(PHOTO PROVIDED VIA GOOGLE)
Patsy's Bistro is a well known Italian restaurant in Fairview,NJ with a great reputation. I was recently fortunate enough to visit Patsy's for the first time a few weeks ago for a birthday diner for my uncle. My family members had all been there before and had a lot of great things to say about the restaurant which I would soon be able to see for myself firsthand.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
(PHOTO PROVIDED VIA GOOGLE)
As you can see, Patsy's is beautiful. Usually when walking into an Italian restaurant with Patsy's reputation, I expect dim lighting and a traditional Italian decor. You know what I'm talking about. Patsy's keeps the lights up to show off their well thought out floor plan with beautiful decor. Their vibrant colors and great taste show a restaurant that is inviting and warm.
SERVICE
While walking into Patsy's, we were immediately greeted by an older gentleman who worked as not only the host but also a waiter and a bartender. Usually, I would not be so pleased by this as I would think that the individual had too much on their plate and would not be able to handle the work load. But there were two other gentlemen also working the floor that did the very same thing. These were old school restaurateurs. They lived and breathed service like it was in their blood and there were no wasted movements as everything that they did had a purpose to fulfill their guests needs. They worked as a team and as one. This is a type of service that is becoming more rare and hard to find in my opinion. It was nice to see it living and breathing at Patsy's.
THE FOOD
(PHOTOS TAKEN BY JOHN BOCCELLARI)
Where to begin. The first photo above on the left are meatballs and marinara over linguine. These giant meatballs were loaded with flavor and perfect. The freshness of the sauce was something that could not go ignored. The second photo was my dish. Linguine with Clam Sauce. Wow, just wow. I believe I finished the entire dish in less than ten minutes. I did not say it earlier but the portion sizes were gigantic and enough for two to share. I filled up pretty quick while eating the pasta, but it was too good to put the fork down. Of course I soaked the sauce up with bread. The final dish is what everyone else ordered. Five people ordered the same exact thing. The dish had fried calamari, scallops, shrimp and oysters in it over a bed of linguine of course with a spicy marinara. I was able to taste it and man I wish I had room for more.
LASTING IMPRESSIONS
I went into Patsy's full of excitement and I was not disappointed. Everything that my family members had told me about the restaurant was true and I felt delighted to have had the chance to eat there. I look forward to going back in the future and I hope its sooner than later. I give Patsy's Bistro a solid 4 out of 5 stars. If you have not been there, you simply need to. Bring the family and enjoy it.
Patsy's Restaurant is located at:
344 Bergen Blvd
Fairview, NJ 07022
(201) 943-0627
