Verona Restaurant is a nice little Italian restaurant in Haddonfield. My wife and I had enjoyed this restaurant a couple of previous times, but not for quite a while, and I never wrote about it. As is our custom, we brought along a red and a white wine. Since they were both New Jersey wines, I decided I would write about the restaurant, the food, the wine, and the overall experience. We booked an early table on a weekday to be sure it was not too crowded. My memory was that it was a very small restaurant. As it turned out, it was larger than I recalled. There is an upstairs and there is also seating in front on their wide, sidewalk area. On this occasion, we preferred the indoor seating and we were able to get the nicest window table for two, so we were happy from the start.
You can see from the photo taken outside (shown above), many patrons were enjoying the al fresco dining experience. The photo taken below (earlier in the day) shows the attractive interior of the first floor.
The Food
Appetizers
My wife wanted to try their pear salad: Spring mix, pear, pomegranate, walnuts, goat cheese, and a homemade pear dressing. I wanted to try their Polpo Pugliese (grilled octopus that is oven roasted, with heirloom tomatoes, and a balsamic demiglace). We decided to share a little of each.
Entrees
I selected the Bronzino, served with crabmeat in a delightful white wine and lemon sauce. Because I wanted to enjoy some red wine with my dinner, I chose penne in their terrific marinara sauce. The vegetables sounded good, but I needed a reminder of their pasta dishes. I was glad I did this. The penne was great and so was the red wine.
My wife chose their Chicken Francaise, which was also terrific. Everyone makes this dish a little differently. My wife felt this was “the classic” version. I agreed. The meat was very tender and the sauce was perfect.
The Wine
The white wine I brought for dinner was the Hawk Haven Vineyards 2023 Viognier. It was terrific with our appetizers and with our entrees. It is one of the best Viogniers I’ve had in recent memory. It is nicely aromatic with a lovely mouthfeel, and enough acidity to go great with my wife’s chicken and my fish entree.
The red wine I brought was Working Dog Winery’s 2021 Cabernet Franc. They consistently produce one of the best Cab Francs in New Jersey (in a state that makes more than a few super Cab Francs). It is everything you expect and want in a Cab Franc-Dry, but zesty with ripe dark berries and pepper on the palate with a long silky finish. It was a great accompaniment to the Penne with marinara.
Coming Attractions
- Angelico’s Winery Spring 2024
- Sharrott Winery Spring 2024
- Balic Winery Spring 2024
- Beneduce Vineyards Spring 2024
- Unionville Vineyards Spring 2024
- Hopewell Valley Vineyards Spring 2024
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