Casa Arturo Bistro — Restaurant in Little Falls

3 1/2 stars

Casa Arturo is less than a five-minute walk from where I live and I've driven by countless times; yesterday was the first time I ever honestly considered stopping by. For a restaurant that's right smack in the middle of a downtown, it's somehow a little under the radar, blending in with the other businesses in the building. Once I confirmed they were actually open for lunch, I wandered over and that was that.

What a culture shock. I've always wondered where the locals went to lunch besides Maggie's down the street. This place was HOPPING, though admittedly the average age of the clientele was probably 60ish or so; there are white tablecloths but the dress code was pretty casual. The ceilings were also higher than I would have assumed, and it gave off a bit of a Versailles vibe with the way the wall was paneled (I'm sure there's a much more articulate term or phrase for that). Most of the spots were full but they were able to secure me a small table toward the back - confirming I was okay with a "middle" table, which I thought was classy.

I'd had an underwhelming Italian dinner the night before so I wanted to rectify that as soon as possible. I went with the Gnocchi al Pomodoro Fresco e Basilica ($16ish), and of course some warm bread and oil. Honestly? I was more into the bread. It was the perfect texture/consistency - a nice crisp to the outside, and soft inside. I got a little pre-sliced loaf and it didn't last long. The gnocchi was okay; the sauce to me was by far the weak point. It REALLY needed the grated cheese that I requested when it showed up, and in hindsight I would have asked for about twice as much as I got. The sauce had chunks of tomato in it (not my favorite) and nothing else, so flavor was a bit of a problem. I like a sauce with some seasoning and a bit of meat in there. It's been a while since I struggled through giving a restaurant order in Florence, but Basilica should mean the inclusion of basil, which was super sparse. The gnocchi was good, but gnocchi always rocks.

The service was decent. I've found in my lunchtime solo travels that restaurants tend to speed up the turnaround time for the dishes when it's just me, and I'm fine with that. It took a bit for the bread to show up, but the gnocchi came quickly, probably two minutes after that bread. They were also very busy - there was no wasted movement with the staff, which looked to be pretty limited for the amount of customers in there at the time. The one woman was constantly shuttling about with dishes, and found time to grate cheese over my entree and grab my card to process. Very efficient. I thought the price point was pretty decent as well, given the solid lunch portion I had. No issues there.

Would I go out of my way to come back? Eh, probably not, especially given that this section of North Jersey is teeming with Italian spots (my favorite is probably E & V on the Totowa/Paterson border), but it was fine for...

Was nearby at Willowbrook Mall craving something close and Italian.

Found an amazing hidden local gem in the process.

Sat next to a table of 16 who ordered right before us, thinking it would be awhile after they were complete, our appetizers and entrees still came fast.

We always get Calamari as an appetizer almost everywhere we go and these are a top 3 especially if you are a fan of tentacles being included, and at $15 insanely cheap comparitively where everywhere else is $18 min without. Minimal batter making the juicy rings and tentacles flavor stand out

Fiancee ordered a salmon dinner (as usual) that came with veggies and a potato puff. It was gigantic well cooked and well flavored. $27, under priced for sure but huge portion and huge flavor

I ordered a ribeye steak. They serve boneless @ $33. I expected a smaller thinner portion, but a huge ribeye char grilled with garlic herbs on it. Center cut, huge juicy tender cap, medium rare was an absolute delite. Everywhere else this is $65 minimum price. Incredible to find this quality at this price.

Finished with hot lava cake topped with vanilla ice cream, a perfect ending exactly as you'd imagine from that combo, it hits the spot.

Would easily recommend...

I really enjoyed this restaurant. Especially during the Covid crisis. They have a beautiful outdoor tent with lights, fan and music. Servers are all wearing full masks over their nose and make an effort to make you feel comfortable during these difficult times. There is even sanitizer on the table. Food was great. Menu is extensive even without specials and has some items not often found on traditional Italian menus. Started with the fried calamari which was hot and crispy with tender calamari inside. Marinara Sauce was just right. The Mozzarella Buratta was terrific with grilled peaches that I dipped in the tasty cheese. It added a unique touch. House Lasagna was really enhanced with the meat, it was served nice and hot with good beef flavor. Chicken Gorgonzola was the surprise dish of the night. Sauce was perfect with that great Gorgonzola flavor, but not overbearing to the chicken. Loved it. So many dishes that came out of the kitchen past us in the tent looked awesome and I can't wait to return to try some more of them. Servers were attentive and my water glass was never empty. Bring a bottle of your favorite wine and dine in this classy tent with tablecloths, linens, glasses and...