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| - Arrivederci, a southern Italian enclave in the midst of a strip mall in the desert, can boast the rare designation of a dining choice that was not a compromise candidate between members of my family. Granted, I might have just been weak from the travel, but I was enthusiastic to satiate a hunger difficult to address in my homeland.
I was not disappointed with what we found. An owner who greets patrons with "buena sera!" in a thoroughly non-corporate, warm, mood-lit setting is always a good sign. Many patrons who respond back in Italian and conduct themselves like they're at their second home are an even better sign, even if the restaurant was a bit empty.
The true test, of course, is the food. No amount of show or neighborhood family feel could compensate for a massive kitchen deficiency. Fortunately, it wasn't required:
- Bread: Uninteresting... except I could drink the accompanying pesto and oil mix.
- Minestrone (~$5): The lowlight. A case of nothing ventured, nothing gained. Skip it.
- Gnocchi in pink vodka sauce with salmon (~$19): Let's just say I was highly looking forward to the leftovers as two separate snacks.
- "Choco"misu (~$7): Much hullabaloo is made about the addition of the ingredient, but it really just came off as above average tiramisu.
- Cannoli (~$5): Always ridiculously unhealthy, but here it's made properly with ricotta and the texture is spot on enough to justify it.
Arrivederci is an excellent "corner" restaurant in a land lacking a bit in both deviance and corners. More importantly, it clearly passes the "would survive in NJ as-is" test. There is nothing left to say.
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