Vol. 5, No. 7, July 2008
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Simply Red
The Red Room • 141 North Dorset Avenue, Ventnor • 609-822-1067
With a roster of classic seafood and Italian dishes and an emphasis on simplicity, Ventnor’s Red Room Café has become very popular very fast.
Though it only opened April 14, the once-vacant insurance office on the corner of Dorset and Monmouth has already built a loyal following. Patrons flock here for intimate but casual dining and great cuisine in a friendly, distinctly contemporary atmosphere.
Owner Robert Conti says he didn’t want “a typical Italian restaurant with Sinatra playing and pictures of Sicily on the walls.” As the name suggests, the décor is sophisticated red against a black backdrop—crimson walls and ceilings, black tablecloths, vivid red napkins, black-clad wait staff. No Sinatra, Tony Bennett or Andrea Bocelli—the soundtrack is suitably adult contemporary.
A carved monkey chandelier adds a whimsical touch, as does the “drunken monkey” poster (actually an old-time ad for anisette). Framed photographs of racehorses and jockeys reflect Conti’s love of thoroughbreds (he owns and runs several).
The South Philly-bred entrepreneur who also runs a construction company admits that, when he decided to open a restaurant, he knew next to nothing about the business.
“I can build you a house,” Conti says, “but the only thing I know about food is how to eat.”
Apparently, that’s enough. Conti’s approach to the menu—“simple and fresh, nothing extra-fancy, nothing extra-hard to make”—is reflected in selections like Chicken Giambotta. Tender chicken breasts and mild sausage are served up with sweet and hot peppers and roasted potatoes. Here’s where the artistry is evident: the potatoes have a just-right firmness; the string beans and baby carrots are just crisp enough. A tart wine sauce with capers and calamari olives does not overwhelm the entrée. It’s possible to actually taste each item on the plate.
Ditto with the Mozzarella & Tomato Caprese. It’s your basic tomato-basil-mozz: fat slices of succulent cheese stacked on fresh slices of tomato, dressed with basil in olive oil and a balsamic reduction. Alongside a basket of Conti’s home-baked focaccia bread—which is tasty, crunchy, almost buttery—this appetizer is delicious and filling.
Conti and his wife Britney are strict, almost fanatical about freshness. They permit no dried or powdered herbs in their kitchen, and produce is just off the truck: “I buy as we need things,” says Conti. “I don’t want things laying around.”
His personal menu favorite is Veal & Wild Mushrooms in a Marsala wine sauce with shitake and porcini mushrooms, served with roasted potatoes and vegetables, and finished with salt, pepper and fresh basil.
For lunch, we suggest one of the Red Room’s pizzas: the marvelous Mediterranean has eggplant, artichokes, roasted red peppers and feta cheese; the Pescatore Marinara (Fisherman’s) Pizza is a colorful mélange of mussels, clams, thinly sliced calamari and shrimp with fresh basil, onions and buffalo mozzarella.
Desserts change periodically; cook Joe Bela recommends the banana napoleon, tira misu and crème brulee. Cannolis are a staple.
Weekends are busy, so reservations are recommended.
The Red Room is staffed by immediate and extended members of the Conti clan “to give that family feeling, with people at one table talking to people at another table,” says the owner. For atmosphere as well as cuisine, this charming café gets high marks.
Hours Lunch: 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dinner: 5 p.m. -11 p.m. Open Sundays, closed Wednesdays for private parties.
(609) 822-1067
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