Sorrento's Restaurant by Jackie Laguardia

Jackie Laguardia is a self-employed laundromat and dry cleaning business owner in New Jersey, who attends Fairleigh Dickinson University.  She has been married for 23 years and is the mother of three children.  Jackie is a very compassionate and caring individual who enjoys helping out others in her community.  In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gardening, travelling, and trying out different local restaurants.    While she enjoys many different types of restaurants, her favorite is Italian.  She particularly enjoys frequenting Torna A Sorrento in Elizabeth, NJ.  She hopes her blog will provide more awareness to this family owned classical Italian restaurant.   

For a family looking to enjoy a classic Italian meal, this little known restaurant in the mid-town section of Elizabeth, NJ is the place to go.  Torna A Sorrento (Sorrento’s) is a family run business that offers traditional Italian meals and a variety of daily specials sure to please. As soon as you enter you are greeted by the owner and immediately feel as if you have been going there for years.  Sorrento’s comes together with their food, atmosphere and dining experience. 

The made to order meals are all moderately priced, have wonderful flavors, and are always consistently served to mouth-watering perfection.  Meals are served on warm white plates that accentuate the vivid red in their old-fashion chunky marinara sauce. Chicken Parmesan is always a classic here, the tender breaded chicken cutlet comes bathed in their incredible marinara sauce and then covered in fresh mozzarella cheese, alongside is either a perfectly sized bowl of pasta or a plate of oven-roasted potatoes with vegetables. You never feel rushed while dining here; all courses are perfectly spaced and allow time for conversation.  Meals are served in generous portions and those with a smaller appetite often have some to take home. Be sure to save room for dessert because the ricotta cheesecake and authentic tiramisu are not to be missed.  These savory meals can be enjoyed anytime between 11:00 A.M. and 9:00 P.M. Tuesday thru Sunday for lunch or dinner.  If your party is bigger than eight, reservations assure that there is an adequately sized table waiting for you.

The old dark wooden door opens to the dining room were comfortable tables that line the walls and family-sized tables that fill the inside space. The restaurant is cozy, impeccably clean, and well laid out.  The simply stated walls are a soft grey and decorated with paintings and maps of Sorrento, Italy.    Soft Italian music plays in the background to the conversation filled dining room.  The bar is situated in the front of the restaurant with a TV playing the seasonal sport and filled with chatter of an older generation enjoying drinks.

This restaurant operates in a family style serving up unrushed service from their seasoned and attentive staff.  The owners are everywhere from behind the bar to in front of the stove.  The dining room has a team of two tuxedoed, highly knowledgeable, attentive waiters and one bus boy.  Together they are an incredible team that makes sure everyone has a pleasurable experience. The coordination and teamwork amongst the staff allow this restaurant to successfully handle the busy dinner hours particularly during the weekends. 

On Yelp.com, Tom K. from Westfield, NJ said:  John, the proprietor will warmly greet you at the door in this small family owned Italian Restaurant.  The food is uniformly above average, each dish has its own unique sauce.  The ingredients are high-quality and the food is delicious.  My personal favorite is the Veal Sorrentina or the Soft Shell Crabs in season.  Sorrento's is our family favorite.

Also prominent figures of Elizabeth such as the Mayor, Christian Bollwage, along with his family, and other high ranking city officials are frequently seen conversing at the bar and later sitting at a table enjoying dinner. 

On Yelp.com, a reviewer named Samantha said:  This is the hidden gem of Elizabeth. I've never been a big fan of Italian food and it's one of those things that I have to be in the mood for, but I am always down to eat at this place. I recommend this place to anyone that will listen. I love the Chicken Parmesan here and the Chicken Française. I get one of those two things all the time. The Chicken Parmesan here is the best that I've had. The food takes a bit to cook but I do not have a problem with that because I know the food is made to order, not something that they have sitting in some heating dishes somewhere. The calamari is also very good and the fresh mozzarella and tomato and basil appetizer is also very good (but then again, how can you really mess that one up?) Also the tiramisu is pretty yummy :)

Sorrento’s provides consistent uniformity in their service and their products.  There is no doubt that nearly three decades later, Sorrento has secured a name for itself with their quality, commitment to good food, and outstanding service.