Yesterday's Restaurant, Any Day of the Week

Overview: Family-owned and operated, Yesterday's Restaurant, 3153 Rt. 35, has been in business for over 50 years. Recently rebuilt, you could miss it as you zoom by on the highway, but the cascading fountain, landscaped garden, and container flowers will catch your attention as you approach the entrance.

Decor:  Welcoming and warm, in rich tones of chocolate brown and beige, with soft lighting of amber glass pendants and creamy task lights. The sound level is surprisingly (and refreshingly) quiet, allowing diners to easily hold conversations and be heard. Yesterday's has a casual elegance, there's a definite Tuscan vibe. At the door, you'll be greeted by a friendly hostess who will seat you in either a high-backed, over-sized upholstered booth or a tavern style table.

The Drinks:   If there's a wait, you can relax with a drink or a draft at the intimate, fully-stocked bar made of rich dark wood and set off from the dining room with a half wall and plants. Two flat screen TVs (sound low or off) are tuned to ESPN to watch the game.

Entrees:  Yesterday's specializes in delicious, fresh Southern Italian and popular American cuisine, and offers both a lunch and dinner menu.  Lunch at Yesterday's is a nice bargain, with items like burgers & fries, wraps, chicken salad sandwiches, or veal parm with fries for $5. For an additional $3.95, add the soup and salad bar. Or, just go with soup and salad bar (the chicken and rice is delicious) for $6.95. The salad bar, while not enormous, is appetizing and kept full with a mix of romaine greens and bright purple cabbage, with carrots, beans, cukes, tomatoes, olives and other salad fixings to choose from.

For dinner, all entrees include soup, salad bar, and mussels marinara. 

Popular appetizers are Bruschetta(4.95), the Hot Antipasto (Clams Casino, Clams Oreganata, Shrimp Oreganata, & Eggplant Rollitini, $9.95), or the Crab Meltaway (a mixture of crab, cheddar, mozzarella and jalapenos smothering on baked bread, $6.95).

There are classic Italian pasta dishes such as Tortellini Alfredo ($12.95), Linguini with Red or White Clam sauce ($15.95), or Pasta alla Rosa (Sauteed chicken in garlic, onion, and olive oil tossed with spinach, sundried tomatoes, and penne pasta, $14.95).

Chicken favorites are Chicken Marsala ($14.95), L.A. Chicken (Chicken breast sauteed with heavy cream, tequila, and Cajun spices over pasta, $14.95), and Chicken Scampi (Chicken breast sauteed in garlic butter and white wine over pasta, $14.95).

Classic Beef, Pork, Veal, and Seafood entrees include Chargrilled Sirloin Steak ($19.95), Pork Loin Murphy ($16.95), and Veal Redmond (Sauteed veal topped with ham, tomato, and eggplant smothered  with mozzarella cheese and mushroom sauce $17.95).

Desserts:  Italian classics like Tiramisu, Tartufo, and Spumoni, as well as New York Cheesecake and ice cream will have to wait another day (we were stuffed!). Prices range from $3.95 to $5.95. 

Service:  The service was welcoming, attentive, and friendly. We felt relaxed and well taken care of. Our server Brigid was sweet and very knowledgeable. She even remembered which child got which beverage from a previous visit.  Substitutions and special requests were no problem. Owner Vinnie Spolero strolled about, greeting and welcoming his guests.

Signature Dish: The Eggplant Parmigiana, Eggplant Rollitini, Broiled Salmon with lemon, garlic, butter and white wine sauce, and the Stuffed Flounder are Yesterday's proudest (and among its most popular) dishes. We agree. The Rollitini were fresh, tender, flavorful, with just the right amount of seasoned ricotta, ham, and light tomato sauce. The Broiled Salmon was perfectly cooked, served with a generous drizzle of that delicate lemon butter sauce.  It was all we could do to keep from licking the plate.

Yesterday's offers a children's menu, and even though Yesterday's is casual and family-friendly, it's not family-frenzied.

Yesterday's Restaurant
3153 State Route 35 North
Hazlet, NJ 
732-264-3777

Full Service Catering, Banquet, and Wedding services.