Proposing La Piazza—Ridgewood’s Romantic Restaurant

If you want to propose marriage, La Piazza is a good place. The staff will be glad to hide the ring in the dessert. If you want some nice Italian food, La Piazza is also a good place. And if outdoor dining is your thing, La Piazza may be the best place in town, with a court yard all its own—plus heaters for chilly spring and fall nights.

In addition to those romantic couples, you see girls out for a night on the town, families with children, office parties and couples celebrating anniversaries and other important occasions. And that's just the way owner Zvia Barlev likes it.

The daughter of an Israeli diplomat, she came to New York from Jerusalem in 1975 and was working for the Israeli Ministry of Defense when she met her husband on a blind date and later settled in Cliffside Park. She switched careers, taking an entry job with El Al Airlines and working her way up to executive management. But after 25 years at El Al, she decided it was time to fulfill her real dream—owning a European-style coffee shop. She even named her new company Aroma Café.

La Piazza, which was up for sale in 2003, had the look she wanted, but it was a full-scale restaurant. She bought it anyway.

"The patio has a very European flair," she said. "And it was small enough for one person to manage."

But since the restaurant was doing well, she made no attempt to change it. "I believe that saying, 'If it ain't broke don't fix it.'"

So Chef Louis Palagucci is still on deck in the kitchen.

And we've been going there since the place first opened under the previous owner. It has always been worth a visit. On a recent night, we sat on the patio, away from the sun, and started with the fried calamari. The batter was a little heavy but still crisp. When asked whether we wanted mild or hot sauce, we opted for both. And while they were both good, if you like fiery hot, you'll find this hot sauce pretty mild.

There are two regulars on the special menu—lobster ravioli and skirt steak. ("People ask so we always have them," Barlev said in a later interview.) I ordered the lobster ravioli—a dish I never, ever can resist—and found it to be especially good because of a brandy instead of a vodka cream sauce. It was smooth, dark and very, very rich. Palagucci should bottle it.

My partner had the penne with vodka sauce, which he often has here, and while it was good, he said he really thought more peas were needed. And peas would definitely have added some flair to a bland-looking dish.

We skipped salad but have always found them good in the past. We did elect to have dessert. La Piazza is one of those places that show you desserts on a tray and these were a little worse for wear early on a Thursday night—not as fresh looking as what you actually receive. And there is no tartufo on the tray. But always ask because La Piazza has a very nice tartufo served at the right temperature and, drizzled with strawberry sauce, is pretty and a real treat. The raspberry sorbet was also excellent.

The service is especially good here, maybe because before a server gets the job, he or she has to pass a three-page test. No gum chewing is allowed. And you better not clear anyone's plate until the whole table has finished. Barlev thinks clearing one person's plate while others are still eating may be perceived as hurrying her diners, and she never hurries her diners.

She also insists that waiters provide the price when they list the specials.

"Some people are embarrassed to ask," Barlev said. "It's particularly bad on a date. And we have a lot dating couples and proposals here. In fact, my son-in-law proposed to my daughter on the patio. In this economy, people just should know what they will be paying."

Barlev bought in high times and finds that while she still gets her "fair share" of business in Ridgewood, people are not coming as often or are sharing appetizers and/or entrees to keep the tab down. 

"We quite understand," she said. "We call those recession tables."

In 2009, with the Blend owners up the street declaring bankruptcy, the landlord—who also rents her the La Piazza space—asked her to become his partner in revamping the night club. So she did.

"I'm always looking for challenges in my life," she said. "I don't know why but I am."

But, she says, La Piazza remains her baby. And it is opened seven days a week, closing around 10, just in time for her to walk up the block to Blend—where the action is often just getting started.

Food: Good

Service: Excellent

Entrée Price Range: $10.95-$18.95

Atmosphere: Very Pleasant

BYOB

Credit Cards Accepted