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CARUCCI’S
Restaurant owners are certainly a breed apart. They
contend with more in business than any other type
of proprietor. They deal with customer’s palates.
And owner/chefs really have to love their profession
since each is totally responsible for customer satisfaction.
Moreover, they’re tenacious – continuing
to work when it looks like their world is falling
apart. Fred Carucci is one such persistent chef-owner.
His restaurant Carucci’s is located at 495 Saddle
Brook Road in Saddle Brook, almost wasn’t.
After settling in with his restaurant off the ground,
along came Hurricane Floyd which drowned half the
building with water rising constantly. Let’s
face it. Most of us would have closed shop, particularly
after being told it would take months – not
weeks, to repair the damage! Yet, Fred and wife Michelle
are young and they refused to allow Floyd’s
“tempest-in-a-teapot” to get them down
and put them out of business.
It was three months before they were able to reopen.
Thank goodness they did. Otherwise hundreds of contented
customers would have missed the opportunity to eat
truly delicious homemade Italian cuisine presented
in a praiseworthy atmosphere.
It’s my opinion; the straight exterior lines
belie what waits indoors. Decorated in beige and off
white tones throughout with unique window dressing,
ceiling lights, table linens at lunchtime with a beautiful
hutch dividing the bar from the dining room, Carruci’s
is right in style with contemporary times. Even more
so are the colorful service platters that standout
against the simplicity of the off-white tone of the
room! So pretty.
I mentioned “tenacity”. As an extra indication,
Fred was a pilot whose hobby was cooking. He would
cook for his friends and other pilots, but when he
met the fetching Michelle, he turned in his pilot’s
license for the more formidable position as pilot/owner/chef
of his own restaurant!
Aren’t we happy he did! Fred is a terrific chef,
as Sheila and I discovered when we stopped for lunch!
We were taken to our table by hostess Lois after playing
with a chubby-faced, adorable; smiling baby whom we
soon discovered was Fred and Michelle’s daughter
Nicolette, being watched by Fred’s mother Joan.
Carucci’s has a vivid large luncheon menu, luncheon
specials of the day menu, Sunset Dinner Menu and regular
dinner menu. We asked for all menus and were able
to choose something from each – which was kind
of nice. Warmed bread was placed on our table.
I chose the spinach egg drop soup (strachatelli) from
the daily lunch specials ($1.95) which was so delicious,
just like my mom used to make, while Sheila chose
the fried ravioli from the dinner menu ($7.95). The
fried ravioli were lightly breaded, topped w/fresh
tomato and escarole in a delicate garlic broth. Talk
about unique! These were excellent. Garlic lovers
will revel in the flavor.
We followed with crispy house salad, with dressing
just to cover the greens. Excellent! Entrees were
from the luncheon menu: eggplant rollentini with pasta
($7.95) and chicken breast francese, with pasta ($7.95).
First things first. The pasta at Carucci’s (even
side dishes) are “cooked to order” and
presented ala dente. And ours were just perfect. The
chicken was tender, the eggplant tasty and Fred has
created quite a mouth-watering red sauce for his entrée’s.
Desserts were my favorite peach melba prepared with
melba sauce giving it a smashing flavor and homemade
apple art with vanilla ice cream, each $4.95. Scrumptious!
Carucci’s has it all. With everything cooked
to order just for you, this former pilot, now restaurant
owner is flying high on the ground!
Open Tuesday-Thursday noon-2:30 lunch, 4:30-10 dinner,
Fri. noon 2:30 lunch, 4:30-11 dinner, Sat. 11-11,
Sun. 4:30-9, handicapped facilities, free parking,
special daily and sunset dinner Mon.-Fri. 4:30-6:30,
Sunday 4:30-9 p.m., credit cards, cocktail lounge,
private parties, take out, free parking. Call (201)
909-0611.
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