This Week at Casa Dante

www.casadante.com       See us on    FACEBOOK  Dear Friends: The press often refers to Casa Dante as "old school".  This designation upset me in the past, but I have a new philosophy about it. Most of the large chains try to recreate a feel and atmosphere which we have as a matter of course.   Oak and Mahogany panels, old world charm, professional staff & Maitr'd. They get it right sometimes, but you can't beat the real thing. You can't beat 40 years of getting it right, and great food!. We had a fun-filled evening with Julian & Dominique last Saturday night. If you haven't experienced Casa Dante with entertainment, start with them & our food, of course. J & D are warming up for the New Years Eve Bash in which they're the featured entertainment. We are accepting reservations in the main dining room and front dining room for the evening. Book now as time is getting short!  Thanks for reading and see you soon! Dom & Toni Marino Proprietors Casa Dante 3.5 stars Star Ledger, 2010 Wine Spectator Award, 2009 & 2010 Wine Enthusiast Award 2009, Best Italian in NJ by AOL, Top three Italian inNJ, Inside Jersey Magazine Check out the specials and discounts below and join our  FACEBOOK  fan page. www.casadante.com/entertainment or other events at www.casadante.com/events Entertainment this week!       Friday October 29, 2010     Danny Bacher  Jazz Musician & Singer....delightful   Saturday, October 30  A great night of Entertainment! They will be here on New Years Eve!  Reserve today!   Julian & Dominique   See the entire live entertainment schedule on www.casadante.com/entertainment  for November & the New Years Eve Bash and scroll down here for recipes, tid-bits and other"happenings" at Casa Dante!

Healthy Italian Fusilli with Scallops and Peas   Ingredients 2  quarts water 2  cups  (6 ounces) sugar snap peas, trimmed 12  ounces  uncooked fusilli or rotini 1  tablespoon  butter 1  pound  sea scallops (halved if large) 2  garlic cloves, minced 1/4  cup  dry white wine 1  ounce  block-style 1/3-less-fat cream cheese 1/4  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice 1/4  teaspoon  salt 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper 1/4  cup  thinly sliced fresh basil Preparation 1. Boil water in stockpot. Add peas; cook 3 minutes. Remove; add pasta to boiling water and cook according to directions. 2. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops; sear 1 minute per side and remove. Add peas and garlic; saut� 1 minute. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 1 minute. Add cream cheese; stir until melted. Stir in broth, lemon juice, salt, and pepper; cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat; return scallops to mixture. 3. Drain pasta; return to pot. Add scallop mixture and basil, and toss. Serve hot. Nutritional Information Calories: 497 Fat: 6g (sat 3g,mono 1g,poly 1g) Cholesterol: 49mg Protein: 33g Carbohydrate: 73g Fiber: 4g Iron: 4mg Sodium: 330mg Calcium: 89mg Kathy Kingsley       Did you know?

Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast?

It used to be common for someone to try to kill an enemy by offering him a poisoned drink.
To prove to a guest that a drink was safe, it became customary for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the glass of the host. Both men would drink it simultaneously.
When a guest trusted his host, he would then just touch or clink the host's glass with his own

quote of the week   "it isnt food if it's served through a car window"    Michael Pollan   Not sure if I agree with this entirely. Have had some great local food served in unusual styles in our travels. But I get what he means. If you want to contribute a quote send it to me at info@casadante.com    Please write "quote" in the subject line. Casa Dante's 40th New Years Eve Bash! Live Entertainment, Dinner, Champagne Toast, Party Favors and lots of fun!  This one will be amazing. Julian & Dominique will entertain us all night long! Book now as seating is limited and this will sell out quickly this year!  Hotel rooms & transportation available. Casa Dante first opened its doors in 1971. We are in our 40th Anniversary year  and our celebration is under way. New Menu items, Bigger Wine Dinners, Unique Wine Tastings, Great Holiday deals, a Fantastic New Years Celebration! Stay tuned for more news........ Extra Specials for email group only ...we want you to take advantage of us!  We are offering a 10% discount on parties up to eight on Monday through Thursday for the month of October & November 2010. This is only for email  or Blogger customers! Just print this and bring it along. You must be in our database, so make sure you are included by calling or emailing your request.  Sunday Specials for October ( sorry this cannot be honored in November & December ) 10% Discount for parties up to 10 people. Take the family out for Sunday Dinner and get a bonus along with a great Sunday meal. Just mention to your server and thanks! Here's, another...on Mondays through October &  November 2010...half price on bottles of wine up to $200 in our award(s) winning wine list.  Just come in and order dinner.  ( This one is really catching on....Monday evenings are becoming a big wine night here.) The above deals are for email customers only and may not be combined with any other offer.  Heres a tip.....Google " Casa Dante" and check out web coupons and deals we have out there! Im trying to help you have a great meal, and save money too! Remember that we deliver larger office orders on weekdays throughout Jersey City and closer vicinities. Call 201-795-2750 for details! If you are a fan of  Casa Dante, the best way to get the word out is on the internet! You can help us improve Casa Dante's online visibility on the youth dominated internet. Please review us on on any of the following sites and keep tried and true institutions like ours in play. Thanks for your help! http://www.zagat.com/Verticals/PropertyDetails.aspx?VID=8&R=42603 http://www.yelp.com/biz/casa-dante-restaurant-jersey-city http://yellowpages.aol.com/business/nj/jersey-city/casa-dante-restaurant/0-110358357/ http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/6670237/jersey_city_nj/casa_dante.html http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/53/581459/restaurant/North-Jersey/Casa-Dante-Jersey-City

This week at Casa Dante

www.casadante.com       See us on    FACEBOOK  Dear Friends We travel extensively and have noticed that we meet two types of people most often, regardless of where we are; they are people from Brooklyn and people from Jersey City. From California to Florida, Maine to Arizona it never fails; we have influenced and stretched out across this nation. I read somewhere that a huge percentage of this country's population can trace their roots to our region.   I sit accross someone who looks like an "easterner" or a friend or family, and invariably I ask the question " what accent is that?"  "Jersey City, what's it to ya!"   In Santa Monica of all places. Gotta love it!  ( and more often then not, they know Casa Dante....unbelievable!) We are all over the world and our style of food is most often sought after with great longing. I'm glad we're still here enjoying what we have, because believe me, when you retire to North Carolina, or Scottsdale or wherever, you're going to miss this food.  Thanks for reading and see you soon! Dom & Toni Marino Proprietors Casa Dante 3.5 stars Star Ledger, 2010 Wine Spectator Award, 2009 & 2010 Wine Enthusiast Award 2009, Best Italian in NJ by AOL, Top three Italian inNJ, Inside Jersey Magazine Check out the specials and discounts below and join our  FACEBOOK  fan page.     www.casadante.com/entertainment or other events at www.casadante.com/events Entertainment this week!       Friday October 22, 2010      Danny Bacher  Smooth Jazz & vocals   Saturday, October 23 & Saturday October 30, 2010  A two weekend run for the duo that will be singing & playing here on   New Years Eve!  Reserve today!   Julian & Dominique   See the entire live entertainment schedule on www.casadante.com/entertainment  for October and scroll down here for recipes, tid-bits and other"happenings" at Casa Dante!

Healthy Italian Penne with Vodka Sauce & Capicolla   This velvety tomato sauce is spiked with cubes of salty capicolla and a few shots of vodka. Make it a Meal: Caesar salad and a glass of Pinot Noir will shine with this dish.   6 servings Active Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes Nutrition Profile Ingredients 12 ounces whole-wheat penne 1 2-ounce piece capicola, or pancetta, finely diced (see Tip) 1 small onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 cup vodka 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes 1/4 cup half-and-half 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil Freshly ground pepper, to taste   More Healthy Recipe Ideas Preparation Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook penne until just tender, 12 minutes or according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook capicola (or pancetta) in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel. Return the saucepan to medium-low heat; add onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, about 1 minute. Increase heat to high; add vodka and bring to a boil. Boil until reduced by about half, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, half-and-half, Worcestershire sauce and crushed red pepper to taste; reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta; serve topped with the sauce and sprinkled with the capicola (or pancetta), basil and pepper. Tips & Notes Tip: Capicolla and pancetta can be found in the deli section of most large supermarkets. Buy one thick piece for this recipe. Nutrition Per serving: 311 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 9 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 11 g protein; 5 g fiber; 264 mg sodium; 517 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (25% daily value), Iron, Magnesium & Vitamin A (20% dv). 3 Carbohydrate Serving Did you know?

How much wine is in a bottle? Generally a bottle of wine measures the liquid in milliliters, with 750 ml being the standard amount in most bottles (or about 25 fluid ounces).

How many grapes does it take to make your average bottle of wine? It takes about 2 � pounds of grapes to make a bottle of wine.
How many bottles of wine does it take to make create a case of wine? 12
How many gallons of wine are produced from one acre of grapevines? About 800
Where does the vanilla flavor in wine come from? If newer oak barrels were used in the winemaking process, the wines will often have a hint of vanilla in both the aroma and flavor.
When was the corkscrew designed? Mid-1800�s.
How many varieties of wine grapes exist in the world today? Over 10,000!
How many gallons of wine does California produce annually? Over 17 million gallons
How many calories are in a four ounce glass of red wine Approximately 85
How many gallons of wine are in a single barrel? 60
How many grapevines generally make up an acre? 400
When did winemaking begin? The Mesopotamians were credited with producing the first wines in 6000 B.C.

Casa Dante's 40th New Years Eve Bash! Live Entertainment, Dinner, Champagne Toast, Party Favors and lots of fun!  This one will be amazing. Julian & Dominique will entertain us all night long! Book now as seating is limited and this will sell out quickly this year!  Hotel rooms & transportation available. Casa Dante first opened its doors in 1971. We are in our 40th Anniversary year  and our celebration is under way. New Menu items, Bigger Wine Dinners, Unique Wine Tastings, Great Holiday deals, a Fantastic New Years Celebration! Stay tuned for more news........ Extra Specials for email group only ...we want you to take advantage of us!  We are offering a 10% discount on parties up to eight on Monday through Thursday for the month of October 2010. This is only for email  or Blogger customers! Just print this and bring it along. You must be in our database, so make sure you are included by calling or emailing your request.  Sunday Specials for October 10% Discount for parties up to 10 people. Take the family out for Sunday Dinner and get a bonus along with a great Sunday meal. Just mention to your server and thanks! Here's, another...on Mondays through October 2010...half price on bottles of wine up to $200 in our award(s) winning wine list.  Just come in and order dinner.  ( This one is really catching on....Monday evenings are becoming a big wine night here.) The above deals are for email customers only and may not be combined with any other offer.  Heres a tip.....Google " Casa Dante" and check out web coupons and deals we have out there! Im trying to help you have a great meal, and save money too! Remember that we deliver larger office orders on weekdays throughout Jersey City and closer vicinities. Call 201-795-2750 for details! If you are a fan of  Casa Dante, the best way to get the word out is on the internet! You can help us improve Casa Dante's online visibility on the youth dominated internet. Please review us on on any of the following sites and keep tried and true institutions like ours in play. Thanks for your help! http://www.zagat.com/Verticals/PropertyDetails.aspx?VID=8&R=42603 http://www.yelp.com/biz/casa-dante-restaurant-jersey-city http://yellowpages.aol.com/business/nj/jersey-city/casa-dante-restaurant/0-110358357/ http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/6670237/jersey_city_nj/casa_dante.html http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/53/581459/restaurant/North-Jersey/Casa-Dante-Jersey-City

This Week at Casa Dante

www.casadante.com       See us on    FACEBOOK  Dear Friends We're heating up for the upcoming Holiday season. Alot of pent-up demand for stress free enjoyment with friends and family. As I mentioned, Julian & Dominique will be our featured live entertainment for New Years Eve. As many of you know, we always have a great time and this year will prove to be an absolute blast. We have already started booking so please dont miss out on this...especially if youre a fan of theirs and ours!  Other holiday menus and dates will be forthcoming. Thanks for your support and enjoy the following tidbids, recipes and entertainment options!    Dom & Toni Marino Proprietors Casa Dante 3.5 stars Star Ledger, 2010 Wine Spectator Award, 2009 & 2010 Wine Enthusiast Award 2009, Best Italian in NJ by AOL, Top three Italian inNJ, Inside Jersey Magazine Check out the specials and discounts below and join our  FACEBOOK  fan page.     www.casadante.com/entertainment or other events at www.casadante.com/events Entertainment this week!       Friday October 15, 2010      The Don Carter Trio  Smooth Jazz for your dining and listening pleasure   Saturday, October 16, 2010     Carl Thomas Carl achieved distinction for his tribute performances to the late-1950s/1960s star Bobby Darin at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and at the Copa Room in the Sands Hotel, Atlantic City, among other venues.  Come in for a great meal and listen to Carl sing! See the entire live entertainment schedule on www.casadante.com/entertainment  for October and scroll down here for recipes, tid-bits and other"happenings" at Casa Dante!

Healthy Italian Creamy Pasta With Roasted Zucchini, Almonds and Basil Published: October 12, 2010 in the New York Times We at Casa Dante have been featuring whole wheat and grain pastas for years. Many of our customers have become accustomed to this nutrional and tasty alternative to regular pasta. See this recipe for Creamy Pasta with Roasted Zucchini, almonds and basil. Delicious!   Time: 45 minutes Enlarge This Image Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times Creamy pasta with roasted zucchini, almonds and basil. Related 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups) 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt Pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons slivered almonds 1/3 cup heavy cream 1 sprig basil, with leaves and stem 3 tablespoons goat cheese 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 6 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti or linguine. 1. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Toss the zucchini and oil with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Arrange zucchini on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until golden and tender, 20 to 30 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a skillet over medium heat until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. 3. Simmer the cream and basil sprig in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 7 minutes. Whisk in the goat cheese until the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and keep warm. 4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well. Toss the pasta with the cream sauce. Serve topped with the zucchini and almonds. Yield: 2 servings. Wine Talk

  A great article in the October 12 NY Times about Zindfandel ( red, please!). It has become one of my favorite wines in many different price categories..delicious. We carry a great selection here at Casa Dante, and see these below if your tastebuds want a change from Cabs or Pinots. Enjoy!

BEST VALUE
Ravenswood Sonoma County, $15, ** �
Zinfandel Old Vine 2007
Exuberant, juicy and dense; powerful yet balanced.
Williams Selyem Russian River Valley, $72, ** �
Feeney Vineyard Zinfandel 2008
Dark, dense and opulent with a rich, silky texture.
Ridge Dry Creek Valley, $22, ** �
East Bench Zinfandel 2008
Lively and pleasant, with pretty aromas of spices and berries.
St. Francis Sonoma County, $20, ** �
Zinfandel Old Vines 2007
Fleshy, with well-integrated flavors of berries, anise and earth.
Murphy Goode Sonoma County, $18, **
Zinfandel Liar's Dice 2007
Fresh, with aromas of dark fruit, earth and plenty of oak.
Gamba Russian River Valley, $45, **
Gamba Estate Vineyard Zinfandel Old Vine 2007
Huge and almost overwhelming, with mouthfuls of jammy fruit.
Rosenblum Rockpile, $40, **
Rockpile Road Vineyard Zinfandel 2006
Rich, full and dense, with baked, jammy fruit.

Casa Dante's 40th New Years Eve Bash! Live Entertainment, Dinner, Champagne Toast, Party Favors and lots of fun!  This one will be amazing. Julian & Dominique will entertain us all night long! Book now as this will sell out quickly this year!  Hotel rooms & transportation available. Casa Dante first opened its doors in 1971. We are in our 40th Anniversary year  and our celebration is under way. New Menu items, Bigger Wine Dinners, Great Holiday deals, a Fantastic New Years Celebration! Stay tuned for more news........ Extra Specials for email group only ...we want you to take advantage of us!  We are offering a 10% discount on parties up to eight on Monday through Thursday for the month of October 2010. This is only for email  or Blogger customers! Just print this and bring it along. You must be in our database, so make sure you are included by calling or emailing your request.  Sunday Specials for August 10% Discount for parties up to 10 people. Take the family out for Sunday Dinner and get a bonus along with a great Sunday meal. Just mention to your server and thanks! Here's, another...on Mondays through September 2010...half price on bottles of wine up to $200 in our award(s) winning wine list.  Just come in and order dinner.  ( This one is really catching on....Monday evenings are becoming a big wine night here.) The above deals are for email customers only and may not be combined with any other offer.  Heres a tip.....Google " Casa Dante" and check out web coupons and deals we have out there! Im trying to help you have a great meal, and save money too! Remember that we deliver larger office orders on weekdays throughout Jersey City and closer vicinities. Call 201-795-2750 for details! If you are a fan of  Casa Dante, the best way to get the word out is on the internet! You can help us improve Casa Dante's online visibility on the youth dominated internet. Please review us on on any of the following sites and keep tried and true institutions like ours in play. Thanks for your help! http://www.zagat.com/Verticals/PropertyDetails.aspx?VID=8&R=42603 http://www.yelp.com/biz/casa-dante-restaurant-jersey-city http://yellowpages.aol.com/business/nj/jersey-city/casa-dante-restaurant/0-110358357/ http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/6670237/jersey_city_nj/casa_dante.html http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/53/581459/restaurant/North-Jersey/Casa-Dante-Jersey-City