Leone's, Montclair, NJ

There was a time when I used to frequent Leone's. It's a joke among friends to call the place "Mama Leone's" after the rather large force/presence of the owner, Rose. When they first opened, I was in love. The pasta was stupendous. The restaurant was still a small place with just a few tables. Now, they've grown like the rest of the neighborhood, kind of like a virus. After many years, I went back with some friends, but thankfully didn't catch the virus.



Leone's now occupies what looks like three storefronts. Some of the old waitstaff are still there even. That was something that surprised me actually, from what I had heard from some folks who used to work for "Mama", she was a bit harsh (I'm being nice here). She's like the Roman who whips the horses in full gladiator regalia, except she's about 4'11". In any case, we were excited and super hungry.



The decor hasn't changed much. There's nothing bad or exciting either way about the inside of the restauarant. One of the additions from years past is their brick oven and counter that greets you when you first walk in. Beyond that, they have a "loft" area with seating as well. We were seated in the main part of the restaurant rather promptly given our reservation. Once seated, I realized the menu really hadn't changed much either. The same specials (mozzarella en carozza, artichokes, calamari, etc.) graced the menu, as well as old familiar classics like Cappellini Angelica. I didn't want to be bogged down heavy with pasta, so I opted for the Margherita Pizza for my dinner. Everyone else got a pasta, including one of the specials.



One thing I don't like is when a restaurant goes a la carte, especially an Italian restaurant. At least serve a small salad. But for just $4.95, you CAN get a salad. A lame house salad, with lettuce, tomatoes, croutons, and some carrot shavings. I was so disappointed in the thing, it looked pathetic. Soon after two of our guests got their salad, my pizza came. A full 15 to 20 minutes before anyone else got their entrees. I didn't want to be rude, but I was so starving, and also didn't want it to go cold. I had a slice, and that was enough. I've never had a pizza I didn't like, and this was bad enough not to go any further. The sauce was too thick for the crust, the fresh mozzarella had no flavor (salt the water will ya?!?!?!), and I kept biting down on dirt. I have a feeling that they never rinsed the basil leaves, because with each bite I got grit. After trying hard, I decided that going beyond that first slice would be murder for me. So I put the pie aside and asked for another menu. The others' food still wasn't there yet so I figured I had a good chance to get our food together. Not likely.



I FINALLY got my waiter's attention and ordered the fresh mozzarella salad. This required no cooking, but couldn't come with the other plates of pasta. I sat for 10 minutes watching everyone else eat. The two pasta dishes, Cappellini Angelica and Rigatoni Leone, looked and tasted wonderful. The pasta special with chicken and shrimp was not such a hit. My husband gave me the shrimp to eat, and all I could taste was coal. It was an unpleasant taste from the oven, presumably the brick oven, and I was not happy. He admitted that there wasn't anything special about his $20.95 special entree, so couple that with the 5 dollar salad, and you've got some unhappy customers.



The service was spotty and the food uneven. You want good pizza? Go to Villa Victoria down the street: no frills but a tasty as heck pie. If you want to get a good dining experience from Leone's, expect to wait and stick to the regular tried and true pasta dishes on the main menu. Otherwise, I'm not sure that this expansion virus is a good thing, and let's home Mama gets a cure.

Ambiance: ***1/2

Food: ***

Service: **

Overall: ***