Cordi's Italian Gourmet — Restaurant in Brick Township

We experienced our own Hallmark Christmas miracle at this restaurant. My husband and I came upon this restaurant one chilly night and simply asked if they had a table. We didn’t know reservations were required or that the reason the place was packed was because of how incredibly good the food is here! Everything is fresh from the butchered cuts of meat, raw fish, to the homemade pastas and sauces created by the host’s son - a trained and very comptent chef also named Dominick (sp?). Before we knew it, what was going to be a slice of pizza turned into one of the most memorable nights of our lives!

We were set up on the pizza / take out side with full service by the chef’s father Dominick (SR), Afio, the oven brick pizza guru and his brother Frank (who happens to specialize in jewelry). These three wise men were the kindest and most generous individuals my husband and I have ever met! They treated us as if we were family and shared stories of Italy and of their amazing lives. Dominick SR. took such care of us and opened a new bottle of an Italian red I hadn’t experienced before. It’s the only picture I can share with you today. It was so smooth and perfect for the occasion that we finished the bottle! (Don’t worry, we called our adult kids to pick up us that night.) These 3 wise men took the time to explain the menu and how the food was prepared. Dominick’s passion and love for his son came through with every explanation of each dish. Their smiles and warm hearts was what made me tear up that evening and when I saw Don Sr wipe away the crumbs on the table. It was such a humble service that my tears just flowed. I blamed my happy tears on the shrimp appetizer. More about the shrimp later.

We decided to order the penne alla vodka and the chicken Marsala. My dish (penne) was sprinkled with some Parmesan and red pepper. It was the creamiest, most tender and flavorful dish that I’ve ever had. But before we got to enjoy our dinners we were tempted with garlic bread! Displayed like a dessert with an edible purple flowers on top, drenched in garlic and olive oil, baked in a 100 year old oven that crisps the bottom to a black flavorful crust that melts in your mouth! People travel hours away just to order the bread! The shrimp appetizers were scrumptious. One was a fire crackled pepper and the other a (I believe Dom Sr. said) “saltimbocca cream” that he invented himself and insisted we try. He wasn’t wrong! Order it!! I will come back to this establishment if only to feel like I am home. What turned out to be a day at work with an unappreciated end of year review, turned out to be the most magical night of our lives and sparked something inside of me that I will cherish for as long as I live. I still get choked up about this experience. Thank you to these 3 wise men from the bottom of our...

We decided on an early Italian dinner tonight but didn't have a reservation. We heard Cordi's was excellent so we stopped by very early to try and get a table. They were not yet open but told us they could take us when they opened and suggested we go get wine (BYOB) and come back when they open in 30 minutes. Perfect! We went up the street to Wine World (great selection) and got a bottle of Florentia Chianti Classico which was perfect for dinner. From the start the service at Cordi's was excellent with the entire staff/family stopping by to ensure we had everything. We started by sharing an organic mesclun salad and ordered eggplant rollatini appetizer. Both were excellent. The owner also brought us a plate of tomatos and mozzarella which was an extra treat. Getting quite full but happy before dinner. For dinner my wife ordered a special of stuffed calamari (Stuffed with shrimp and crab) that also came with a side of pasta. I ordered veal marsala with pasta. Both dinners were excellent, meats tender and sauce tasty without too much salt. However, we wete overnatched and only finished half of our dinners to save room for dessert. For dessert we split a cup of pistachio Gelato and each had cappuccinos. Never wasting good food the 2nd half of our dinner was wrapped for lunch tomorrow. Overall an excellent dinner with both food and service top notch. Definitely recommend. Also we'll be back again soon so I can try out one of...

A Disappointing Experience - Never Even Got Seated!

I go out to restaurants all the time--popular spots, classy fine dining, trendy new places, and even small family-owned gems. Never in all my experiences have I encountered something like this.

We had a 7:30 PM reservation on a weeknight and arrived promptly at 7:25 PM. Upon entering, we saw a sign that read, "Please wait to be seated." There was a hostess podium, but no one in sight. We waited 10 minutes before even seeing an employee.

What made it worse? The first person we did see, who appeared to be a manager or possibly the owner, was engaged in a casual conversation about hosting parties and how much space the restaurant had. They then casually walked up to the front, grabbed a business card, and completely ignored us.

By this point, it was 15 minutes past our reservation time, and still not a single person had acknowledged us, let alone seated us. At that point, we were furious and decided to leave.

How does a restaurant run like this? No greeting, no service, and no regard for reservations. I understand being busy, but this was completely unacceptable. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. We didn't even get to sit down, let alone enjoy a meal!

Absolutely terrible experience. Zero...