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October 5, 2005
Sal was recently featured in the September issue of Bon Appetit magazine, in an article entitled "Too Busy to Cook?" In it, chefs treated readers to some of their favorite time-saving recipes. Sal shared two specialties, a Sicilian-inspired pasta with anchovies, currants, fennel and pine nuts, and his lemon-scented ricotta and mascarpone cream puffs. Sal’s cooking is a reflection of his roots—his father’s family is from Sicily, and he spent his teenage years there. According to Sal, Sicilian cooking can, at first glance, seem deceptively simple. But its simplicity depends on using the freshest ingredients, and often the combination of sweet and tart flavors. Two perfect examples? Sal’s recipes in Bon Appetit. Click Here to see the recipes.
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April 2005/The Star-Ledger
Dimaio Cucina Restaurant review by Cody Kendall
Don't be misled by the pizza parlor that flanks Dimaio's. What you will encounter in the main restaurant is fine dining with flair and attentive, intelligent service.
The food is wide-ranging, from mussels in champagne with a fresh mint lilt ($8.95) to jumbo prawns wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon ($21.95). There is also a host of traditional Italian favorites and pasta made in- house.
You never know what possibilities might come your way at Dimaio's, because chef/owner Sal Passalacqua draws on so many reservoirs of inspiration to produce his creations.
Growing up in an Italian neighborhood in Brazil (his ancestry is both Brazilian and Sicilian), he learned to produce a different kind of Italian food.
"In Brazil, people mix shrimp, pasta and chicken," he said as an example of the variations they create on a classical theme. Passalacqua's version can be found on the menu as penne amore ($15.95).
But perhaps his most important source of ideas is his work as a guest chef on the Food Channel. Passalacqua is a close friend of Emeril Lagasse, whose photo hangs prominently in Dimaio's, so a Cajun influence occasionally emerges in his cooking. And regulars who see what Passalacqua has cooked on TV often wind up demanding it on their plates, a case in point being the goat cheese-stuffed soft-shelled crabs that he served for several weeks in a row a while back.
There is, as one would expect from a television artisan, an emphasis on the visual. Contrasting colors and embellishments are as interesting as the flavors and treatments that Passalacqua produces, particularly in his specials.
An example was a pan-seared veal chop ($23.95) accented in crimson (like the vibrant walls of the restaurant) with a dried cherry, red wine reduction. With too much cherry, this dish could have been cloying. But the accent was just right, tangy rather than sweet, to enhance the excellent piece of meat accompanied by green beans, carrots and roasted potatoes.
The showman also is no stranger to subtlety, as in the special of champagne mussels. The champagne, rather than the usual white wine, adds a festive note to the dish beyond appearing in its name, and the mint is responsible for an unexpected note that elevates the bivalves, playing off the shallots that are part of the recipe.
"Our fish is what we take pride in," said Passalacqua, who has plenty of seafood on the menu and among the specials.
For the heartiest appetites, there's the fettucine Neptune ($19.95), one of the restaurant's signature dishes, a large bowl full of scallops, shrimp and lump crab in a creamy sauce. The counterpoint is another signature dish, seafood fra diavolo ($24.95), with clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops and calamari jostling in a marinara sauce atop linguine.
Sicilian tilapia ($18.95) is a sweet and piquant treatment of the fish with pine nuts, raisins and plum tomatoes. Each ingredient is easily identifiable, but also cooperative, to amplify the assets of the others. Additional fish dishes include blackened tuna (there's that Cajun influence) with wasabi mayo ($23.95) and specials such as salmon with a carmelized crust and balsamic drizzle ($19.95).
Meat eaters have options, too: perhaps the veal chop on the regular menu that features exotic mushrooms and a Port reduction ($24.95) or the grilled New Zealand spring lamb ($21.95) with a balsamic vinegar/garlic/plum tomato sauce.
Entrees come with a complimentary salad that amounts to a palate cleanser, Romaine lettuce with either a balsamic garlic or raspberry vinaigrette, both made in-house, as is the excellent bread and foccaccia.
Passalacqua started as a pizza man before attending the New York Restaurant School. His expertise with that staple is reflected in the personal "Uppercrust" pizzas ($9.95-$11.95) that you can design yourself if you like, to serve as an appetizer.
Other starters include grilled shrimp ($9.95), eight delectable giants touched with garlic and served over frisee, an imposing platter. Sicilian eggplant ($7.95) is grilled and presented over arugula, with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. A special of fried mozzarella in a lemon and caper sauce was light and lively, not leaden, as so many variations of this dish can be.
Desserts ($7.95) are by Cynthia Ortega, who matches the boss's mastery in her efforts. The crowd that comes for Italian can indulge in the tiramisu, cheesecake, strawberries with zabaglione and a lighter-style cannoli made with an almond tuille.
Those seeking something richer find it in the likes of a warm chocolate cake or a more elaborate chocolate mousse combining milk, white and dark chocolate with raspberry. Nut and fruit tarts, both well executed, also are likely to be on the menu.
There's a liquor store nearby for those who have forgotten a bottle, but the restaurant is getting a license to serve New Jersey wine as well, though everyone still will be invited to bring their own.
Dimaio's popularity makes a reservation important on weekends, and also means that the noise level can escalate. Quarters may feel a bit cramped, but the food, generous portions and expert service make up for these small drawbacks. Bring the family or come with friends. Either way you'll be welcomed and find plenty to enjoy at this gem.
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The Regulars Club
