(PHOTO TAKEN BY JOHN BOCCELLARI)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Crecco's Cafe has been open for a few years in River Vale.  I had never been there before, but my wife and daughter have.  My wife had told me that they had enjoyed it, unfortunately we had never really thought about it whenever looking to go out or get take out.  That doesn't mean I hadn't wanted to try them myself.  

Today we were in the car looking for somewhere to get a late lunch.  My wife and I both had no idea what we felt like having.  My daughter is the one who suggested that she wanted pizza.  My wife and I could not agree as we passed a few placed in my town that would satisfy all three of us.  Then I just said it out of no where.  I told my wife that we should head over to Crecco's Cafe since my daughter wanted pizza and that I still wanted to try it.

We arrived at Crecco's Cafe around 2:30pm.  There was maybe one table and some of the staff eating in there at the time.  During lunch, you have to order at the counter and they give you a number for the table.  They then deliver the food to the table.  This is not a bad business practice at all.  They know when they need their serving staff in, which is at night, and effectively use their labor budget correctly.  The staff seemed friendly and helpful.  They made the initial process easy for us.

THE FOOD

(PHOTO BY JOHN BOCCELLARI.  NEW ZEALAND MUSSELS FRA DIAVOLO)

I have to say that once we placed our order, we received the food rather quickly.  Sure, we were the only table being served at the moment.  But I have waited much longer in the same situation at other places.  My wife ordered a Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Sandwich with basil and olive oil on Ciabatta.  My wife enjoyed the sandwich but felt that a little balsamic vinegar could have gone a long way to make it better.  My daughter enjoy two plain slices and I had the New Zealand Mussels Fra Diavolo (I was in the mood).  The mussels were good and cooked nicely.  I really enjoyed them.  The linguine was a little overcooked to my liking, al dente is how I enjoy my pasta.  The sauce was pretty damn tasty though.  I really enjoyed the flavor of the tomatoes and the heat that the sauce gave off.  The dish is definitely a great deal for $13 with all things considered.  It's not the best Mussels Fra Diavolo, but still pretty good.

THE SERVICE

Since we had counter service, I would have to go back for dinner to see how the wait staff handles the guest.  However, the counter service was still good and they were hospitable.

LASTING IMPRESSIONS

I enjoyed my first visit with Crecco's Cafe.  The staff was nice and the food was good.  That's what you want when you head out to eat right?  I know I do.  I will definitely head back for dinner and I am looking forward to trying them out for take out in the near future.  I give Crecco's Cafe a respectful 3.5 out of 5 stars.  It's a good score.  I want to try more and see how they are on the service end at night.  Give them a shot if you haven't at either their River Vale locatation or their Orangeburg location.

Crecco’s Cafe River Vale, NJ is located: 649 Westwood Ave River Vale, NJ 07675 Phone: 201-664-7200

Crecco’s Cafe Orangeburg, NY is located: 60 Dutch Hill Rd Orangeburg, NY10962 Phone: 845-359-2222

Website: http://creccoscafe.com/

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