Catania’s

With Italian specialties for the whole family, this newcomer to an old haunt in Skillman is on the road to success.

By: Antoinette Buckley

Catania’s

1736 Route 206

Skillman

(908) 431-1118

Food: Very good

Service: Satisfactory

Prices: Moderate

Cuisine: Italian emphasis

Ambiance: Pub-like

Hours: Tues.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sat. 4-11 p.m.; Sun. 4-9 p.m.

Essentials: Major credit cards accepted; liquor license; smoking at bar only; wheelchair accessible; reservations recommended on weekends.

Directions

   Catania’s on Route 206 in Skillman has recently taken over the sprawling space that locals have come to regard as something of a death knell for restaurants. For the last decade, restaurants have come and gone relatively quickly, the last victim being Piper’s Pub.
   The reason for the turnover is a combination of too many things to speculate about in this space. Head chef and manager Lauren Chamberlain has confidence in Catania’s and rightly so. She maintains that her restaurant is better managed than the preceding restaurants and it serves better-quality food. I agree with the latter, although cannot yet attest to the former. Ms. Chamberlain says the restaurant is making use of all the space, holding banquets and private parties several nights a week in special rooms dedicated to that purpose.
   Co-owner John Risly also owns the slick Northstar Café, an established restaurant in New Brunswick, and the Carriage House in Milburn. So Catania’s comes to Skillman with experience and a sense of style. The restaurant is done up with lots of wood. There is a handsome round bar in the front of the main dining room, where three TVs show the sports events of the evening. Wooden dining tables are left bare. In the same room, a stone fireplace fits in with the smart décor and a big blue glass light fixture adds a splash of color. A more private alcove off the main dining room has a pretty window through which we were fortunate enough to watch the sunset.
   Catania’s welcomes families, providing a kid’s menu, activity sheets and highchairs. The regular menu is extensive and varied, although it is on the pricey side for a family restaurant. Portions do tend to be generous. The brick-oven personal pizzas, priced between $9 and $12, can get you off cheap. However, standard entrées make a much better meal.
   Hearty loaves of bread come to the table in a basket. Herb-infused olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper are put out to dress the bread. The freedom to combine pleases individual tastes.
   In general, the food is prepared well. Zuppa di Cozza ($7) honors tender, average-sized mussels with a tomato broth that incorporates sweet chunks of tomato. Portabella alla Griglia ($8) shows off fleshy slices of marinated portabella mushrooms. They remain the focus against a bed of rather soft-spoken arugula dressed with a discreet balsamic reduction.
   Carpaccio di Tonno ($8) served with lemon and olive oil could have benefited from thinner slices of raw tuna rather than the three big slabs presented. The tuna itself is fine, but a bit more seasoning wouldn’t hurt.
   Our whole table was especially fond of the Ravioli de Fungo ($8). Firm pasta envelopes filled with a ground wild mushroom and ricotta cheese mixture are wonderful in the silky marsala cream sauce that is nicely blushed and dotted with the occasional mushroom. The dish has an earthy quality that is easy to enjoy.
   Momentum is not lost with the arrival of entrées. Too often appetizers are successful and overshadow mediocre entrées. Catania’s is consistent and shows no great disparity as the meal moves from appetizers to entrées to dessert. Each course is worthwhile and offers provocative, satisfying selections with the occasional disappointment.
   A thick piece of grilled tuna ($21) came medium rare, just as my guest ordered it. It was moist and flavorful with a scant embellishment of lemon and garlic vinaigrette. The wilted escarole it is served with makes a perfect match. Substantially sized roasted potatoes round out the plate as they do most entrées, maintaining thick skins yielding to a soft interior. An extra side of ragout with eggplant and tomato, raisins and pine nuts ($6) is fine and almost as large as the meal itself, but is too much to add to an entrée that comes with its own bright sides.
   The same roasted potatoes accompany the filet mignon and the chicken rollatini. These two entrées also come with a medley of vegetables including zucchini, carrots, peppers and one thick asparagus. The 10-oz. filet mignon ($24) is basic and nicely done. It comes with a side of horseradish sauce that will put hair on your chest and a comfortable red wine demi-glace that the rest of the table and I preferred. Every now and then, the chef throws in some surprises, just enough to put the Catania’s signature on a plate. The chicken rollatini ($17) is packed with flavors that stand up. Two generously sized chicken breasts are rolled with prosciutto, fontina and herbs, but not in the traditional sense. The stuffing is a ground mixture incorporating those winning ingredients. While the filling shows enthusiasm and innovation, I prefer when each ingredient is distinguishable inside the roll. Still, the chicken works splendidly in a mild Madeira mushroom sauce.
   Farfalle con Rapine e Salsiccie ($12) is a messy, overstuffed plate full of bowtie pasta, slices of sweet Italian sausage, broccoli raab that carries little bite, and sun-dried tomato. It is a full-flavored combination that tastes much better than its disheveled appearance would lead you to believe — and the price is right.
   Desserts ($6) fit in well with the standards set by the rest of the meal. A flourless chocolate torte is pleasant. Traditional panna cotta is made untraditional by the elimination of egg. The result is feather-light custard that melts in the mouth. It is supposed to be served with raspberry sauce, however ours was served with chocolate sauce, a fine substitution. Catania’s serves a reverse Tiramisu that emphasizes the mascarpone filling rather than the rum-soaked ladyfingers. A big sundae glass comes full of mostly mascarpone filling with ladyfingers hidden inside and a couple of ladyfingers sticking out of the luscious cloud. It is sweet, creamy and lovely, only there is too much of it.
   The service manages to get the job done. Our server did not come forth with any specials of the evening — we had to ask. And then he only mentioned a soup. According to management there should be a special seafood and pasta dish every night. If there were specials in those categories, it was apparently a secret. The atmosphere at Catania’s is smart but noncommittal. The food is worthwhile. Service needs some polishing, which is not uncommon in a new place. All in all, Catania’s seems to be on the right path.
For directions to Catania’s, click here.