nine different salumi imported from Italia; Parma, Tuscani, Rome, Naples, Calabria with heart artichoke, Caciocavallo cheese, green olives.

We had sun dried tomatoes instead of artichoke hearts. Our cheese triangles tasted like Provolone. My favorite meat from the appetizer was the one in the center. It was sweeter and the texture was soft like ham. I placed it on the warm bread our waiter brought by the table, and it was delicious. It reminded me of the high-quality ingredients from Panini & Vini.

Clams Oreganata | $11

Though I love fresh steamers with melted butter, clams oreganata is one of my favorite recipes when cooking clams. Most Italian restaurants have their version of clams oreganata, with subtle differences — which is why we had to try La Riviera’s.

The difference with these, was that La Riviera used tiny clams, which are tender and more delicate. Some restaurants use massive clams which can be tough (and are mostly filled with breadcrumbs). These clams were great because the breadcrumb filling had the rich sauce and the crispy brown pieces from cooking in the oven.

Spedino alla Romana | $11

You may also know this dish as Spiedini alla Romana. It was my favorite of the appetizers in its simplicity and textures.

La Riviera’s Spedino alla Romana is white bread with mozzarella and ham in anchovies sauce. The outside of the bread is golden and crisp, and it absorbs the delicious anchovies sauce — which is not as salty as you would imagine it to be. The cheese and ham filling are a subtle, warm texture, gluing the golden bread together into pyramids.

I could eat an entire plate of these as my meal, they’re fantastic.

Salad Course

I loved that our plates were cleared immediately, and our water glasses were always refilled. Besides our waiter, I noted two other waiters for the front of the room, and at least one other floating server who kept our glasses filled with water.

We received a salad course with our dinners, which was a nice palate-cleanser.

A combination of greens with fresh veggies accompanied a fresh loaf of bread between our courses. We gave our waiter Al our entrees after we received our appetizers, so there was a reasonable break in between our first courses, this salad, and our entrees (which I preferred).

I saw the Chef briefly — a thin, older gentleman, with glasses — as he greeted a table behind us. This table had two couples who ordered several entree courses and shared them throughout the evening.

A few tables around us turned over. For the most part, the people who sat before or with us, were still eating different courses as we got our salads. I was glad that the meal’s pace wasn’t rushed.

Our Entrees

I’m always hesitant to visit Italian restaurants for first impression reviews, as I eat and cook Italian so frequently at home, that I worry I won’t be impressed.

I like to eat — and write — about dishes that are innovative, unique, and unlike anything I can cook at home. Which is why, I ended up ordering from the specials for Saturday night at La Riviera.

Pasta Purses | Special

This was the first special Al described to us. He said they were pasta “purses” filled with ricotta and pear in a truffle sauce.

I knew I would order this when I heard pear and pasta. I imagined this entree to be like ravioli, but was happily surprised to see that they were like dumplings. They actually looked like boiled golden bags from Khao Tip.

These “purses” were cooked perfectly. Not al dente and not mushy either. They were coated in a light sauce. I had no idea what it was, but it reminded me of a thinner version of the truffle sauce I had at Trattoria Zà Zà Firenze.

The “purse” filling was ricotta and small dices of pear. It was sweet overall, with the occasional texture of pear — but not too sweet for an entree. The slices of green squash gave it a light feel as well and added a freshness that helped it not feel like dessert.

This entree had eight purses in total (and must’ve been homemade!). I ate the entire dish and dipped my bread in the remaining sauce. It was light and a good portion, so I didn’t feel over-filled.

Fusilli alla Calabrese | $17

My dad’s girlfriend wanted a dish with tomato, so she ended up with the fusilli from the standard menu. When I first saw it, I thought, “Awe.” It wasn’t gorgeously vibrant with tomatoes. I wondered if she was disappointed.

But then, I took one long noodle to try, and it was fantastic! The dish was packed with garlic and seasoning which I adore! I wasn’t sure if that flavor was from the crumbled sausage, or overall seasoning. I was really impressed. She ate the whole bowl as well, so she was happy with her choice too!

Elk Osso Buco | Special

My dad couldn’t decide between the Elk Osso Buco or the Veal Cubes with mashed potatoes. Those were two specials that I considered as well, but I knew whatever he ordered I could try, so that’s why I selected the pasta “purses.”

The minute I saw this long patter-style plate, I knew my dad would love this dish. The elk osso buco was the perfect portion size for him. If he had ordered any of the pasta dishes, he still would’ve been hungry.

The elk shank was on the right and came with the marrow. A large portion of pasta lightly coated in sauce tasted like a Marsala.

I tried a forkful of the elk and it was tender and not gamey at all. You could feed it to someone, and they wouldn’t even know it’s elk. The marrow was a nice treat as well. We spread it onto our remaining Italian bread.

Dessert

We finished the last of our wine as the plates were cleared. Al brought us a single-sided laminate dessert menu.

We all wanted cappuccinos. Aside from that, we each ordered our own dessert since we had different preferences.

Tartufo | $6.95

I never order Tartufo’s because it’s just ice cream. My dad’s girlfriend got this with her cappuccino. I loved that it was presented in slices and drizzled with chocolate. A+ for presentation.

Biscotti | $5.95

My dad likes to dip biscotti in his coffee/cappuccino. Since the dessert menu read, “Biscotti” and we weren’t sure if it was one long cookie or a plate like this, we each still ordered our own desserts.

My favorite of the biscotti on this plate were the little circular ones. They tasted like marzipan. The traditional shaped biscotti had almond and the crumbly crunchy texture.

We were nervous to try the middle biscotti, because we don’t like gingerbread, and that’s what they looked like. I broke off the arch of one cookie and tried it — and it really didn’t taste like anything. I wondered if it was supposed to be brown sugar? It was airy and crumbly with the texture of biscotti, but had no distinct flavor, the way the little cookies did.

D’Apple | $6.95

My dad selected this dessert to pair with his black sambuca and cappuccino. I was surprised, since my dad isn’t really a dessert person.

The D’Apple’s description read, “Duke’s Dutch apple recipe merges with orange juice creating a balance of sweet and spice is topped with cinnamon streusel topping served with Duke’s vanilla bean ice cream.” For some reason, I imagined an apple crisp, so I was surprised to see this cupcake looking dessert. It tasted like a crumb cake. Between the cake and the biscotti that was more than enough to finish the meal.

Crème Brulee | $6.95

I order crème brulee any chance I can. La Riviera’s crème brulee is the largest portion I’ve had — and one of my favorites.

The sugar crust was perfectly golden with a satisfactory crack when chipped into. The custard was smooth and had a great body to it. Some crème brulee I’ve had had been watery on the bottom of the dish or too thin. La Riviera’s was one of the best I’ve had.

Plus, the overall temperature of the crème brulee was just right. Crème brulee should be served at the Goldilocks of temperatures. I’ve had it before, where it was like drinking a cream soup and eating creamy jello. I’m glad that La Riviera has mastered that perfect temperature for a delicious dessert.

Cappuccinos | $4.50/each

I loved the cappuccino mugs. They had a good amount of froth and a sprinkle of cinnamon. The espresso was strong enough that I was up until 2:00 am, but not so bold that I needed to add sugar. Overall, it was a great cap to end a delicious first impression.

My Recommendation

Overall, I would give my weekend dinner at La Riviera Trattoria in Clifton, NJ a 10/10 for the following:

• Decor and Design

  • A clean interior design with focus on cutlery and letting the dishes shine. I love the attention to detail with the Italian paintings, handwritten menu, and notes about how long they’ve been in business for.

• Service

  • Despite the full-house, the waitstaff kept their cool and delivered 5-star service. Our waiter was friendly, answered our questions, and gave us his thoughts about the best dishes to try. I enjoyed that our table was cleared and water glasses filled without having to ask. Regulars of La Riviera will expect to be greeted like family, which I think is great for building a community establishment.

• Food

  • A blend of Southern and Northern Italian recipes. I love that the food shines for itself. High-quality ingredients, decent portions, and thoughtful presentations are a few of the reasons that you should visit La Riviera. Their service for individuals with food allergies, especially Gluten, is also impressive, considering their menu and options.
    

I’ll be excited to return to La Riviera Trattoria in Clifton, New Jersey, to continue exploring their menu. Have you visited before? Leave a comment below with your favorite dishes and impressions!

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