The food at Boschetto, photographed in Montclair, New Jersey, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.Karim Shamsi-Basha
The feel of the place was elegant yet casual; the service was good yet fast; and the food was as fine as it gets.
Welcome to Boschetto, an original Italian eatery where you can eat high-end meals normally offered at formal restaurants, except here, you order them at the counter. The efficient type of service is aptly named Fine Fast Casual, and it was innovative enough to be featured in the Wall Street Journal last year.
The idea of Fine Fast Casual appealed to owners Ryan Held, 44, and Robert Spina, 46, when they opened Boschetto back in August of 2023. The two Jersey friends had a long career in the food business before they found the spot on Grove Street in Montclair.
“We knew this style of restaurant would work here,” Held said on a recent day at his bright and airy restaurant. “It’s not a big place, so service at the counter is faster and much more convenient. And our customers seem to love it.”
Spina nodded in agreement. “We still offer gourmet and authentic Italian dishes, but you don’t have to spend hours on your meal. Here, you’re in and out in 45 minutes. It’s convenient for parents with young children and professionals in a hurry.”
The margherita pizza at Boschetto in Montclair, New Jersey, photographed on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.Karim Shamsi-Basha
Talk about authentic! The menu at Boschetto is full of Italian vernacular like vongole, genovese, amatriciana, maiali and polpette.
I started with the margherita pizza ($18), the dish where true Italian authenticity is most revealed. The sauce and mozzarella complemented each other perfectly with the tang and acidity cooled by the soft and creamy mozzarella. The crust had that perfect chewy-to-crispy ratio, along with an airy texture from the charred bubbles.
“It took us years to perfect this dough,” Held said. Then, he added with a smile, “In New Jersey, you gotta get your crust right.”
I can’t say this crust was the best I ever had, but it was good. Believe it or not, the best margherita crust I ever had is at this place in Alabama! Yeah, that story caused some Jersey-is-the-pizza-capital-of-the-world hoopla! You should read some of the Instagram comments!
Owner Ryan Held, right, serves customers at the counter at Boschetto in Montclair, New Jersey, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.Karim SHamsi-Basha
Moving on.
After the pizza, I sampled a few of Held’s and Spina’s favorites, starting with the insalata pomodoro ($17) with stracciatella – Italian ham that was delicious with a hint of spice; and the casereccia pesto ($18) decadent with a creamy sauce and twisted pasta.
Next came a dish that could not be more Italian: The bucatini amatriciana ($20) with bucatini pasta, guanciale, and chili. The amatriciana sauce is named after the town of Amatrice in the Lazio region of Italy. This dish is a favorite of both Held and Spina.
“I grew up eating this dish, and I try to make it taste the same,” Spina said. “I come close, but my mom’s is always better!”
Next came the risotto cioppino ($16), the caprese panuozzo ($16), the vongole pasta – squid ink spaghetti ($22) and the zucchini frette ($13).
The first two dishes were flavorful and satisfying. The vongole pasta was a little on the mild side. Perhaps more seasonings would have helped. But the squid ink flavor was there in force.
Then, there was the zucchini frette (fries) with a lemon ricotta dip. I could have eaten my weight in these! After all, I was eating a vegetable, right?
All in all, Boschetto was a treat to visit, and I’m sure you’ll find it the same, especially if you don’t have three hours to blow on your meal.
Karim Shamsi-Basha may be reached at kshamsi-basha@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter & Instagram.
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