Two Italian Restaurants in One at Amici’s

There is a strange, but tasty dichotomy going on at Amici's Ristorante and Pizza on Park Avenue. Like many contrarian pairs that somehow go well together (beauty and the beast, the Osmond's "little bit country" and "little bit rock 'n roll," salt and vinegar potato chips, Reese's peanut butter cups--you get the idea), Amici's manages to cater to two very different crowds: grab-and-go, pizza-by-the-slice lovers, as well as sit-down, willing to pay "Park Avenue prices" (as in New York, not Madison, New Jersey) diners.  

The scene at Amici's is a bit of a double-take at first. Patrons to the popular restaurant enter through the pizzeria side, which serves up pies and slices on paper plates in a no-frills, uber-casual setting. Amici's adjacent dining room steps the décor up a bit with tablecloths and table service, but the menu and its steep prices are still somewhat of a shock given the fact that the ambiance isn't exactly on par and you are just mere feet away from diners who are eating with their hands. Both sides of the restaurant, however, have definitely found favor with locals. The main dining room is just as busy as the pizzeria, with just as many high-ticket plates coming out of the kitchen as the number of pies being picked up and delivered.

Amici's service begins with a bread basket, a plate full of parmesan cheese nibbles, and herb-infused olive oil. The menu features soups, a cold antipasto for two ($11.95), and several pastas ranging from rigatoni in pink vodka sauce ($15.95) to bow tie pasta with shrimp, scallops, and sausage ($20.95) to Amici Buccatini with shrimp, mussels, and fried calamari ($21.95). The restaurant also offers baked specialties, such as lasagna with meat ($15.95) and eggplant rollatini with pasta ($16.95), as well as a variety of main courses (Chicken and Shrimp Amici, $20.95, chicken parmigiana, $15.95, and Veal Pignoli, $20.95).

On a recent visit, I made sure to cover both sides of Amici's and ordered a half-mushroom/half-cheese pizza ($10.95 plus $1.75 per topping) and the homemade meatballs starter ($8.50). The pizza was an outstanding thin-crust concoction with a spot-on sauce-to-cheese ratio and just the right amount of grease to let you know there is no way this dish is good for you, yet it doesn't make you feel one bit guilty for eating it anyway. The crust was so thin that the air bubble pockets were crispy flakes of dough, unlike the chewy ends of most other, inferior pizzas. It was an excellent way to embark upon a meal.

Moving on to the meatballs, I was impressed with its massive presentation. Starting with a thick slice of Italian bread as its base, the dish is built up vertically with a halved meatball topped with a large wedge of roasted red peppers, and finished with melted mozzarella cheese. However, when you cut through everything, there's actually very little meatball underneath it all. The meatball itself has a wonderful texture and consistency, and its unexpected pairing with roasted red peppers works really well. I just wish there had been more meat to the meatball appetizer.

For dinner, I sampled the orechiette ($16.95), an ear-shaped pasta sautéed with prosciutto, peas, chicken, and mushrooms in a light Gorganzola pink pesto cream sauce. The dish was nicely done on all fronts: flavor profiles, contrasting textures, portion, and presentation. Also enjoyable was Amici's Chicken Portabello ($18.95), which featured sun dried tomatoes, thick slices of portabello mushrooms sautéed in a white wine brown sauce, and a baked topping of melted provolone cheese. The generous, broader cuts of mushroom were an excellent choice and truly complimented the chicken medallions, rather than becoming a mere afterthought incorporated into the sauce, which is the more common presentation.

I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of Amici's Ristorante and Pizza's product, both on the pizzeria and fine dining side--which ultimately does hold up to its swanky price tags (meatball appetizer excepted). Newcomers might have sticker shock when they walk through the front of the house, pass the wipe-board of specials propped up on a chair, and take a gander at the somewhat informal digs, but they certainly won't be alone. Amici's regularly serves a packed house of customers who come for two things that definitely do go together: good times and good food.

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Amici's Ristorante and Pizza

90 Park Ave., Madison

(973) 360-9100

Hours of Operation:

Lunch and Dinner, Monday through Saturday, 11 am-10 pm

Lunch and Dinner, Sunday, 11 am-8 pm

BYO. Catering and children's menu available.

All major credit cards accepted.