Trattoria Conte

Discovered this gem as participant in Wildwoods Restaurant Week. Each course on the Restaurant Week menu was exceptional. The Caesar salad had a light, refreshing dressing with tender lettuce. Ginger shrimp appetizer was yummy. Our entrees — chicken pomodoro and flounder with spinach and crabmeat — were amazing, big enough to take some home. Best, freshest cannoli we have ever had for dessert!

So we arrived with a party of 8 adults a 2 year old and a 1 year old. The first thing I noted was that the restaurant was hot, about 10 degrees hotter then outside and it was 85 outside. The décor was also all off. The have outdoor metal chairs as dinning room chairs and the tables all are Mismatched. The also have a long empty gelato case dominating the room from what must have been a previous business. After asking they turned on the AC and it quickly cooled down but the chairs were very uncomfortable. The server was very green and she never asked if we wanted drinks. It’s a BYOB but maybe we wanted a soda or the kids wanted milk. When they brought out the first appetizer the waitress said mushroom appetizer? My brother in law looked in the bowl and said do you mean calamari? She looked confused and said I guess. The food is «made to order» which means it all comes out haphazard appetizers rolled out every 5 –10 min and my sisters dinner came out before the appetizers were all out. The food seemed very bland no salt or pepper on the tables. We asked for butter with the bread for the kids and they said they don’t have butter in the restaurant which showed when I tried the mushrooms which were chewy and bland. 2 people ordered the large caesar salads and they came out to say they only had dressing for 2 small. They ran out of dressing? The salad was so underdressed that it just tasted like dry lettuce. My brother in law did not even touch his fish it looked like an oily mess. To there credit the owner noted that he did not eat it and took it off the bill. But she was very defensive about the fact that he did not like it. She blamed it on the fishermen that the buy from. It seemed defrosted and badly cooked. After some research we found that the place is only open on weekends. It seems like some people playing restaurant as a hobby which is why there is no investment in the restaurant and it seems amateurish. Also why the food was so inconsistent. My advice to the restaurant owner is to open full time and make some major upgrades to the food quality, décor, and staff training. Until then I would stay away.

I rate this restaurant 5 stars with one caveat… i might not rate this restaurant 5 stars if it was in another locale. I am by no means some sort of self-​proclaimed «foodie» but let’s be real here – I can sure appreciate a great meal crafted with care. Trattoria Conte gets 5 stars where it might otherwise not because in the Wildwood area, a really great restaurant is difficult to come by.
I was heartbroken when I discovered my favorite gelato place was no longer operating and Trattoria Conte was in its place. That’s neither here nor there. I was worried that my family of 8 plus a 10 month old would not get table on short notice but I was delighted when John called me back saying there was a space open at 8. when we got there, they had an ornate dining table (i think i heard somewhere that the table is some amazing 300 year old antique but i cant remember where i heard that) ready for us while there were a handful of other diners on the other side of the restaurant. We didn’t mind the late seating. At the shore, you know how it is … by the time everyone peels themselves off the sand and gets showered and ready for dinner it’s practically 8 o clock anyways.
So they tried really hard and there were some «new place» kinks but in all I cannot say enough great things about the quality of the food and attentiveness of the staff. It was great to have the master chef come out and talk to us afterwards (John!!)
I really hope to return to the shore next summer and find all the seats filled at Trattoria Conte.

High end Italian food without a massive price tag. Being Italian I can tell you I am always leery about going to an Italian restaurant because let’s be honest here nothing you find no matter how hoof they claim it is is going to be as your Italian family’s home cooked meal. This place is no exception however, I can tell you I have been to a lot of places and this place was very close. The atmosphere the food and the family feel to the restaurant made it a tasty and worth wild trip. It is BYOB so if you are looking yo drink bring it with you. I rec commend the mussels conte which was not only tasty but a hell of a lot of food. The olive and cheese platter for an appetizer was also very good not a lot of food for the price as far as that is concerned but you paid for quality. So come check it out, next time I’m in the area I know where I am going to make a stop at.

My girlfriend had their Marinated Black Angus Flat Iron Steak — Balsamic and Chianti Wine With Fresh Herbs and Spices, Served with House Vegetables. She loved it. I had the Mussels Conte — PEI Mussels, Grilled Hot Italian Sausage, Plum Tomato, Chianti and DOP Balsamic Reduction with Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese served over Pasta. It was outstanding. Our server, Heather, was very knowable and sweet. Next time we get to Wildwood, I hope to see her again with more great food. This place is not a spaghetti and meatball joint. Check them out at,
.

We just had a wonderful dinner here!!! We started with the spinach and beans as an appetizer. I’m not sure I’ve ever had something like it but it was delicious! I had filet with crab and it was incredible! The service was awesome and the John (the owner) was delightful!!! It was a truly wonderful experience! Heather was our server and she did everything she could to make it perfect!

Very good — we really enjoyed it. Chef John and his team do a nice job with their menu. Would recommend his place for those looking for Italian fare a good step above the average ‘pizza-​place’ dishes you get at most places in the area.

Very pleasantly surprised by service and meal quality. Frankly didn’t expect great food at the shore, and often get a disinterested waiter/​waitress, but were surprised by the high quality.
I had their homemade Italian hot sausage over pasta and it was excellent — subtle flavors, very nice — not at all like the Italian sausage from a store. Based on reviews we also tried the smoked mussels appetizer and they were outstanding — you have to try them. My son had a flounder entrée and it was good (though he preferred the sausage).
Service was excellent — greeted & seated immediately, BYOB — had an ice bucket right away, and the waitress was excellent, explained a long list of specials in great detail twice. Bread was good, had a second basket, and cheesecake was good also.
Interestingly when I called for a reservation I left a message, got a friendly return call from the owner, John Conte, which was a nice touch. He really takes pride in his food and business.

My wife and I have visited this area several times over the years and we always like to introduce a new restaurant into the «rotation». After viewing nearby places via Unilocal of course, we chose Trattoria Conte for dinner on our recent trip.
We were a party of 8, not difficult at all in terms of ordering or being demanding. We were seated at what we learned was a 300 year old dining table. When we arrived, there was one other party dining nearby. By the time we left, there were only 2 other parties dining.
My point in mentioning that was that I expected more from the service.
–When our order was taken, we weren’t asked if we wanted anything besides water to drink. It’s a BYOB establishment and they brought 2 small pitchers of water to the table at the outset, but we had to ask to have those refilled.
–Service in general started out very strong with Daniel and his eloquent description of their cuisine and specials, but he handed it off to another server and they both came over now and then to take away completed dishes.
Food-​wise, everything was good-​nothing great, and portions were simply adequate. That is fine, quality is more important than quantity, but combine that with the fairly limited options on the menu, and it made for a non-​remarkable experience.

Overpriced and not great. The chairs are hard metal and so uncomfortable. The place is small and the service is still a little slow. The only thing offered to drink was pelligrino.

Visited: Friday — July 24, 2015 — 8:30 PM
We requested a 8:45 PM reservation and outdoor dining. There was a large dining party enjoying dinner as we entered. We were escorted to our outdoor seating with the declaration that we were the FIRST to dine outdoors for this season. We brought a opened bottle of blush purchased at a restaurant from the previous night.
The server was splitting his responsibilities between our table and the large party indoors. Accordingly, the service suffered. Eventually, a different server greeted us and seconded the first-​to-​dine declaration.
We ordered the Spinach Salad — Fresh Spinach, Red Onion, Smoked Apple wood Bacon, House Raspberry Chianti Vinaigrette. $ 8.00. We followed with another spinach-​ladened appetizer, Spinach and Beans — Sautéed Fresh Spinach with Cannellini and garbanzo Beans Finished in Fresh Herbs, Spices, DOP Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Pecorino Romano Cheese, White Wine and Pancetta … $ 8.00
My lady friend was finished eating but, dining al fresco compelled my palate to order an entrée. I ordered the Trattoria Sweet Sausage entrée — House Sausage, Plum Tomato, Barolo Wine Reduction, Fresh Herbs and Spices. Served over a bed of Penne pasta with Balsamic Carrots … $ 20.00. The owner, John Conte, graciously took the time to greet us and also announced that we were the first-​to-​dine outdoors.
The food and ambience was good. Too bad we didn’t receive a discount or a free dessert because we were the first-​to-​dine outdoors… :-)

The service was outstanding. Grilled muscles and olives and cheese appetizers were delicious. Entrees, tuna and the crab excellent.

Don’t be fooled by the simple appearance of this corner storefront in a strip of shops on New Jersey Avenue. This place has not good, but absolutely outstanding, homemade classic but artfully crafted Italian fare. The service was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable from the moment we walked in until leaving. They make you feel like one of the family. Our appetizer of homemade sweet sausage with broccoli Rabe in a chianti reduction tomato broth was fantastic. It may be the best sausage we’ve ever tasted. Entrées were excellent as well, including the homemade gnocchi in a tomato-​olive-​artichoke sauce with prosciutto di Parma. Desserts were homemade as well, including the cannoli, which is one of the best I’ve ever had, on par or better than any I’ve had in South Philly or Mulberry Street. As was the homemade cheesecake. All this was capped off with a bold espresso I was told was made from roasted beans direct from Naples. We’re coming back tomorrow night, this time with my wife’s grandmother, who is a tough judge of food. We’ve got a feeling mum-​mum will be VERY pleasantly surprised!

The waiter Daniel is amazing and the food absolutely impeccable, no denying any of that, I will say that we were a 3 top on a Tuesday night for 8:00 and needless to say this poor waiter was all by himself, no help, not even a bus boy to at least water and bread the tables, I’ve watched an 8 top walk out because there was no one to greet them and now two separate two tops, however given the fact that it was a Tuesday and maybe not always a busy night, this place is an absolute gem and potential goldmine with amazing food, time to employ more help, you are gonna be busy !!! Outstanding, bellisimmo!

Dined here earlier this week. You should too. One of the best dinners all summer. The grilled tuna over pasta was excellent. My wife enjoyed the seafood pasta, lots is seafoid. The staff was polite, well versed with the menu and attentive.

Best Italian in Wildwood!
My husband, son and I decided to try a new place while on vacation this year. After reading some reviews, we decided to try Trattoria Conte. Were we glad we did!
We were greeted by friendly Daniel who described the specials. Heather then brought us semolina bread with olive oil for dipping. We ordered Italian sodas to
drink, however this is a BYOB, so next time I’ll remember to bring the wine.
For appetizer, my son and I shared grilled mussels. Now, I have had mussels before, but not like this. The grill brought out a delightful smokiness to the mussels. We loved them!
For dinner, I ordered linguini with a crab vodka sauce, while my son ordered seafood pomodoro and my husband ordered the homemade, grilled hot sausage over spaghetti. Each entrée was delicious! My husband was particularly impressed with the hot sausage which he claimed had the perfect level of heat and sausage flavor.
For dessert homemade cannolis and homemade cheesecake provided the perfect finish.
When in Wildwood Crest, make time for one of your dinners at Trattoria Conte. You’ll be saying ‚“Molto Bene” all the way home!

My husband and I do not go out to dinner during the summer months here in Wildwood Crest. But it just so happened this evening that my brother and sister in law were down and we decided to go out to eat.
I went on to Unilocal and saw Trattoria Conte and read the reviews. We decided to try it out, and I am so glad that we did!!!
The atmosphere was very nice and relaxing and everyone was very friendly.
Our server Heather reviewed the special with us and we decided to order the mussels for an appetizer. They were delicious!!! They were grilled and had a smoky taste. So tender and no sand.
For our meals we have the seafood pomedore, homemade sausage with polenta, and the gnocchi. Everything was delicious. The portions were the perfect size. We were full, but not stuffed.
And there was even room for dessert. We sampled the chocolate cake, homemade cheesecake, and cannoli. Again, delicious… especially the chocolate cake.
I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a meal this good.
What I liked most is that Chef Conte came to our table and introduced himself. I can’t tell you the last time I was out to dinner and the chef came out to the from of the house.
If you happen to be on the Crest, and are looking for Italian food with a unique twist try Trattoria Conte.
The only downside is that they are seasonal. As we come down all year, this would be a regular stop for us for dinner.
Our compliments to Chef Conte!

I am amazed at the 5 other reviews of this restaurant. We had an unbelievably bad experience at this restaurant. There was 8 of us. When we walked in we were told there would be a 15mins wait for the food to be served as it was all made to order. I must admit that seemed a strange comment as all food is made to order! There was only one other party (a large party of 12 or so) in the restaurant. 15 mins seemed completely reasonable so we stayed. 2 hours later I am writing this review and our house is a 2 mins drive from the restaurant! Where to start?
1. 20 mins or so after ordering we received a very ordinary side salad ($ 8 for one cup of spinach and onion) and my appetizer of prosciutto and cheeses ($ 15 for 2 slices of cheese and three slices of toast, 4 olives and 4 slices of prosciutto).
2. After Another 20 mins passed we received a hot plate (with cold food appetizer.) spinach and beans. Which they had to reheat.
3. The kids meals which were plain penne pasta and tomato sauce/​butter arrived after another 15 mins.
4. One hour after arrival two main entrees arrived. An over cooked six ounce steak for $ 25 with 4 potato wedges (burnt and underdone at the same time) and 4 carrot slices. The mussels were ok.
5 when I spoke to the person who appeared to be in charge about the length of wait I was met with eye rolling, hand gesturing and a comment «everything is made to order». No apology for the length of wait.
6. Other customers at a nearby table approached us and asked how long we had been waiting as they had already been there 25 mins and had yet to receive their salads. At the end of their meal they complained to the waitress and person in charge. And mentioned our table.
7. After paying the bill (not one meal was comped nor dessert offered) the person in charge asked if we had enjoyed the meal. When I said no she seemed surprised and said well all other customers said the food was great.
In summary the food is mediocre, massively overpriced and I have yet to understand what «made to order» means as the pasta was boxed, the sauce was identical on each plate, no meats were marinated. I can only guess it’s their excuse to make people wait so long.
Don’t eat here unless you have a masochistic nature or what to break up with your spouse or partner. It is horrendous.
Ps I have given one start as couldn’t work out how to go give zero!

A warm welcoming evening as we arrived on a Friday night to kick off our weekend at the Shore. This new BYOB in the Crest is staffed by warm informative folks with wonderful Jazz serenading in the background. We shared an order of muscles with red sauce and Gorgonzola cheese. For our entrée we split the popular seven wild mushroom dish served over polenta. The presentation was beautiful, and the portion was more than satisfying. The night was topped off with a lovely conversation with John Conte the chef-​owner. We think this new find is off to a great start. Most importantly it is a BYOB so don’t forget your wine!

Had a wonderful dinner tonight at this charming small restaurant. The food is as good as the trendy places on Passyunk Avenue in Philly. The grilled mussels were the best I’ve had. I had flounder with shrimp which was delicate and flavorful. My husband really enjoyed his sausage and pasta which had just the right amount of spiciness.
The staff were friendly and attentive.
This used to be the location of Marcella’s, our favorite gelato shop. We were sad to see it go but excited to have a fine restaurant in the Crest.
We will have to return soon to try the seven layer cake which, unfortunately for us, they were out of!