Panatieri's Offers Pasta and Pizza...and More

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Warren Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice:

Panatieri's Pizza and Pasta

Overview: This growing chain of expanded-menu pizza restaurants recently opened a location at 68 Mountain Blvd. in Warren, taking over the space formerly occupied by the Il Forno Restaurant. If Warren's not convenient for you, try their other locations, including on Washington Valley Road in Martinsville. 

Décor: The Warren location inherited Il Forno's tastefully decorated location, featuring large murals of Italian vistas and street scenes, and a Euro-modern glass entry. Outside, patrons enjoy dining while watching shoppers.

The Drinks: It's BYOB, unless you want the usual sodas—which you can get by the pitcher for a large group, or cappucino and espresso. 

Entrees: Obviously, as the name suggests, you can enjoy pasta and pizza at any of the Panieri's locations. The Warren restaurant also has a brick oven, for fans of such pizzas, and the menu also offers gourmet chicken pizzas, red pizzas, white pizzas, stuffed pizzas, Chicago pan-style pizzas...and their own specialty pizzas (including the Crispino: foccacia bread topped with roasted peppers, their own exquisite fresh mozzarella and herbs).

The pasta selections include the usual suspects but also has Filetto and Puttanesca.

I wandered off the menu to the day's specials, which included a grilled tilapia on green salad that was top-notch. The salad was served with a generous slab of tilapia, slices of that great mozzarella, roasted peppers and a vinaigrette dressing that didn't overpower.

The tilapia was not too dry, carefully seasoned and nicely seared—it would be great on its own, but was a real treat with the salad. I think it may be because of their sweet mozzarella cheese: it had a smooth texture with no hint of any aftertaste that would threaten the fish. Together, they were sublime.

Desserts: The best after-dinner treats at a restaurant like this will be a cup of cappucino or espresso and your fellow diners. 

Service: At lunchtime, the restaurant was busy but the wait staff was attentive without being over bearing. Food was served quickly and at appropriate temperatures (the bread and the fish were served quite hot).

Panatieri's Pizza and Pasta

1910 Washington Valley Road, Martinsville

732-469-2996

68 Mountain Blvd., Warren

908-755-3336

Other locations in Edison, Bound Brook, Branchburg and Flemington.