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Fine Italian Dining at Matta Donna Ristorante & Pizzeria in Boonton, New Jersey
January 2010
NeighborhoodNews – Fayson Lakes edition
by Carolyn Cohn
If you are in the mood for some wonderful Italian food, check out Matta Donna Ristorante at 304 Myrtle Avenue, Boonton, New Jersey, 07005, 973-334-7138.
Matta Donna had its grand opening on October 27 of last year. The restaurant, which had been owned and operated for over 30 years by Freddy and Maria Mastria and was known as Eduardo’s Pizzeria, was bought by the Joyce family. Brothers Edward and Zach Joyce and mother, Barbara, all work in the restaurant. Edward, Barbara, and a close friend of the family,
WilliamWhitehouse, who are all classically trained chefs, grace the restaurant with their culinary talents. Zach manages the restaurant.
The first thing that occurred after the Joyce family bought the restaurant was to do a complete renovation. The restaurant is quietly elegant, with a great deal of wood, mostly oak, throughout all of the rooms. Zach Joyce expressed how proud he is of the restaurant and had a twinkle in his eye as he told the story of the wood that makes up the bar. The bar is made from teak wood, which was part of the USS North Carolina battleship. The wood was actually part of the decking on the ship. The USS North Carolina is now a floating museum in Wilmington, North Carolina. The ambiance of Matta Donna’s is understated elegance. There is a lot of light in the restaurant in every corner, which makes one feel cheerful.
Two types of bread, crusty white bread and whole grain bread with a variety of seeds baked into the crust were placed on the table with butter and chili-infused olive oil. The olive oil and the crusty white bread were a perfect pair and the sweet butter was a wonderful complement to the whole grain bread, which had just enough sweetness to almost feel like dessert.
Three appetizers, rice balls, fried calamari, and bruschetta, were served next. The rice balls were steamy and moist on the inside and crispy on the outside. The fried calamari, which was served with a sweet marinara sauce, was light and crunchy. The
bruschetta, which was an interesting departure from the standard tomato and onion type, had goat cheese and sweet, sautéed onions.
The salads were next. There was Caesar salad, which was delicious. It had a subtle hint of anchovies and just enough garlic flavor to be interesting but not overpowering. The Gorgonzola salad was fresh and crisp, with interesting surprises mixed in. There were dried cranberries and shaved, white chocolate. The sweet and sour dressing was a perfect complement to the salad ingredients.
The entrées were diverse and really created a well-rounded meal. There was lemony pasta, which was very refreshing and light. The pasta was cooked to perfection. It was a delightful dish. The salmon was wonderful. It was crispy around the edges of the fish and it was surrounded with a sweet glaze. It was truly delectable. Buttery sautéed spinach was served with the salmon. They were a perfect pair. The last entrée to be served was chicken breast, which had a wonderful, light, lemon flavor, which melted in your mouth. The chicken was served with flavorful rice.
One would think that all of the culinary offerings that were presented up to this point would be enough. There was no doubt that everyone was satisfied. However, the meal needed to come to an elegant conclusion. That couldn’t happen without something sweet and decadent. The chocolate mousse cake, which was rich and smooth, was truly to die for. An amazing cheese cake, which was drizzled with Grand Marnier and raspberry sauce, was out of this world. Barbara Joyce is the pastry chef at the restaurant. The desserts alone are worth a visit.
The bar, which was mentioned earlier in this review, has a nice variety of wines and spirits. The staff is very knowledgeable in suggesting complementary wines for the meal and patrons can have whichever beverage they desire.
If you are looking for a wonderful Italian meal in a warm, light, and friendly atmosphere, I highly recommend that you give Matta Donna a try. You will definitely be pleased with the experience.
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