Da Benito — Restaurant in Union

Four of us ate dinner here on a Thursday night. The restaurant was relatively empty and nice and quiet. Very different from the weekends.

This is a very expensive restaurant but also a very extraordinary restaurant, so we felt the expense was worth it.

Decor is upscale and elegant. Perfect to celebrate a birthday or anniversary or just to have a nice dinner with friends.

The tables all have white table cloths, and service was amazing. There is also an extensive wine menu. To our delight they serve our favorite Sancerre (unusual to find in an Italian restaurant) and at a very reasonable price.

The complimentary bread served at the outset was fresh and very tasty.

The grilled octopus appetizer with chickpea sauce was tender. The pasta with pieces of shrimp for the second course was tasty, though the shrimp was slight overdone.

The main courses were all fabulous. The char and swordfish were nice and moist. The filet mignon was one of the best I've had and a huge portion. Side orders of mushrooms and broccoli rabe were very excellent.

The Italian cheese cake with vanilla ice cream for dessert was amazing. The biscotti, espressos, tea, and sauterne were also great.

The ambiance here is wonderful, the staff are friendly and attentive, and the chef himself even came out to offer us a suggestion on something we ordered. It was an absolutely perfect fine dining experience and we will...

Of all the expertly prepared dishes such as radicchio salad, prosciutto wrap, scallops, monk fish, lobster ravioli, and osso buco, there was one simple dish that really wowed us all --

Past and Bean Soup -- such a humble dish. It totally went under my radar detection. Had my husband H not made a point of ordering it, I would not have expected such heavenly satisfying taste to come so unadorned. The soup couldn't be plainer, with a number of beige past shells floating on what looked like a tomato based thinly pureed soup. It disguised itself very well as any kids friendly bland fair. However, the puree itself had rich and sympathetic flavors with hints of bacon, white beans, tomato, herbs, and parmesan, all delicately balanced so no one single ingredient appeared too strong. It was precisely due to this rich yet quietly balancing effect and the silky texture as soup base plus the cute past shells that it passed the scrutiny of my little picky eater. KyKy not only asked for another spoonful, which was a big surprise to the rest of us, but had eventually taken over the whole bowl of soup as well. We were very tickled that she took to something new so whole-hearted at a restaurant for a change that she cleaned the whole bowl. The chief Benito was very gracious while visiting our table when we complemented him on his special achievement in converting our KyKy so...

FOOD WAS VERY GOOD; HOWEVER, THE ALLEGED OWNER, SIGNORE BENITO IS CERTIFIABLY CRAZY, BECAUSE HE BERATES HIS PEOPLE IN THE RESTAURANT BY YELLING, SCREAMING & POUNDING ON TABLES TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT EVERYONE HAD TO STOP & WONDER IF SOMEBODY WAS ABOUT TO BE MURDERED & SHOULD THEY BE FEARFUL FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY ~

THE FOOD IS GOOD, BUT NOT WORTH THESE APPARENTLY VERY COMMON OUTBURSTS FROM THE OWNER WHILE CUSTOMERS ARE ATTEMPTING TO ENJOY THEIR EVENING OUT FOR SOME FINE WINE & FOOD.

JUST STAY AWAY; OR ELSE POTENTIALLY FEAR FOR YOUR LIFE ALONG WITH SOME POOR UNFORTUNATE MEMBER OF BENITO'S STAFF !

AND, YOU KNOW WHAT; HE JUST DOESN'T GET IT, BECAUSE IT'S HIS PLACE & HE FEELS HE CAN DO WHATEVER TF HE WANTS WHENEVER HE WANTS TO DO IT TO WHOMEVER HE F'N CHOOSES !

PLEASE; JUST DO NOT GO, BECAUSE YOU WILL FEAR FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL SAFETY; OR ELSE BRING A GUN OR CROSS TO PROTECT YOURSELF; IT'S THAT INTENSE, WHEN HE GOES INTO ONE OF HIS TEMPER TANTRUM TIRADES, WHICH IS APPARENTLY AN EVERDAY OCCURRENCE, EVEN...