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Sorrentos
For fabulous, affordable, gourmet Italian cuisine, make Sorrentos on the Longport Boulevard your next stop. My dining partner and I have been so excited about this restaurant that we've told everyone within earshot. In six month's time, chef/owner Ciro Gentile has distinguished himself on many fronts. At Sorrentos, you'll find originality, quality, quantity and plenty of money left in your wallet at the end of the meal. For our first course, we shared an appetizer that I've never seen on another menu - Rusticis ($6.95). This is an old Italian recipe made by Ciro's sister, Stephanie. Stephanie left Italy one month after the restaurant opened to help her brother with the baking. Her Rusticis are made with a light, flaky pastry dough that is out of this world. On the night of our visit, she stuffed them with spinach, garlic and ricotta cheese. They come four to an order and are perfect for sharing. Other special appetizers not included on the menu were Little Neck Clams ($6.95) and Bruschetta ($2.95). The regular menu featured many good starters, as well, such as Sauteed Broccoli, Garlic & Oil ($3.75), Sorrento's Sampler ($7.25) of Fried Mushrooms, Mozzarella Sticks and Buffalo Wings and Seafood Festa ($8.25) featuring Little Necks, Mussels and Fried Calamari. A salad is included with dinner. It's served cold and crisp with a pleasant assortment of fresh vegetables and a variety of dressings. We chose the house, a delicious raspberry vinaigrette. I had a hard time selecting an entree until Stephanie told me that her brother does wonders with crabmeat. I then chose Crabs & Pasta ($11.25) which comes with a choice of White Wine Garlic, Fra Diablo or Marinara Sauce. I picked the Fra Diablo which was sensational and filled with big pieces of fresh lump crabmeat. It was, by far, the biggest order of pasta that I've ever seen. I asked Stephanie to cut the order in half before I even started and took the other half to go and enjoyed it the next day. My dining partner selected Puttanesca ($8.25) and hasn't stopped raving about it. This featured sauteed chopped eggplant, caramelized onions and green bell peppers in a marinara sauce over angel hair. She also cut the order in half - the portions are that big. We both told Ciro that he could save money by serving less food and no one would be disappointed. He told us that he'd rather be known for extra large portions and he certainly is. In addition to an extensive dinner menu, Sorrentos offered a host of evening specials that sounded wonderful. This group included Cheese Ravioli with Crabmeat in a Light Tomato Alfredo Sauce ($14.95), Shrimp Cacciatore ($14.95), Chicken and Shrimp Formaggio ($16.95), Lobster and Pasta ($15.95) and a fourteen ounce T-Bone Steak ($16.95) served with a baked potato and vegetable or pasta. The regular menu offers steak, veal, poultry, seafood and pasta. Veal & Crab Maria ($14.25) sounded fabulous. The veal is sauteed with crabmeat and spinach in a pink Alfredo Sauce. Steak Pizziola ($14.95) was another good option, or Chicken Capri ($10.95) prepared with mushrooms, scallions and sliced hot peppers in a White Wine Tomato Concasse Sauce. There's a children's menu, too, priced at $4.25. Save room for dessert at Sorrentos. Stephanie's mouthwatering Tiramisu is worth every calorie. Other sweet endings included Tartufo, Cheese Cake and Chocolate Chip Cannolis. Sorrentos serves dinner seven nights a week including Early Bird Specials from 3 to 6 PM. We loved this restaurant and can't wait to return. Serving Dinner Nightly 3-10 pm · Major Credit Cards Accepted 145 LONGPORT BLVD., SOMERS POINT · 653-6909 |
