Jersey Exploration: Piattino

Cue the ::HAPPY DANCE:: music - we have found a new Italian happy place nearby!  Up to now, we've been relying on Boulevard Five72 when we are in the mood for quality pasta dishes.  But whenever we went to Due360 in Summit, we would see Piattino next door and their menu seemed pretty enticing.  We finally got around to trying it, and (to quote Mario Batali) #YUMBANG - it's fantastic!

The restaurant space is quite inviting.  We went on a warm summer day so the front window panels were completely open to allow for sitting outside.  We opted for a table inside right next to the patio area so we had the best of both worlds: light and breeze but no direct heat from the sun.  The decor strikes just the right balance of hip and modern yet comfortable. 

And the food - DELICIOUS!  We split two appetizers and one main pasta dish just to sample a few things.

 Lobster Cavatelli

(Homemade Mascarpone Pasta, Lobster Tail, Tarragon, Fennel, Pine Nut Crumble;

they were generous with the lobster portion, and the sauce on the pasta was delectable)

Stone Fired Meatball Sliders

(San Marzano Tomatoes and Fontina Cheese Sauce;

these were seasoned beautifully but pretty big for just an appetizer;  we wound up taking two home!)

Duck Maltagliati

(Duck and Truffle Sugo, Wild Mushrooms, Thyme, Topped with Fried Egg;

we weren't sure what the fried egg would bring to the table, but the yolk actually wound up being the perfect complement to the duck; such great flavors in this dish - we were scraping the plate!)

Piattino - we are in love with you.  We shall continue to visit until we try everything on the menu!

ADDENDUM

Well, we wound up returning to try more of the menu even sooner than planned!  When DJ's parents came to visit, we knew this would be a great spot for lunch.  We sampled a few dishes from the special menu of the day and all were AMAZING!

lamb appetizer
(perfect for sharing)

clam bake pizza 
(sounds odd, but so delicious!)

 squid ink pasta with octopus and clams
(delectable!)