Welcome to Em & M: the first-ever meal critics of The Echo. Sparked by a love of chocolate and a play on words, we, Emily Dayton and Malini Jathavedam, are excited to take you along for our 3-year-long tour of the finest restaurants, cafes, and eateries near Tenafly, New Jersey. We call ourselves “meal critics” rather than “food critics” for one very particular reason: we review more than just food. We will be exploring other factors, such as service, price, ambiance, vibes—everything it takes to create the perfect dining experience. As food connoisseurs, we sample foods from both vegetarian and meat-eating perspectives since we aim to share the best meals for all to try.
As our last Em & M of the school year, we decided to treat ourselves to dinner and start our Memorial Day Weekend off on the right foot. Located in Englewood, Aumm Aumm’s proximity to Tenafly made it a great dinner selection. The choice was up to Emily, who claimed that the warm Italian food and comforting, conversational restaurant would provide us with a nice meal. After eating at Aumm Aumm, we can confirm that comforting and conversational are amongst the many words that may be used to describe Aumm Aumm, and they most certainly are fitting.
Walking into Aumm Aumm, you can expect a dimly lit restaurant with a rustic feeling. It has both an indoor and outdoor space that has the perfect set up for a late summer night dinner. Immediately we were introduced to our waitress, with our menus, and to accompany them, many meal recommendations.
Our Aumm Aumm dining experience began with what we argue is easily the most underrated part—the bread! Made from their pizza dough, it is fired to a crisp in their brick oven and is the perfect appetizer to munch on as you wait for your meal. Although you might want to fill up on the bread, you must pace yourself because great food awaits you. We took our own advice and didn’t finish all of the bread in one go; leftover appetizer bread serves as the perfect vessel for cleaning up remnants of saucy pasta dishes.
For our meals, we tried three different dishes. The first, arguably the best, was the Pennoni alla Genovese Napoletana. Since this dish contained meat, Malini could not eat it, but we could not skip out on it because it has been Emily’s uncontested favorite for years. In Emily’s words, no pasta will ever compare. The pasta is cooked al dente with pieces of slow cooked beef and caramelized onions. Although the pasta is extremely filling, Emily pushed through and tried the other dishes. As a frequent customer at Aumm, Emily has tried a variety of dishes, such as the Margherita pizza, Chicken Milanese, and Tagliatelle Bolognese and can firmly say that they are all exceptional; however, she decided stray from her typical favorites and try two new dishes with Malini.
For our second dish, we chose the Paccheri Aumm Aumm: thick circular noodles in a creamy, fresh tomato sauce. One thing that makes this dish special is its authenticity. Not only is the sauce made in house, but it is a “filetto de pomodoro” meaning that the tomatoes are hand crushed. Although the dish was tasty, in Emily’s opinion, compared with the other options on the Amum Amum menu, it was no match.
Our last entree was a pizza to share—because how could we leave Aumm Aumm without one of these delicious bites? We asked our waitress for a vegetarian recommendation, and she told us that the Bianca Ortolana—with mozzarella cheese, eggplant, zucchini, and pepper—was a great choice. We chose to add red sauce to it, and it was a delicious addition to our meal. Many chose not to add vegetables to their pizza, but we embrace it. The sautéed eggplant and roasted peppers added a refreshing bite to the heaviness of the pizza. Malini especially loved how soft and buttery the eggplant was on the pizza, adding not only a new flavor but a great new texture, too. Its thin and light nature allowed us to enjoy it alongside our two separate entrees, and the fluffy crust was perfect for soaking up the excess pasta sauce. Although we were stuffed, we both found ourselves reaching for a second piece.
We’re sad to have to say goodbye for now, but you can expect to hear from us soon, with summer meals ready for review. As for now, we encourage you to take the past year’s reviews and treat yourself to a nice meal and start your summer break right!
Signing off for now,
Em & M
