Mon-Fri: 11:30am-2:00pm and 5:00pm-10:00pm.
Sat: 5:00pm-11:00pm & Sun: 4:00pm-10:00pm Review Date: 11/14/00            Leo’s Grandevous serves the best Italian food in Hoboken. My English teacher in fifth grade taught me to begin the first sentence to make a statement; and there it is. I cannot say it more simply, you must go to this restaurant as soon as you can and eat there. I have lived in Hoboken for six years and never heard of this restaurant. None of my friends, and many of them living in Hoboken all their life never said: “Hey Sean, I have this great place for you to try...” Maybe it’s a Hoboken conspiracy to keep this great restaurant to themselves and keep the riff-raff away.            Walking in to Leo’s Grandevous, you are surrounded by Frank. Yes, that Frank. Frank Sinatra. Old Blue Eyes is everywhere, from his pictures all over the wall to the music in the air, to even a selection on the menu named after him. He looks down upon you in the small dining area, perhaps with only 35 seats for patrons. There is a large bar that takes up the other half of the restaurant, which was tended on the night I went by one of the current owners, Nicholas DePalma.            Nicholas was a very friendly fellow, and told me about the establishment’s history. His grandparents, Leo and Tessie DiTerlizzi, opened it in 1939, and Leo worked there for 60 years, until he retired in 1999! With the homage to Sinatra all over the place, I had to ask: “Did Sinatra eat here?” Nicholas informed me that Sinatra grew up only 4 blocks from the restaurant, and visited before he became famous and did return in the 70’s for another meal. They even have the barstool he sat on above the bar, never to be used by mortal buttocks again. He also informed me that Leo’s Grandevous is one of the oldest family owned establishments in the mile square city (Helmer’s for example, is an older restaurant, but has changed owners, and families, over the years). A detailed history of Leo’s can be also read in “Jukebox America” by William Bunch.            The night we visited, Jennifer, one of the two wonderful waitresses there, served Brad and me. She was very knowledgeable and friendly, which are my two favorite qualities in the wait staff. Brad had dined at Leo’s before, and had in fact told me about coming here. He knew already what he wanted to try, but I asked Jennifer (who didn’t know I was reviewing them), what would be the “dish that best defines” Leo’s.            “Everything is great.”, she said. I responded jokingly, “I’ve heard that before!”. But she stated her case, giving us many examples from the menu to try, depending what we were in the mood for. The menu was designed by Leo himself, with some of the more contemporary dishes created by Sergio DeNichoilo, who is a co-owner with Nicholas DePalma. The menu is large and varied, with something for everyone, and the prices are very reasonable.            Brad decided to have one of his favorite appetizers, Roasted peppers, smoked-mozzarella & tomato ($7). A simple fare, seasoned with balsamic vinegar – or so you might think. Next time I return, this is something I will order. It was outstanding. The seasoning, the delectable Jersey tomato, the sweet roasted pepper and the tender mozzarella, all combined to dance on your tongue for a symphony of taste. I ordered the Mussels ($6 small, $7.25 large), which can be ordered with the Fra Diavolo sauce or the marinara. I told Jennifer that, in my experience, Fra Diavolo sauce can be either good spicy or “the chef is in a bad mood and wants to torture the patrons” spicy. She assured me that the sauce would be enjoyable, so I went with her suggestion. I am glad I did! The sauce complimented the mussels, which were excellent, and were perfect for dipping your bread. Its hard to find a spicy sauce that can be “just spicy enough” without you having to run home for antacid afterwards.            For our main course, Brad ordered the Chicken Francese ($11.50), which comes with a choice of pasta or french fries. The chicken was moist, with a light sauce of zesty lemon, and served with angel hair pasta. I ordered the Spinach Ravioli Alfredo & Prosciutto ($8.75), which was excellent. It had a light, creamy alfredo sauce, with tantalizing ravioli and my only complaint is: I wish there were more ravioli! Wow.            We ordered dessert, and were assisted in our selection by a tray full of prepared desserts shown to us by Jessica. There were about ten different choices for every fan of dessert (Me! Me!), and I had to go for the old favorite Tiramisu ($4.50) and Brad chose Bourbon Pecan Pie ($4.50). Both were good, but not spectacular like the appetizers and entrees. I still would recommend them, they were well worth trying, and at only $4.50, its at a good price!            Overall, Brad and I rated the appetizers we chose to get a 9 out of 10, and the entrees to get a 9 out of 10, while the desserts got a 7 out of 10. The wait staff were great and helpful, who got a 9 out of 10. The atmosphere was eclectic, with the pictures of Frank and the old feel of the place made it the type of place you want to bring someone on the third or fourth date (save the first date for City Bistro). I give the atmosphere & setting a 7 out of 10, it did have charm, but it could use a few minor cosmetic changes in my humble opinion. Our total bill was $68, including tip, and would have been far less had we not ordered wine and dessert. Two people could easily have dinner for $40 at Leo’s.            The bottom line is that this is the kind of place you want to go with close friends, or family for an excellent meal. This is a place I will return to very, very often. I want to try as many different things on the menu as I can, and this could take a few months. I have found my Mecca, and its name is Leo’s Grandevous. This review is over, call your friends and tell them you are taking them to a great restaurant that Sean told you about...Overall rating: 10 out of 10Reviewed by: Sean Iaquinto