SUNSET MENU

Available until 5:00 PM every day

Fixed Price $11.95

Veal or Shrimp $5 upcharge

Includes, a house salad, entrée, coffee, and dessert

POLLO, OR SHRIMP FRANCAISE

Chicken Breast or Veal Sautéed in a Lemon, Butter and White Wine Sauce

POLLO, OR VITELLO SALTIMBOCCA

Chicken Breast or Veal, topped with Prosciutto, Spinach and Mozzarella cheese, Sautéed in a Sherry Demi Glaze

POLLO, OR VITELLO MILANESE

Chicken Breast or Veal, Lightly Pan Fried in Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Topped with Melted Mozzarella, Diced Tomatoes, Red Onion, Balsamic Vinegar, Lemon and Basil

CHICKEN, VITELLO OR SHRIMP PARMESAN

Served over a bed of pasta

NONNA’S LASAGNA

Made with Homemade Bolognese Sauce and Bechamel sauce

BAKED ZITI

Fresh Pasta, Topped with Pomodoro Sauce, Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan

LINGUINE WITH WHITE CLAM SAUCE

Served over a bed of Linguine

HOMEMADE PASTA

Penne*Spaghetti*Linguini*Fetuccini…..In any of our sauces Pomodoro, Vodka, Sunday Gravy, Aglio e Olio, Bolognese, Pesto, or Alfredo

Insalata

Nino's Chopped Salad

Crisp Iceburg and Romaine lettuce, red onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and Kalamata olives with homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Individual $6   Family Style $23

Classic Caesar

Crisp Romaine lettuce tossed with Nino’s homemade Caesar dressing, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese..
Individual $7   Add Chicken $9   Family Style $18   Add Chicken $27

Spinach Walnut

Tender baby spinach tossed with candied walnuts, sprinkled with Gorgonzola cheese and shaved parmesan cheese. Topped with our house bacon vinaigrette dressing
Individual $8   Family Style $28

Insalata Primavera

Fresh baby greens, candied walnuts, sun dried cranberries, tomato, red onion and fried goat cheese; in our raspberry vinaigrette dressing
Individual $10   Family Style $36

Nino’s Sliced Steak Salad

Fresh Rib eye steak served atop mixed greens and tossed with tomatoes, red onions and our homemade garlic lemon vinaigrette
Individual $10, Family Style $38

Caprese

Fresh Mozzarella, tomato and basil over arugula and drizzled with imported olive oil and homemade balsamic reduction.
Individual $12   Family Style $32

Tuscan Salad

Romaine lettuce tossed with cannellini beans, kalamata olives, red onion, roasted Peppers, shaved parmesan and our homemade lemon vinaigrette dressing
Individual $8   Family Style $28

Appetizers

Nino's Coal Fired Wings

Traditional…Marinated in extra virgin olive oil, lemon, garlic, and rosemary coal fired in our old world oven …add long hot Italian peppers for hot wings.
Ten Wings $9   Twenty Wings $17

Broccoli Rabe & Sausage

Fresh broccoli Rabe, homemade sausage, sauteed with garlic and extra virgin olive oil.
Individual $12   Family Style $44

Firecracker Calamari

Fried calamari tossed with hot peppers, capers, sun dried tomatoes and our homemade tangy balsamic reduction or with balsamic reduction only
Individual $12   Family Style $44

Calamari Fritti or Balsamico

Traditional fried calamari served with hot or sweet marinara sauce or our homemade balsamic reduction
Individual $10    Family Style $36

Portabella Gorgonzola

Fresh Portabella mushroom topped with Gorgonzola cheese and baked. Served on a bed of greens and drizzled with balsamic demi glaze.
Individual $9   Family Style $32

Antipasto Freddo

An assortment of Italian meats and cheeses with grilled vegetables.
Individual $8   Family Style $27

Arancini

Arborio rice filled with ground meats, cheese and peas. Fried golden brown and served with Marinara sauce on the side.
Individual $8   Family Style $27

Homemade Mozzarella Sticks

Fresh mozzarella breaded and battered; Fried and served with a side of marinara sauce. Made fresh daily
$10.95

Roasted Clams

A dozen little neck clams roasted on the grill, and served in a garlic lemon butter
white wine broth $11

Mussels Fra Diavolo

Fresh mussels sauteed in a fresh Pomodoro sauce
$12

Coal Fired Ribs
Half Rack $11.95    Full Rack $18.95

Sicilian Antipasto Cittero

Prosciutto, Genoa salami, capricola, fresh mozzarella, shaved parmesan, roasted peppers, Kalamata olives and Pecorino Romano cheese
$14

Zuppa

Pasta Fagioli $5
Chicken Stracciatella $5
Shrimp Bisque $9

Pizza

Marghearita

San Marzano tomatoes, Mozzarella, fresh basil and imported olive oil.
Individual $6   Large $13

Nino's Clam

Clams, garlic, imported olive oil, Parmesan cheese, crushed pepper, oregano and sea salt
Individual $8   Large $17

Meatball Parmesan

Nonna's meatballs, San Marzano tomatoes, Mozzarella and Ricotta.
Individual $9   Large $17

Cheesesteak

Thinly sliced top round, marinated and topped with caramelized onions and Mozzarella.
Individual $8   Large $17

Rabe and Sausage

Fresh broccoli Rabe, Mozzarella and homemade sausage.
Individual $8   Large $17

Bella Bianco

Ricotta, Mozzarella, garlic, imported olive oil, and Parmesan cheese
Individual $8   Large $17

Tomato Basil

Sliced tomatoes, Kalamata olives, imported olive oil fresh basil and Mozzarella.
Individual $8   Large $17

Buffalo

Chicken cutlet, glazed with tangy buffalo sauce, drizzled with bleu cheese
Individual $8   Large $17

Traditional Cheese on top

San Marzano tomatoes, and Mozzarella
Individual $6   Large $13

Zucchini and Gorgonzola

Grilled zucchini, prosciutto, gorgonzola and fresh mozzarella drizzled with homemade balsamic reduction
Individual $9   Large $19

Frutti Di Mare

Sauteed shrimp, scallops, calamari, garlic, Olive oil, fresh mozzarella and bruscietta
Individual $12   Large $24

Penne Vodka Pizza

Shredded Mozzarella, Penne pasta and our homemade vodka sauce
Individual $8   Large $17

Mona Lisa

Balsamic demi baked into the crust, then topped with arugula, bruscietta and shaved parmesan
Individual $8   Large $17

toppings:

Small Pie $1 Large Pie $2

Pepperoni, Olives, Sliced Tomatoes, Italian Hot Peppers, Pesto, Sausage, Mushrooms, Meatballs, Anchovies, Onions, Broccoli Rabe, Roasted Peppers and Eggplant Nino’s Pies are coal fired and served well done with fresh basil.

Individual 10” Large 16”

SLICES ARE NOW AVAILABLE UNTIL 4:00 PM

Plain $1.50   Toppings .50 each

Pasta

Pasta Primavera Di Nino

Sauteed zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, eggplant and spinach in a light cream sauce tossed with penne pasta
Individual $16   Family Style $60

Homemade Lobster Ravioli

In our creamy vodka sauce
Individual $19   Family Style $72
Linguini with red or white clam sauce $18
Linguini Mussels Fra Diavolo $18

Linguini Anna Maria

sauteed artichokes hearts, peas and prosciutto, laced in a creamy Sherry wine sauce and served over homemade linguini
Individual $16   Family Style $60

Eggplant Antonina

Roasted eggplant, garlic and carmelized onions in a rich pomodoro sauce tossed with penne pasta
Individual $15   Family $56

Seafood Fra Diavolo

Shrimp, mussels, clams and calamari in our spicy fra diavolo sauce featuring San Marzano tomatoes; tossed with our homemade linguine
Individual $21   Family Style $80

Mangiare Mary Beth

Shrimp sauteed with sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and diced tomatoes and basil over linguine in a white wine saucee
Individual $18   Family Style $68

Carbonara Nicola

Homemade spaghetti tossed with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, onions, bacon, eggs and peas, laced in a Parmesan sauce with a touch of cream
Individual $15   Family Style $56

Choice of Penne, Spaghetti, Fetuccini or Linguine Add Chicken $4 Add Shrimp $6

Al Forno

Franca's Lasagna

Made with homemade bolognese sauce and bechamel sauce
Individual $14   Family style $52

Shrimp Parmigiana

Lightly floured shrimp deep fried, then topped with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and baked to perfection; served with a side of penne
Individual $18   Family Style $68

Parmesan

Sauteed in imported olive oil, topped with pomodoro sauce and mozzarella
Eggplant individual $13   Family style $48
Chicken individual $15   Family style $56
Veal individual $18   Family style $68

Manicotti

Fresh homemade pasta filled with ricotta, parsley, and Romano cheese; topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella
Individual $13   Family $48

Cheese Ravioli Parmesan

Homemade raviolis topped with San Marzano tomato sauce, then topped with mozzarella and baked
Individual $13   Family Style $48

Baked Ziti

Fresh pasta topped with pomodoro sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan
Individual $12   Family style $43

Pomodoro

Individual $11   Family Style $39

Vodka

Individual $13   Family Style $48

Sunday Gravy

Individual $13   Family Style $48

Aglio E Olio

Individual $11   Family Style $39

Bolognese

Individual $13   Family Style $46

Pesto

Individual $13   Family Style $48

Alfredo

Individual $13   Family Style $48

All Family Style entrees come with a choice of House Salad or Pasta Pomodoro… Any other sauce is $2.50 extra

Entrees

Pollo or Vitello Milanese

Chicken or Veal Cutlet, lightly pan fried in extra virgin olive oil, topped with diced tomatoes, shaved parmesan, red onion, balsamic, lemon, and basil. Served over arugula
Chicken Individual $15   Family Style $56   Veal Individual $18   Family Style $68

Pollo or Vitello Saltimbocca

Topped with prosciutto, spinach and mozzarella cheese. Sauteed in sherry demi-glaze
Chicken Individual $15   Family Style $56   Veal Individual $18   Family Style $68

Pollo or Vitello Francese

Floured and dipped in egg, sauteed in lemon, butter and white wine sauce
Chicken Individual $14   Family Style $56   Veal Individual $18   Family Style $68

Steak Anthony

Rib eye steak marinated in imported olive oil, garlic, basil, and seasoning. Grilled to your liking and served with a side of sauteed broccoli rabe
$22

Bouillabaisse

Shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari, and Italian seasoning cooked in a light pomodoro broth with a touch of sherry wine; served with Italian Crostini
$21

Grilled Trio

Grilled baby back ribs, our award-winning wings and homemade sausage served with a side of French fries
$19

Steak Au Poivre

Rib eye steak rubbed with white peppercorns, Grilled to your liking and topped with a brandied cream sauce; served with grilled vegetables in season
$24

Half Rack $11.95    Full Rack $18.95

Bada Bing Chicken & Shrimp

Chicken and shrimp tossed with fettuccini in a Sambuca cream sauce, fresh spinach, portabella mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and sweet peas
Individual $19   Family Style $74

Chicken Parmesan Marcangelo

Tender breaded chicken cutlet sauteed with olive oil and garlic; then topped with vodka sauce and melted mozzarella Served over penne pasta
Individual $16   Family Style $62

Nino’s Ultimate

Fresh shrimp, chicken and veal tossed with A sherry cream deimi glaze and a touch of tarragon. Served over homemade fettuccini
Individual $22   Family Style $84

Chicken Bruscietta Cantalupo

Fresh grilled chicken and our tomato bruscietta, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and basil tossed with penne pasta
Individual $16   Family Style $60

Shrimp Scampi

Tiger shrimp sauteed in a lemon butter white wine sauce and Style tossed with fresh homemade linguine
Individual $18   Family $68

Chicken Savoy

Pan seared chicken breast in a balsamic demi glaze with potatoes, seasoned breadcrumbs peppers, and onions
Individual $19   Family Style $72

We are proud to tell you that we make all of our own demi glazes, balsamic reduction and chicken & beef stocks from scratch!

All regularly priced Family Style entrees come with a choice of House Salad or Pasta Pomodoro

Sizzling Steak Murphy

Tender rib eye steak, prepared on a sizzling plate with green peppers, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, in a balsamic demi glaze
Individual $24   Family Style $95

Veal Pizziaola

Tender veal sauteed with onions, garlic, green peppers, mushrooms, crushed tomatoes and Kalamata olives over homemade linguine
Individual $18   Family Style $68

Zuppa de Mare

Clams, mussels, shrimp and calamari sauteed in a light white wine broth; served with Italian crostini
Individual $21   Family Style $80

Veal Milano Medallions

Medallions of veal tossed with our homemade Fettuccini in a portabella sherry demi glaze with a touch of cream
$20

Sides

Meatballs or Sausage

Individual $5   Family Style $17

Broccoli Rabe

Sauteed with garlic and oil
Individual $6   Family Style $22

Mixed Grilled Vegetables

Individual $8   Family Style $21

Italian Long Hot Peppers

Individual $6   Family Style $20

Buon Appetito!

Sunday (Customer Appreciation Night)

Bring any receipt from a prior visit with us to get 20% off your check

Monday (Kids 10 and under eat free!)

With a regular priced adult entrée

Tuesday is Pasta Night

Unlimited pasta…..chef’s choice $11

Wednesday (Pizza Night)

Margherita pie, salad and calamari $25

Thursday (Family Style Night)

Choose any family style entrée at 20% off
Absolutely no sharing on theme nights!

All regularly priced Family Style entrees come with a choice of House Salad or Pasta Pomodoro ….any other sauce will be extra.

Sandwiches  Wraps  Burgers

Sophia's Steak Sandwich

Grilled tender steak, sautéed with peppers and caramelized onions, and topped with melted mozzarella on fresh Semolina bread.
$9

Paulie’s Chicken Pesto

Grilled chicken seasoned with Nino’s zesty pesto sauce topped with roasted peppers and mozzarella on Semolina bread.
$8

Chicken Caesar

Served on a sandwich or wrap in our homemade dressing
$7

Parmesan

your choice of eggplant, chicken, meatball, or veal on fresh semolina bread
eggplant$7   meatball $7,    chicken $7    veal $10

Joey's Italian Sandwich

Ham, salami, capicolla, and mozzarella drizzled with imported olive oil and seasoning. Served on Semolina bread
$8

Nino's Angus Burger

Fresh angus beef seasoned and grilled to perfection. Topped with lettuce and tomato.
Served with French fries. $7   or   $8 w/cheese

Sausage & Pepper Sandwich

homemade sausage topped with peppers, then drizzled with extra virgin olive oil served on semolina bread
$8

Grilled Veggie Sandwich

Grilled vegetables topped w/caramelized onions and drizzled with a balsamic demi-glaze and mozzarella on Semolina bread.
$8

Grilled Chicken Fresco

Grilled Chicken, fresh mozzarella, and roasted peppers; drizzled with balsamic and served on semolina bread
$8

Roast Beef Sandwich

Freshly sliced roast beef lettuce, tomato, American cheese and a touch of oil and vinegar
$7

Traditional Turkey

Freshly sliced turkey topped with lettuce , tomato, American cheese and a touch of oil and vinegar
$7

All of our sandwiches are served on fresh semolina bread!

Beverages

Fountain Soda and Iced Tea

$2

Coffee

$1.50

Cappuccino

$3.50

Espresso

$2.75    Double $3.75

Tea

$1.50

Dolce

Tiramisu

$5

Cannoli

$4

Cheesecake

$5

Nutella Pizza small

$8   large $15

6 Zeppoli with Nutella for dipping

$8

Ut labore et dolore magna. Ipsum dolor sit amet conse ctetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco.

Sed consequat massa eget metus. Quisque mollis pretium nisl. Mauris venenatis porttitor risus. Phasellus accumsan turpis. Nam sagittis nulla quis orci. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Donec vitae elit.laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat consectetuer adipiscing elit. Nunc suscipit. Suspendisse enim arcu, convallis non, cursus sed, dignissim et, est. Aenean semper aliquet libero. In ante velit, cursus ut, ultrices vitae, tempor ut, risus. Duis pulvinar. Vestibulum vel pede at sapien sodales mattis. Quisque pretium, lacus nec iaculis vehicula, arcu libero consectetuer massa, auctor aliquet mauris ligula id ipsum. Vestibulum pede. Maecenas sit amet augue. Sed blandit lectus eget lectus. Mauris justo. Curabitur nibh lectus, dapibus id, tempor eu, tempor non, erat. Proin pede eros, pharetra ut, viverra sed, egestas nec, mauris.

Sed consequat massa eget metus. Quisque mollis pretium nisl. Mauris venenatis porttitor risus. Phasellus accumsan turpis. Nam sagittis nulla quis orci. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Donec vitae elit.laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat consectetuer adipiscing elit. Nunc suscipit. Suspendisse enim arcu, convallis non, cursus sed, dignissim et, est. Aenean semper aliquet libero. In ante velit, cursus ut, ultrices vitae, tempor ut, risus. Duis pulvinar. Vestibulum vel pede at sapien sodales mattis. Quisque pretium, lacus nec iaculis vehicula, arcu libero consectetuer massa, auctor aliquet mauris ligula id ipsum. Vestibulum pede. Maecenas sit amet augue. Sed blandit lectus eget lectus. Mauris justo. Curabitur nibh lectus, dapibus id, tempor eu, tempor non, erat. Proin pede eros, pharetra ut, viverra sed, egestas nec, mauris.

Sed consequat massa eget metus. Quisque mollis pretium nisl. Mauris venenatis porttitor risus. Phasellus accumsan turpis. Nam sagittis nulla quis orci. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Donec vitae elit.laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat consectetuer adipiscing elit. Nunc suscipit. Suspendisse enim arcu, convallis non, cursus sed, dignissim et, est. Aenean semper aliquet libero. In ante velit, cursus ut, ultrices vitae, tempor ut, risus. Duis pulvinar. Vestibulum vel pede at sapien sodales mattis. Quisque pretium, lacus nec iaculis vehicula, arcu libero consectetuer massa, auctor aliquet mauris ligula id ipsum. Vestibulum pede. Maecenas sit amet augue. Sed blandit lectus eget lectus. Mauris justo. Curabitur nibh lectus, dapibus id, tempor eu, tempor non, erat. Proin pede eros, pharetra ut, viverra sed, egestas nec, mauris.

Sed consequat massa eget metus. Quisque mollis pretium nisl. Mauris venenatis porttitor risus. Phasellus accumsan turpis. Nam sagittis nulla quis orci. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Donec vitae elit.laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat consectetuer adipiscing elit. Nunc suscipit. Suspendisse enim arcu, convallis non, cursus sed, dignissim et, est. Aenean semper aliquet libero. In ante velit, cursus ut, ultrices vitae, tempor ut, risus. Duis pulvinar. Vestibulum vel pede at sapien sodales mattis. Quisque pretium, lacus nec iaculis vehicula, arcu libero consectetuer massa, auctor aliquet mauris ligula id ipsum. Vestibulum pede. Maecenas sit amet augue. Sed blandit lectus eget lectus. Mauris justo. Curabitur nibh lectus, dapibus id, tempor eu, tempor non, erat. Proin pede eros, pharetra ut, viverra sed, egestas nec, mauris.

Ut labore et dolore magna. Ipsum dolor sit amet conse ctetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco.

Sed consequat massa eget metus. Quisque mollis pretium nisl. Mauris venenatis porttitor risus. Phasellus accumsan turpis. Nam sagittis nulla quis orci. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Donec vitae elit.laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat consectetuer adipiscing elit. Nunc suscipit. Suspendisse enim arcu, convallis non, cursus sed, dignissim et, est. Aenean semper aliquet libero. In ante velit, cursus ut, ultrices vitae, tempor ut, risus. Duis pulvinar. Vestibulum vel pede at sapien sodales mattis. Quisque pretium, lacus nec iaculis vehicula, arcu libero consectetuer massa, auctor aliquet mauris ligula id ipsum. Vestibulum pede. Maecenas sit amet augue. Sed blandit lectus eget lectus. Mauris justo. Curabitur nibh lectus, dapibus id, tempor eu, tempor non, erat. Proin pede eros, pharetra ut, viverra sed, egestas nec, mauris.

Sed consequat massa eget metus. Quisque mollis pretium nisl. Mauris venenatis porttitor risus. Phasellus accumsan turpis. Nam sagittis nulla quis orci. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Donec vitae elit.laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat consectetuer adipiscing elit. Nunc suscipit. Suspendisse enim arcu, convallis non, cursus sed, dignissim et, est. Aenean semper aliquet libero. In ante velit, cursus ut, ultrices vitae, tempor ut, risus. Duis pulvinar. Vestibulum vel pede at sapien sodales mattis. Quisque pretium, lacus nec iaculis vehicula, arcu libero consectetuer massa, auctor aliquet mauris ligula id ipsum. Vestibulum pede. Maecenas sit amet augue. Sed blandit lectus eget lectus. Mauris justo. Curabitur nibh lectus, dapibus id, tempor eu, tempor non, erat. Proin pede eros, pharetra ut, viverra sed, egestas nec, mauris.

Sed consequat massa eget metus. Quisque mollis pretium nisl. Mauris venenatis porttitor risus. Phasellus accumsan turpis. Nam sagittis nulla quis orci. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Donec vitae elit.laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat consectetuer adipiscing elit. Nunc suscipit. Suspendisse enim arcu, convallis non, cursus sed, dignissim et, est. Aenean semper aliquet libero. In ante velit, cursus ut, ultrices vitae, tempor ut, risus. Duis pulvinar. Vestibulum vel pede at sapien sodales mattis. Quisque pretium, lacus nec iaculis vehicula, arcu libero consectetuer massa, auctor aliquet mauris ligula id ipsum. Vestibulum pede. Maecenas sit amet augue. Sed blandit lectus eget lectus. Mauris justo. Curabitur nibh lectus, dapibus id, tempor eu, tempor non, erat. Proin pede eros, pharetra ut, viverra sed, egestas nec, mauris.

Sed consequat massa eget metus. Quisque mollis pretium nisl. Mauris venenatis porttitor risus. Phasellus accumsan turpis. Nam sagittis nulla quis orci. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Donec vitae elit.laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat consectetuer adipiscing elit. Nunc suscipit. Suspendisse enim arcu, convallis non, cursus sed, dignissim et, est. Aenean semper aliquet libero. In ante velit, cursus ut, ultrices vitae, tempor ut, risus. Duis pulvinar. Vestibulum vel pede at sapien sodales mattis. Quisque pretium, lacus nec iaculis vehicula, arcu libero consectetuer massa, auctor aliquet mauris ligula id ipsum. Vestibulum pede. Maecenas sit amet augue. Sed blandit lectus eget lectus. Mauris justo. Curabitur nibh lectus, dapibus id, tempor eu, tempor non, erat. Proin pede eros, pharetra ut, viverra sed, egestas nec, mauris.

"It's lady fingers dipped in espresso, then we whipped up marscapone cheese with egg whites, and we sprinkled Godiva chocolate on top. It's really light," said owner Anthony Schifilliti, of his grandmother's winning recipe.

The judges were looking for a combination of taste, texture, presentation, and creativity, they said as the competition got underway.

"You're looking for accuracy and flavor. So if it's good chocolate, it wants to taste like real good chocolate. ... If it's a ganache or something, it wants to have that texture that's really nice. So the taste and the texture matter most to me. Then creativity is interesting," said Sickles.

"If the presentation is great, but it doesn't taste so good, that's just lost on me. Ultimately it's taste and texture first. I think we had a lot of really good desserts here tonight. It was delicious," he said.

It was a packed house Tuesday for Dessert Wars at Branches Catering in West Long Branch. The event was hosted by 94.3 The Point with proceeds going to the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
Mr. Green Tea Ice Cream Company's Ginger Ice Cream confection took the top prize in a field of 23 desserts.

"The fresh ginger in the ice cream was the top one for me. It was in a martini glass with a nice balsamic wash on the inside of the glass, so when you scooped the ginger ice cream, you brought it up past the balsamic and they had little chocolate covered chop sticks. One of the chop sticks had like a chili sugar on it," explained judge Bob Sickles of Sickles Market in Little Silver.

"It was creative. It was well presented. It looked great. They froze the glasses so the ice cream didn't melt. There was something else going on that I can't remember, but something underneath the ice cream, and it tasted great," he said.

"The winning dish came from our President and CEO, Rich [Emanuele]. He thought the sweet ginger with the savory balsamic would go together great and he was right," said Emanuele's son Michael Emanuele.

"Out signature is green tea, but for the last 15 years ginger has always been my favorite," said Rich Emanuele.

"It was a surprise and a great honor," he said of the win.

Mr. Green Tea Ice Cream Company was founded Rich Emanuele's father 35 years ago in Manhattan to provide superior ice cream to Japanese restaurants, but is coming out with a line of pints in June that will be available at high end grocery stores, said Michael Emanuele.

Ocean County Vocational School (OCVTS) culinary student Ashley Johnson of Jackson was named Sweetest Student by the judges.

"We all worked together as a team, but we each shined in everything. Certain people did certain things. I took part in making the passion fruit mouse, the brownies, and I also did the sugar piece," said Johnson, who is a post-secondary student at OCVTS's Brick Center.

In addition to the Ginger ice cream dessert, Sickles thought the cheesecake from Dees Cakes of Adelphia and the Red Velvet cake from Ye Olde Pie Shoppe of Little Silver were both "delicious."

Seannee Harris, owner of Dees Cakes, works out of a commercial kitchen to replicate her mother Dee's recipe for creamy cheesecake.

"I used to tell her all the time when we were younger, 'You should sell this; everybody loves it.' So she did it locally, but my mom has 7 kids. I think it was a lot to do. ...Everybody who's tried it, even people who don't like cheesecake, love this cheesecake. That's how I know it's special," said Harris.

Dees Cakes can be purchased online at DeesCakes.net or by phone at 732.303.1332. Free delivery is available in Monmouth and Ocean Counties, said Harris.

"It's like being in a state of ecstascy when you eat it," said , Eileen Caruso, owner of Ye Olde Pie Shoppe of the Red Velvet cake stuffed with chocolate mouse, cream cheese icing, and chocolate ganache that Sickles enjoyed.

"As her son, this is my new personal favorite," said T.C. Caruso.

"There was a cheese presentation. It was a spiced, poached pear with a port wine glaze and a little gorgonzola cream, which was very interesting," said Sickles of the dessert offered by The Cheese Cave Artisan Cheese Shop of Red Bank.

"It's a classic salty/sweet contrast," said owner Steven Catania of the dessert he created as an alternative to "all the chocolate desserts."

"There was a very elegant dessert here tonight with carmelized banana and chocolate dots and a few other things, and that was actually very well done. I thought that was worth a pretty high grade, plus it was pretty elegant on the plate," said Sickles of the Praline Crunch entered by Nicchio Ristorante of Belmar.

"Presentation is a big one, but when you taste it, it just has to make you take a step back and go "Wow!" said Judge Toni Costiglia of Wine & Dine Web.

"I really loved the Guiness stuffed cupcake. It had a lot of different flavors in it," said Costiglia.

The Chocolate Guiness cupcake stuffed with Baileys Irish Cream ganache and topped with Guiness foam was conceived by, Lisa Porada, owner of Chocolate Carousel in Wall.

"We do stuffed cupcakes as a regular menu item in our store. We do 45 flavors every day. So we're always on the search for a new flavor. This flavor was inspired by St. Patrick's Day this year. We wanted to do something with beer, so we came up with this and it was so popular, it became a regular menu item," said Porada.

"Since then, I've also introduced the Cosmo cupcake, which is vodka and cranberry stuffed with lime, and it's really awesome," she said.

"The Peanut Butter Crunch Tart was very unique. The texture was very unique," said Judge Tina LoBosco of CMSC Spirits.

Bruce Wynn, owner of Eat Cake in Matawan, conceived the chocolate peanut butter torte with a Oreo crust and Creme Anglais that LoBosco preferred.

"We have the ability to make any candy bar or like popular flavors and meld them together. This is another one of those examples," said Wynn.

Joe Leone Introna of Joe Leone's Italian Specialties in Point Pleasant Beach only judged one portion of the event because of a time conflict, but said he looks for a combination of presentation and quality in a winning dessert. "Sometimes some of it's a little bit oversugared and overpowering," said Introna.

A representative from 94.3 The Point estimated that more than 1,000 people attended Dessert Wars.