UPDATE (4/27/10): Don't know what happened, but this place has been closed for months. There was a sign in the window that they are on vacation, but I don't think they are coming back.

Right down the road from the establishment that housed The Soprano's final scene sits a friendly little place called Café Tartufo. Now you are not going to find a parking space on Broad Street as easily as Meadow Soprano did that faithful night, but "don't stop believin' "--you will eventually find one.

I have been going to Café Tartufo for quite some time and there are plenty of reasons why I keep coming back. They have been in business for over 16 years, so you know they are doing something very right in order to be around that long. This place has always been like Bloomfield's best kept secret to me, so I wanted to share it with everyone--just keep your mitts out of my peanut butter gelato! 

Things to Know Before You Go

• They do not accept credit cards; cash only.
• On-street parking is very limited; your best bet is to use the "hidden" parking lot next to Brookdale Cleaners. It looks like an alley way from the street, but there is an oasis of parking at the bottom of the asphalt incline.
• The prices are extremely reasonable.
• Free Wi-Fi

First Impressions

If you visit Café Tartufo when the weather cooperates, the first thing you'll notice is the generous outdoor seating. Now I am not a big fan of outdoor seating for dinner, but it is very therapeutic for this Italian to sit outside on a nice night sipping a cappuccino. Besides--the view on this section of

Broad Street is very entertaining. Watching people trying to jam their SUVs into Smart-Car-size parking spots is pretty funny in my book.

The seating inside Café Tartufo is somewhat limited, but that is to be expected at a Café. Once inside, you'll forget all about the perils of parking as soon as you gaze upon the magnificent dessert case that is front and center.

Baked Goods

All the baked goods are homemade and done entirely on the premises. The top shelf is adorned with a collection of cookies. From biscotti to pignoli cookies, there is something there for everyone. Below that there are pastries, cannolis and crostatas--which are an Italian baked dessert tart. Two rows of glorious cakes finish out this sugary showcase. On any given day, you can choose from the following cakes: Tiramisu, Italian Ricotta, Italian Rum, Profiterol (which is basically a cake composed of cream puffs), Cheese, Carrot, Coconut and a host of others.

A slice of cake (which is more like a hunk of cake) costs $3.25 and the Tiramisu is $3.95. The cannoli's are $2.00 and $2.50 if you want a chocolate-covered shell. One of my favorite pastries at Café Tartufo is their crostata. It is like a miniature pie and only costs $2.95. They come in apricot, strawberry and raspberry. I highly recommend the raspberry!

Gelato

The cakes aren't the only thing homemade at Café Tartufo. There are over a dozen varieties of gelato (which is 30% less fat than ice cream) and six different types of sorbet (both dairy and fat free) to choose from and trust me--I've tried them all! Some of the flavors that come to mind are Peanut Butter, Coffee, Pignoli, Cannoli, Pistachio, Mint, Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, Mocha, and Coconut to name a few.

Besides all the info in parenthesis, I also learned from actually reading their menu instead of salivating over it, that Café Tartufo makes their gelato like it has been done in Italy for hundreds of years--they age it for 12 to 24 hours, pasteurize, homogenize, bring it to a cooling temperature and then make it into gelato with fresh fruits and natural flavors. There is nothing chemically or artificially added. This process sounds--systematic--hydromatic--ultramatic--it could be?--oh, you know the rest.

My all-time favorite flavor is peanut butter. When I pass through the pearly gates--I'll know I made it to the right place if there is a vat of Café Tartufo's peanut butter gelato waiting for me; if the intercom says, "Welcome to Home Goods," I know I'm not going to have a need for long-sleeve shirts.

The peanut butter gelato is absolutely flawless. Their secret is the ton of chocolate chips that are swimming in this creamy pool of peanut butter perfection. And I'm not talking about those mini chocolate chips--these chocolate chips are large and in charge. Every bite tastes like a homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Cup--but much better! I'm not lying when I tell you I can polish off a pint of this before my wife and child even finish their dessert--it is that good.

The pistachio, mint, pignoli and cannoli flavors are my other favorites, but do yourself a favor and try them all--you can sample any flavor you want. Café Tartufo sells the gelato by the scoop or even in a cone. One large scoop is $3.00, three are $3.50 and five are $4.25.

Specialty Desserts

If you are in the mood for something a little different, these gelato geniuses have a variety of dishes that look just as good as they taste and are all only $5.25. There are quite a few specialty desserts to choose from and you can even get your gelato on top of a homemade waffle. I'm a simple guy, so I always go straight for the scoops of gelato, but for the sake of the review, I forced myself to detract from my usual routine.

I tried the spaghetti which consists of vanilla gelato, strawberry sauce and shredded coconut. I've seen the picture on the wall a thousand times, but never really thought about how the heck they were going to make the gelato look like spaghetti. All I know is that they worked their magic behind the counter and out came a dish of gelato that looked like a spaghetti dinner. The finishing touch was the shredded coconut on top to look like parmesan cheese. It was a nice combination of flavors and I can see this dessert being real popular with children and adults.

My daughter opted for another kid-friendly dish called the Coppa Buzzer.  Somehow they turn any flavor of gelato, a fresh banana, caramel and chocolate syrup, and whipped cream into a dish that looks like a bee. Of course I had to "bee" a good reviewer and see what all the "buzz" was about this dessert. I was very proud of my daughter for selecting such a great tasting dessert. The banana was ripe (I absolutely hate green bananas!), gelato was spot on and the whipped cream was amazing.

Whipped Cream

Café Tartufo makes their own whipped cream and it is one of the best I have ever tasted.  They do charge you an extra 50 cents to add it to a drink or dessert that doesn't come with it, but it is well worth the price. I would go there with a roll of quarters and eat whipped cream all day long, but I do have other priorities in my life to tend to--like pestering corporations to send my free products to review.

Cappuccino

I have to say that I am not a big fan of coffee, but for some strange reason I seem to fancy cappuccinos. Whenever I go out for dinner, I usually like to try the cappuccino, so I have had my fair share. Café Tartufo's cappuccinos (frozen or regular) are another one of my favorites.

What I love so much is that the taste is consistent regardless of who makes it for me or what day of the week I am there--the cappuccino is always top notch. It's hard to explain, but I think the reason I like it so much is that it smells like coffee, but doesn't have that overpowering coffee taste. Personally, I think it is the whipped cream that makes the drink, but it is pretty good on its own. Plus, the frozen cappuccino tastes exactly like the regular one. Going to Café Tartufo without trying one of their cappuccinos is like not dancing on your wedding day--you just have to try it!

Pizza

Funny thing is that as long as I've been going to Café Tartufo I've never had anything other than dessert. One day, our usual server Victoria, who has never recommended something there I didn't like, was telling us about how the pizza they make is really good. I was skeptical, but then I figured how bad could the pizza really be--especially since the desserts are so good.

She recommended the buffalo chicken pizza. Since that one day last year, I think we have had just about every variation of pizza on the menu. The pizza at Café Tartufo is better than most pizza joints in my neighborhood and there are about six of them within walking distance from my house.

The crust is not too thin, but not too thick and is usually crispy. My family's personal favorites are the buffalo chicken and chicken parmesan. I like the fact that the buffalo chicken is spicy enough to enjoy, but not too hot. Adding the blue cheese is the perfect way to complete your slice of buffalo chicken pizza.

Café Tartufo's pizza comes in three sizes: Small ($4.25 - $5.25), Medium ($6.95 - $9.95) and Large ($9.95 - $12.25). The small pizza is good if you are by yourself or for a child that is between 5-7 years old. Medium is the perfect size if you are dining as a couple and plan on having dessert. Large is good for a family of four that plans on eating dessert.

The Service

Going to Café Tartufo is more like visiting a relative's house (that you like) than going out to eat. It is a very relaxed environment. The staff and management are very warm and friendly people. I probably go there once or twice every other week and every time I go there I still get "surprised" when I receive the check--not because of the price--but I simply forget that I am out to eat.

I see the owner out and about all the time and she is always bringing up friendly conversation with her customers. You can tell that she really loves what she does and I am positive that the service is another reason why people keep coming back to Café Tartufo.

Made To Order

Another great thing about this place is that they will do their best to make you whatever you want--even if it is not on the menu. I can't tell you how many times the owner will tell us to create our own pizza or make up any type of dessert we want. In fact, I was just there yesterday and overheard someone asking for vegetable soup and the owner was like, "We can make it for them--no problem." Granted, I don't know how the heck someone could have soup outside when it is over 80 degrees, but who am I to judge?

The End Result

If you are looking for some decadent desserts and outstanding cappuccinos--Café Tartufo is the place for you. They also have some tasty pizza and an entire menu of appetizers, hamburgers and sandwiches.

As I explained, there are several reasons why Café Tartufo has earned a spot on my cell phone's speed dial list between my wife's and mom's phone number. The main reason is to make sure that the peanut butter gelato is in stock. Seeing an empty bin of my favorite flavor in the gelato case is worse than taking your cousin to the prom. I'll still go there if it is out of stock, but I think they are getting tired of cleaning my face print off the glass in front of the peanut butter gelato.

Café Tartufo

1035 Broad Street

Bloomfield, NJ 07003

973-338-0997

Hours: Mon 6PM - 12AM;

Tues - Sun 11:30AM - 12AM