Montclair welcomed its newest counter-service Italian restaurant on August 16. Located on the corner of Grove and Walnut, Boschetto takes classic New Jersey Italian to the next level. While slightly outside the student budget, “Boschetto redefines what a fast-casual, counter service restaurant can be,” according to their website.

With its black and white tile floors and simplistic design features, Boschetto allows for a casual but classy dining experience. Boschetto offers versatility in its occasions — customers can stop in for a grab-and-go meal or make a multi-course experience out of it. 

The menu presents classic Italian options from simple garlic bread to exotic grilled octopus. For a main course, customers can enjoy a variety of authentic Italian dishes, pasta, pizza, and salad, in addition to the many original concoctions of the restaurant. A potential drawback is that Boschetto has not yet obtained a liquor license, but we look forward to the future of the restaurant’s drink offerings.

During our visit, we started with the Gnocco Fritto and the Polpette. The Gnocco Fritto was a pomodoro fritter topped with prosciutto. It was uniquely enjoyable as well as being a nice neutral transitional dish. The polpette came with three meatballs topped with marinara sauce and ricotta, which provided the perfect mixture of flavors. Overall, the appetizers were perfectly filling.

Next, for our entrees, we both enjoyed the pesto pasta. Topped with pine nuts and pecorino, the pasta was steaming hot and got better with each bite. The sauce tasted incredibly fresh and rich, which made it clear that it had been made minutes before serving. 

To finish off our meal, we indulged in the hazelnut gelato. Similar to the pasta, the quality of the gelato was absolutely exceptional. Most times when dining at an Italian restaurant, it is hard to maintain authenticity throughout the entire meal, but Boschetto breaks this stereotype in all aspects. 

Boschetto was precisely the addition to Montclair that we didn’t know we needed. Boshetto adds to the up-and-coming development of its building on Grove Street.