17 Summer Restaurant
“Opened by two amazing siblings, Jenna and Joseph definitely puts their own unique personal touch in the restaurant and their delicious menu.”
“It is a BYOB and the open kitchen adds to the chic yet down to earth atmosphere.The chef and staff give great service and friendly.”
“For dinner the beef cheek cavatelli (my dinner) was delicious and my fiancé really enjoyed the quail and said it was cooked perfectly.”
17 Summer Restaurant
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Based on the many positive reviews both on Yelp and the newspapers we were pleasantly surprised to get a last minute reservation on a Saturday night. Even with GPS it was a challenge to find the restaurant but a call ahead got us there with no problem. (they are a block behind KMart and there is a large lot with plenty of parking ) 17 Summer is a small sweet little restaurant with a open kitchen half flanked by a beautiful white leather bar (they are BYOB ) The staff greeted us warmly, even held the door for us. The restaurant is set up with small tables and the music is nice and contemporary but not intrusive. On a down note, before we left I went to their website to view the menu and saw some dishes that really had me anticipating dinner. A small plate of house made buratta (I LOVE Buratta, it's mozzarella with a cream filled center. To die for!) and for a main of chestnut linguini with bits of chestnuts, fennel and cream I couldn't wait! Well, when we arrived and got our menu it had none of the dishes I couldn't wait to try were not listed. Our server said the menu changed a few days ago and they had not updated the website. I was disappointed but we found a few dishes that looked promising We decided to share a starter of Wild Mushroom Polenta Very good and the mushrooms had a strong smokey flavor that went perfectly with the creamy Polenta. I ordered the Chestnut Lasagnette which the server described as triangle cut chestnut pasta, sunchokes and chestnuts with a beef based gravy. While I enjoyed my dish very much it wasn't what the server described. The pasta was more Papparedelle and had no chestnut flavor at all, I didn't see or taste any sunchokes and the only thing I saw besides the pasta was the same wild mushrooms which while delicious wasn't what I was counting on . The price for this dish was $32 and the portion was really an appetizer size. Hubby got the Monkfish that he said was spicy and delicious also priced at $32, with no sides and they charge $8 for bread,. We decided on the dessert which was a poached pear on butterscotch cream in a pie crust. This was amazing. It was also $13 (we each got one) so it better be amazing. Overall, the food and the service were good but the portions were way too small. Even if it's hard to justify $32 for a pasta dish at least give us a nice big bowl full. And if you are charging $32 for a average sized piece of fish then serve it with a salad or veggies. We did enjoy or food and the people at 17 Summer couldn't have been nicer But we thought a bill of $145 (with tip) was alot for what we got.
I've been back here 2 more times.
The Porchetta dish with broccoli raab is one of the best things I've ever eaten. The fat is gelatenous and flavorful, the meat part is super tender, and the skin was crisp like a chip. No idea how they did that, and the chef served it with perfectly green colored and almost sweet (not bitter) broccoli raab, that was not stringy at all.
Really loved the Kohlrabi carpaccio, very simple, high quality ingredients, the cheese on top was a perfect match.
Still love this place.
A gem in your local town; that's what 17 Summer is. Opened by two amazing siblings, Jenna and Joseph definitely puts their own unique personal touch in the restaurant and their delicious menu.
This restaurant is located on the corner of Summer street in Lodi, NJ. The cozy restaurant seats about 20-25 people, so reservations are suggested. It's also BYOB so for those who are looking for an awesome BYOB place, this is it. My husband and I came here to celebrate his 30th birthday and to see an old friend, chef Joseph Cuccia himself. We ordered a fresh bread dish, a small plate, and two entrees to share. EVERYTHING is home made and I can't think of eating food any other way! Every dish that came out was pure ecstasy and the pops of flavor in each dish was beyond delicious.
I can't remember the exact names of the items we ordered but I can guarantee everything on the menu is delicious. The Beef Cheek cavatelli is a MUST! The portions are offered half/full without over-exaggerating the 'full' portion. The beef melts in your mouth and the flavor a make it that much better. The pan roasted chicken came with perfectly seasoned potatoes and chard that was cooked to perfection. The skin on the chicken was full of flavor and crisp to perfection. The chicken wasn't dry, which seems to be a difficult task for other restaurants when they pan roast chicken. For dessert, we opt for something more simple; the strawberry cheesecake. I don't think I've EVER (no exaggeration) had cheesecake this good before. I guess you can compare the cheesecake to the authentic cheesecakes you can get only in NYC. The consistency of the cheesecake was SO good and the crust of the cheesecake was amazing. Many cheesecakes (if that's what you'd wanna call it) I've had had never had this type of lightness and sweetness to it.
The restaurant itself is a small location with an open kitchen where you can see the chef in action. It's great because you can see the cleanliness of the place. If you're looking for a staff friendly, awesome food, BYOB restaurant, definitely come here to check it out. Who doesn't like friendly people and fresh home made food??
I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone in the area. It's worth the drive, worth the time, and definitely worth the money.
17 Summer is located directly behind the Sorrento's strip mall at the corner of Summer Street and Autumn Street in Lodi (residential area). It's off the beaten path, unique in its own right, with fantastic culinary offerings.
Sexyman and I wanted to sample a handful of dishes, so we ordered everything as small plates. We loved that we went this route instead of committing to one appetizer and one entree each (and no, we don't have commitment issues!)
– Fried cauliflower spedini…this may have been my favorite. The capers added a welcomed salty bite.
– Shrimp in garlic sauce… tender and served with a great demi baguette.
– Summer salad…beets, fennel, citrus. Nice layers of flavors. Beets rule!
– Homemade focaccia…Canestrato cheese and my man's favorite olives, castelvetrano. I love seeing him smile!
– Beef Cheek with cavadelli…Cheek? What? We hesitated ordering this but we were damn glad we did. We bonded at a deeper level over this amazing dish.
– Strozzapreti Geneovese (pasta)…the potatoes and string beans added such nice dimension and texture.
Cripes, that sounds like a lot of food.
Their menu changes every 5 weeks and you can bet your hiney we'll be back to sample another round of amazingness.
Service was friendly and they paced everything perfectly. They even took our wine in the back to quickly chill it for us.
Cheers to small/local businesses in Bergen County!
This restaurant labeled "hot and new" on Yelp and featured on Boozy Burbs and recent contenders for an investment on Restaurant Startup really impressed me this evening.
Jenna Cuccia who handles front of the house makes you feel at home and offers a feeling of being at a relative's home vs. a restaurant. Her friendly smile and her willingness to please is a pleasant change for me.
Service was top notch! It is a small restaurant that seats around 30 people but you do not feel cramped. Plenty of room in-between the tables, candles lit and your silverware changed with each serving. The interior is decorated nicely and offers a nice open feel.
Homemade focaccia with canestrato cheese and castelvetrano olives for $6 was the perfect way to start off our dinner along with our favorite wine 17 Summer is a BYOB establishment.
We also tried the Torta de Aceite flatbread which was also excellent and super fresh and warm for $5.00
As a small plate I tried the fried cauliflower spiedini which was also seasoned and cooked to perfection.
For the main course I had pan roasted chicken. The chicken was delicious. Crispy skin but not overly breaded or seasoned. It was my favorite for the night. It was served with candy cane beets.
My dessert was cheesecake that was made in house, light and fluffy with fresh blueberries on top with a dollop of fresh whipped cream along with a hot cup of decaf latte.
Some of my fellow diners had the skate wing (fish) and enjoyed their meal also. The only criticism was for the oxtail agnolotti. My friend felt there should be a piece of oxtail in the dish, not just the small amount inside the pasta with the cheese. She could not taste the oxtail at all.
This restaurant is very off the beaten path. Would love to see 17 Summer in a more pleasant location and a Main Street where they can get the attention they deserve.
I will definitely be back to try your new spring menu
Frank Sinatra would be proud.
Even better, Joe Bastianich said the 17 Summer pasta was really good. The guy is a partner with Molto Mario and his mom is Lidia. I think he has the credentials to know what is good pasta.
I don't want to take anything away from the Italian dynamic duo. They have a business that I wish nothing but the best for them. What I had tonight was cooked perfectly and the front of the house was also on its A game.
I had a 7pm reservation, the restaurant for a Wednesday night isn't too busy. Still, I don't want to take a table. I'm solo so I'll eat at the bar.
I have to mention it's BYOB! I went to a cool wine store this afternoon and purchased a nice bottle of Italian wine for tonights event. I'm not in Jersey too often so I wanna make this meal unforgettable.
And trust me it was, I started with the Porchetta. Cooked perfectly, it was a great starter.
What's great about 17 Summer Restaurant, they offer both full and 1/2 portions.
I ordered a 1/2 portion of the cavatelli with duck and broccoli.
I start to ask questions:
How is the cavatelli prepared?
What about the duck?
Where is the beef cheek?
My waitress was on point, she answered all of my questions and was very knowledgeable.
The Cavatelli with duck and broccoli is brought to me. Perfectly executed, its a flavorful dish. The pasta was made spot on, the duck and the broth are totally on point with the right amount of spice/heat. Now I'm totally in the zone and the chef, Joseph Cuccia comes over to my seat.
How was everything? I tell him, chef everything was incredible. He shakes my hand!
You know this restaurant is going places, I wish them nothing but the best.
Now Jenna Cuccia comes over to me and we start talking about dessert. First off, to see this woman not wifed up is a mystery. She's a intelligent and beautiful woman who stared down Tim Love and said no way! That just takes moxie and to stick to your guns is something I give her a lot of credit.
My dessert tart comes out.
What is starting to get me woozy is the almond base of the tart. Add the homemade whipped cream and this dessert is a home run out of the park.
I saw this brother & sister team on TV and I wish them nothing but great success. They have the restaurant and catering business, I know I'll see them in SOHO over the next 5 years.
Joseph & Jenna Cuccia, I wish you "Buona Fortuna" in your family business!
Came here with my family a few weeks ago soon after the article was posted in the news paper about the place. 17 Summer lives up to its reputation, this is absolutely a hot spot for great food.
First off it's BYOB so that's always a win for me.
Lets cut to the chase, the food. Absolutely every plate is made with love and it truly shows. The quality is fantastic, you can expect your dish to taste perfect every time. The kitchen is wide open for viewing and you can see the chef tasting everything and working his magic in the kitchen. All the pasta was home-made and you can taste the difference, its unreal. My NY strip steak was cooked perfectly, it was so juicy my mouth is watering a little bit just thinking about it. Everything is plated so nicely and has a garnish or a spread that really pops and accentuates the natural flavors of every dish.
The atmosphere and service; awesome. Even with the place full you would never even know because the wait staff is always very responsive and extremely courteous. These are professionals and its quite refreshing. I heard that some people are having a hard time getting reservations during dinner time but this place has been packed almost every night and its understandable, come later at night and stop complaining.
Overall, this place is stellar, even though they only opened a short time ago. They are well organized, extremely responsive to social media, the restaurant is decorated beautifully, the food is absolutely worthy of my 5 stars and i couldn't be more impressed for a little place in Lodi, NJ. There's plenty of places in the heart of NYC that wish they could be this place. This place will be hurting your wallet for sure but its well worth it, you get what you pay for. I'll be back!
My husband and I ate at 17 Summer on a Friday night. First of all, I love the ambiance of this place. Good music playing, nice lighting, friendly service; they definitely put thought into all the details and these are all things that better the meal.
The sister and brother team really work together nicely. The sister greeting people at the door and the brother cooking. Our server was knowledgeable and extremely friendly.
For appetizers we had:
1. semolina with ricotta and mortadella
2. fried cauliflower with capers and garlic
3. frittata with cipollini onions
4. octopus with smoked paprika
All were great but the cauliflower could have used a bit more sauce. The frittata was stand out great and I loved the big pieces of onions. Melted in my mouth. The ricotta served with the semolina bread was outstanding – so fresh and great use of oil, salt and pepper to make it that much better.
For entrees we each had a pasta – I had the beef cheek with spaghetti and my husband had lasagnette with mushrooms, capers and red sauce. The pasta was homemade and both were AMAZING. My favorite dish of the night. I also appreciated that they offered it in two sizes.
For dessert I had the chocolate ganache tart and my husband had the blood orange olive oil cake. I felt like mine was on the dry side but I have a lot of respect for the chef that he makes all the desserts in house.
Overall, a great meal and we definitely plan to come back soon. It's great to see two young people really working hard in the industry and trying to put some unique dishes out there in a place where a lot of people just settle for chicken parm.