I had the pleasure of eating at Bensi Ristorante in New Jersey for a wedding rehersal dinner.. Bensi is a New Jersey Italian chain restaurant serving traditional Italian food.

Once we entered Bensi we were greeted with smiles. The decor is contemporary with the color scheme in dark shades of red and black. The dining room had a huge black & white photo across the walls with pictures of people enjoying Italian food.

The drink menu had a variety of cocktails and wines. The favorite amoung the guest was the white wine sangria. The food menu had traditional Italian dishes as well as Bensi inspired dishes. For starters I would recommend the Fried Calamari. It was lightly fried and not too chewy :) For entrees we had the choice of   Penne Bensi (Chicken, broccoli, fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil), Eggplant parmigiana and Grilled Salmon and Chicken Marsala.  Pasta, vegetables, and salad were served family style. All were excellent and huge portions.

For dessert we had dessert platter filled with slices of chocolate cake filled with chocolate moose and cannoli's and the Bensi Tiramisu. The cannoli was too sweet for my taste. The tiramisu was my favorite.

Overall this was a great choice, lots of food for a great price. Check out www.bensirestaurants.com for the nearest Bensi.

What is your favorite Italian dish?