2 In New Jersey Among 50 Best Italian Restaurants In America

Two New Jersey food places landed on a well-respected list for the top 50 Italian restaurants in America. Reservoir Tavern in Boonton and Spirito’s in Elizabeth both landed on The Daily Meal’s 2017 ranking of America’s 50 Best Italian Restaurants, which was released last week.

Spirito’s, which landed at number 18, was described as a cash-only restaurant that serves "ethereally light homemade ravioli, swimming in marinara; veal parm that’s so big it doesn’t fit on the plate it’s served on; and, of course, the pizza."

"A thin, crisp crust, an oregano-heavy sauce, and just the right amount of cheese make this pizza one that mercifully won’t fill you up after a slice or two, even if you top it with sausage and pepperoni (which you should do)," according to The Daily Meal.

The Reservoir Tavern, which landed at number 50, is "tucked away on a quiet side street near the Jersey City Reservoir in sleepy Boonton ... serving some of the state’s finest brick oven pizza and Old World Italian fare since 1936."

"Run by the Bevacqua family since day one, this no-frills bar and dining room commands a lengthy wait every night of the week," according to The Daily Meal.

The Daily Meal said it assembled this ranking by building a list that's as "thorough and comprehensive as possible."

"We recruited an illustrious panel of judges that included some of the country’s top food writers, critics, and bloggers to submit their suggestions for the country’s best restaurants, which we supplemented with our own choices, including previous years’ rankings as well as lauded newcomers," according to the article.

You can read the whole list here.

Patch file photo