Recently, some friends and I made plans to go out to dinner
and decided on Razza, a not-quite new restaurant in Jersey City that focuses on
a simple menu with fresh, local ingredients. We walked in shortly before 8pm on
a Friday and were greeted by a very friendly hostess who
estimated a 25 minute wait. Not short, but not bad for a Friday evening. They
had some space inside to wait, as well as plenty of room on the sidewalk where
they had placed a trolley with chopped wood, lanterns, and a few menus for
passerby to peruse which is a nice introduction to the atmosphere of
the restaurant.
The restaurant itself is dark with lots of wood, simply
decorated with the wood-burning oven dominating the back of the space. It’s
spacious without being large and is wonderfully atmospheric, both intimate and relaxed.
I didn’t feel out of place when I laughed loudly and was just as comfortable
having a quiet conversation. Our server
was very friendly, knowledgeable, and checked in regularly without being
overbearing. She gave recommendations easily and answered questions when we had
them. When giving the list of specials
for the evening (all of which sounded amazing), she gave the price for each
which was much appreciated. I don’t know why more restaurants don’t do this –
no one wants to deal with sticker shock at the end of the night.
