Chef at farm-to-table restaurant in Wayne shows his sweet tooth in salad and seafood

My wife ordered a Tri-Color Insalata at Viaggio, a farm-to-table restaurant in Wayne, and it looked like no tri-color salad we've ever had in an Italian-American restaurant. She also found a couple of surprises -- a dome of salty ricotta salata and candied hazelnuts hidden inside.

Another surprise was awaiting me in an entree of Barnegat Bay Scallops served with what tasted like sweet lemon orzo, asparagus, marcona almonds and miners lettuce.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

WAYNE, N.J. -- The prices at Viaggio Ristorante say fine dining, but the setting couldn't more informal.

I imagined the farm-to-table restaurant with a Tuscan accent would be in a free-standing building with valet parking, but my car's navigation system led me to one of the many strip malls on Hamburg Turnpike.

And there it was -- a small sign next to Wayne Hot Bagels and Cafe.

Last Sunday evening, we were seated at a bare wood table, where bar wipes stood in for napkins, and we saw an open kitchen in the back of the dining room. 

A large wagon wheel on the wall loomed over our table.

The young woman who was our server launched into an overlong explanation of the four-course, price-fixed menu ($53), another list of  la carte dishes and a couple of specials.

We loved all of our food, and the service, though informal, couldn't be faulted. 

Beets, pasta, scallops

I chose the price-fixed menu -- Roasted Beets, Linguine with Clams but without pancetta, Barnegat Bay Scallops over orzo, and a small scoop of gelato.

My wife ordered a la carte: Tri-Color Insalata ($12) and Pappardelle alla Mema with small meatballs and sweet sausage in a red sauce ($20).

The young chef, Robbie Felice, expresses his sweet tooth freely -- in candied hazelnuts hidden in my wife's salad, and an unexpected sweet lemon accent for the orzo with my large scallops.

We decided to have dinner at Viaggio because we had tickets for a 4 p.m. jazz concert at William Paterson University in Wayne.

Singer Alexis Cole and her trio stuck to the standards in a swinging set, but members of a student group that kicked off the evening have a lot to learn.

My starter of savory Roasted Beets with Pistachio and Mint had four wonderful cheese crisps.

My wife loved her entree of wide noodles, small meatballs and sweet sausage under a blanket of cheese.

The briny sauce with my half portion of al dente linguine was terrific, as were the dozen or so small clams. But I wonder why Viaggio doesn't serve organic pasta.

I don't eat dessert so I asked the server to give my wife the small scoop of gelato that came with my fixed-price meal, and ordered a cup of black coffee. Don't you hate it when a restaurant charges you $4 for a cup of coffee that can't compare to the cup you brew at home from organic beans you buy and grind Turkish at Costco Wholesale?

DETAILS: Viaggio Ristorante, 1055 Hamburg Turnpike, in the Wedgewood Plaza strip mall, Wayne; 1-973-706-7277. BYO, open for lunch Tuesdays to Fridays; dinner Tuesdays through Sundays; closed Mondays. Dinner for two was about $112, including a 20% tip and tax.

The stylish Viaggio sign is not that easy to spot.