Boccone South

Boccone South never disappoints: whether it is a intimate dinner for two or a lively party, Silvio and the rest of the staff are always welcoming and gracious. This is the go-​to restaurant for me and my two best friends, and we dine in various combinations, showing the place off to our friends and coworkers. It is like bringing friends home for dinner. Who knew such a gem was hidden in downtwon South Orange? From delicately dressed salads, through spectacular meats and fish dishes, pastas, and on to the desserts (try the zabaglione, made right next to your table by Silvio himself, light as a feather and spooned over fresh strawberries)…we love this place like no other!

First time visiting the South Orange Performing Arts Center. Looking for a dinner venue and Unilocal reviews were very positive about this place so figured why not. What a wonderful dining experience — from the ambience to the service and especially the food — oh the food was incredible!!!
My buddy and I both had specials and they were just that — special. And our hostess/​server (Nicole) was what excellent hospitality is all about. She alone would be a reason to go back.
Meals were a little bit pricey ($ 30+) but it’s a BYO so that kept the total bill «in check». And the quality of the food was quite high — so in my book if a premium price = premium food and service I’m good!
This will now be my go to place whenever in town.

Came for dinner just myself and the mrs. for the first time based on the positive Unilocal reviews… couldn’t be more satisfied… started with the fried calamari and the white wine mussels special… both on the money, fresh, tender and full of flavor… for our main course my wife had the pappardelle con fungi, which was an absolute ten in every sense of the rating… fresh, al dente, and full of flavor while I had the ahi tuna special, cooked perfectly rare, with the perfect accompaniments of diced butternut squash and truly perfect sautéed broccoli rabe… for dessert, the Italian bread pudding, was to die for… served warm, this was not your ordinary stale, unused bread pudding that comes a dime a dozen… this was a top notch end to a perfect meal… the owner, Silvio, was a true professional, making us feel like customers since the opening day, a true Italian cuisine connoisseur… I would recommend this byob gem to anyone and I certainly will be back sooner than later… top notch authentic Italian across the board… trust me

Amazing food and amazing customer service. This is not your typical Italian restaurant. You will feel like family and someone is always near by to offer you more water or anything you need

We have eaten there once before and thought it was good. But we got really surprised to see this time, when we got our carbonara pasta, that is had scrambled eggs! I do know it includes egg as an ingredient but you need to know how to prepare it not to mess it! Seriously it was gross! The waiter never said anything and he saw it.
Posting a picture. The owner aproached every single table except ours, plus the service was very slow.

Haven’t been? What are you waiting for? Exceptional food and wait staff. Don’t open the menu before you hear the specials. Have never been disappointed by the specials, more interesting than the typical menu items. Tonight we enjoyed two special appetizers and a pizza. Perfect for two people. Silvio, the owner, is always there to be sure you’re happy. Do yourself a favor and try Silvio’s signature bread pudding. Amazing!

The first time we went, the service and food were excellent. Second and third time, decline on both fronts. After our 4^th (and last) visit, we won’t be back. Service is not equipped to handle if there are more than a few tables present. This last visit, there were two servers for a full restaurant. After being seated, we were never offered bread until 20 minutes later when we flagged down our server to request it. The appetizers took almost 45 minutes to arrive, and when they did they were cold. The mussels, which we had previously enjoyed, were shriveled, cold, and with many empty shells. Our main dishes arrived another HOUR later, and everything was off. The mushroom pasta, my favorite, totally changed its recipe and now came swimming in way too much cream sauce, with extremely undercooked pasta. Not al dente, just straight up raw-​tasting. So disappointing because this dish previously was excellent. Another pasta dish we ordered was so light in serving size, it could have been an appetizer. We asked for– and never got — the parmesan & fresh black pepper to top off our mediocre pasta. All in all our dinner took almost 2.5 hours.
Not that I care about having the owner stop by, but he spent most of his time on his tracksuited buddies and more favored guests. For us, he breezed by shouting «everything good?». Which, actually, it wasn’t.

This place is so good! Great portions and really wonderful food. The gnocchi was light and airy in a fine fra diavolo sauce. The chicken scarpiello! Yum! The rice balls! The papardelle di funghi! Nice ambience and this is one resto with sound proofing! One can hear everyone talking at the table! Had a great time with family on Mother’s day! Come over and bring your momma!

One rainy night my mom and I stopped into this lovely restaurant only to find what we would consider our familia’s go to restaurant for many occasions! Silvio the owner and chef is one of the most hospitable and charming people. The soups and specials never fail to ignite our pallets with flavor and joy. The atmosphere makes us feel like we are back in Europe from time to time. I highly recommend this restaurant for any type of event.

Great experience here! So nice to find a good restaurant in south orange!
The owner was very present and greeted everyone, he seemed to know most people dining here! The waitress was incredibly nice!
We started out with the homemade burrata which was super creamy and flavorful! Highly recommend.
I had the mushroom pappardelle as my main course and it was so yummy!!! My hubby had the broccoli and sausage penne which he raved about and our friend had the seared tuna with shrimp risotto which she really enjoyed!
For dessert we got the bread pudding which was really good and also splurged on the hazelnut gelato milkshake!
Two thumbs up, will be back :)

I love this place. Especially the owner and staff. They always provide a warm welcome and are by very definition a neighborhood restaurant. The recommendations from the staff are always honest and reliable. The food is very good, especially the specials of the day.
Having brought my family, friends and extended family to Boccone — they always seem excited to see you and make newcomers feel as if they belong there.
I wish them the very best and hope they remain a neighborhood establishment for years to come.

A wonderful surprise in the Village. We came to Boccone on a Wednesday evening for a simple dinner with friends which became a great evening on every level. Not one thing on the menu missed its mark. The food rivals any NYC trattoria and the service was the perfect blend of friendliness and professional. The owner checked on us just enough to make us feel really welcome and our parting hugs and shakes seemed nothing less than sincere. Diners were a mix of families, couples on dates and small groups and as diverse as it was it seems to work for all. BYOB which I LOVE. A great find.

Decided to give this South Orange Italian joint a try… It was a Monday night and we got there right at five. We were the only ones dining for the first hour and instead of being ignored which is something that happens when we dine early with our kids, we were actually treated like royalty by the owner Silvio! Every bit of service and every bite of food was spot on! Silvio is breaking any ground here, he’s serving up classic Italian American fare with well sourced ingredients. No liquor license so remember to bring some Vino!
Well done Boccone!!!

Really delicious, fresh, authentic Italian food. Our party of 13 ordered a variety of dishes (lasagna, short ribs, red snapper, strachhia.?, calamari, etc), and all loved the food/​agreed that we’d come back to try more. Additionally, the wait staff was welcoming and accommodating, never losing patience in spite of multiple questions from our group and a jam-​packed restaurant. This one’s a keeper — well worth the travel. Two small criticisms — oddlly, the bread didn’t taste authentic (more like soft white bread (?)) and they should pull 1 – 2 tables out to leave a more space for patrons to get to the restrooms (or expand to a larger space, which they’d have no problem filling).

We came here on a whim when we wanted to go to dinner at a local restaurant but were tired of the same old choices; since then, Boccone South become a fan favorite.
Sylvio, the owner, is just fantastically fun. His presence is bold, yet friendly and he ensures you are enjoying your time, and his food, in this establishment. Not to mention, he’s very hands on — serving, greeting, etc.
The food is absolutely delicious. Appetizers of eggplant rollatini and shrimp are some of our favorites and the entrée portions are not only tasty but quite large. Always enjoy the chicken saltimbucco, bolognese, and a favorite of mine, chicken fantasia. The mushroom pasta is also good, but a little heavier than I typically like.
They’re BYOB and take OpenTable which is always a plus. Definitely a great spot for date night and/​or when you’re craving deliciously fresh homemade pasta.

Favorite place in south orange.
Food is great. Sylvio aims to please
Try the tuna black and blue or the skirt steak
Bread pudding blows your head off

This place was not great.
They seem to favor cerain groups.
Blacks and gays get the cold shoulder.
I get the sense it is dirty as well.
We wont be back.

Great experience. The food was excellent and from the owner to the bus boy they make you feel comfortable and appreciated. Glad but surprised that there isn’t a wait to sit.

Classic Italian dishes and warm service executed well at this BYOB spot. Apps from seafood salad to tried and true caprese salad are on point. Pastas don’t disappoint, especially the pappardelle funghi in a truffle cream. And if you make your way to a secondi, the ribeye with sundried tomatoes, capers and a side of broccoli rabe is the way to go.

The When: We arrived a little after 6pm, about 2 hours after they were open for their Sunday hours (4−9pm) We were greeted by our smooth Italiano accented waiter Michael and seated promptly. The restaurant was beautifully lit, just enough to see where you’re going but not blind you (I’m kind of a vampire haha) inside wasn’t full but the right amount of patrons to have a welcoming atmosphere.
The What: We were read the chefs specials, I picked homemade ravioli with spinach, mushrooms, and ricotta cheese and mister went with Osso Bucco. For appetizers we ordered fried calamari and a butternut squash soup.
I’ll only comment on my food… But from the meager bites I stole from Misters plate of osso bucco, I can say it was tender, well flavored, and moist. All a girl can want when it comes to her meat ;)
Fried calamari: Now when it comes to certain fried foods, I’m somewhat iffy, no one wants grease soaked anything. I should not be able to lotion my hands with the excess lol this certainly wasn’t the case. The pieces of calamari were chunks! Generous in size. They even friend up the little tentacles. Nothing went to waste… I like that. Breading perfectly seasoned, I didn’t dare reach for that salt shaker! You can pick between a red sauce or Thai style sauce. But I was given both. I never tried the red sauce, it was all about the Thai baby. Right amount of sweet and tangy.
Ravioli: Michael came over and asked if I wanted cheese… uh, hell yeah! Lol cheese is for me! So there I was face to face with giant mini saucers stuffed with spinach, mushrooms, and ricotta served in a butter sauce emphasis on the butter. My pores will not be happy with me tomorrow. I was a little disappointed with the sauce, it would’ve been the bomb dot com if only there was a hint of heavy cream, just some hint of creaminess. I felt like the butter just slide off the ravioli; the cream would’ve at least coated. Anyway, the pasta aspect of the ravioli was cooked well, enough bite to not be mush but not too hard that it’s like eating uncooked instant ramen noodles haha
Overall, I’ll surely be back again, maybe for lunch this time.