Frank Anthony’s restaurant in Verona NJ serves Pasta Flight
Dear indecisive pasta eaters: the ultimate carb sampler exists. Featuring linguine, tortellini and more, the flight is served at Frank Anthony’s.
Three cheeses and a six-hour, slow-cooked tomato sauce seep into the crevices of a paper-thin cutlet on one of North Jersey’s top two chicken parms.
Crisp on the outside, tender on the inside — the locally-famous dish has been named amongst the best parms in the state by multiple food writers, but, now, is battling it out for the title of the public’s favorite, too.
The acclaimed entrée in question? Chef Giuseppe Agostino’s Pollo alla Parmigiana from Verana.
And, the competition? North Jersey Eats Chicken Parm March Madness; hosted by us, voted by you.
“Our chicken parmigiana resonates with guests because we focus on the quality of every ingredient,” Agostino said after learning his version made the final round. “It’s a simple dish, but when every component is treated with care, it really makes a difference.”
Whether or not that intentionally-crafted cutlet has what it takes to take down Lucco’s (its opponent), though, only time will tell.
The champion will be announced on Thursday, April 2.
An elevated cutlet from a top-notch restaurant
Verana is an upscale Italian restaurant in Norwood with elevated fare, gorgeous dining rooms and an unparalleled ambiance. Dishes — inspired by Agostino’s time in the “best kitchens in Italy” — range from Beef Carpaccio with black truffle vinaigrette to Duck Breast al Marsala. Fresh pastas, including a white sausage ragu-smothered rigatoni, remind guests that the chef recently spent years working at Del Posto.
The atmosphere, service and beverage program all scream metro-elite (in a good way).
When Agostino decided to add a chicken parm to the menu, then (perhaps to satisfy the Jersey consumer), it was never going to be something run-of-the-mill. The casual meal, like everything he made, would be approached as if it were a delicate filet of wagyu.
“We use San Marzano tomatoes from the Agro Sarnese-Nocerino region of Italy,” Agostino said of the dish, “Which we gently simmer for six hours to develop depth and balance. The chicken comes from an Amish farm in Pennsylvania, prized for its flavor and quality. And rather than relying on pre-grated cheese, we grate our Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano by hand.”
Indulging in Pollo alla Parmigiana at Bergen County’s finest, then, is more akin to savoring a salt-baked branzino than a kid’s menu staple — if, of course, branzino had calories.
And cheese.
(And wings.)
Tune back to The Record/northjersey.com next week to see if Agostino and his meticulously-executed cutlet take the crown.
Kara VanDooijeweert is a food writer for NorthJersey.com and The Record. If you can’t find her in Jersey’s best restaurants, she’s probably off running a race course in the mountains. Catch her on Instagram: @karanicolev & @northjerseyeats, and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter.
Dining and Cooking