Dolce Fantasia 4

We were wandering around Asbury Park in December on a very cold windy afternoon , and we were just looking for a place to duck inside and have a nice hot cup of cappuccino and maybe something sweet. We stumbled upon Dolce Fantasia, it's not on the main drag so we almost missed it. The inside is decorated very kitschy eclectic with a sense of welcome. Bright yellow and black with great personality just starts you off in a happy mood. And then it gets even better! I have recently been told that I need to stay away from gluten, that eating it inflames my joints and inflicts pain. Do you know how hard that is to do when you have a massive sweet tooth? The dessert menu had so many amazing choices that I could eat, I was so excited. And then I met the pistachio crème brûlée. Seriously, this had to have been heaven sent. I have never had such a delicious, decadent dessert. If it wasn't so rude, I would've licked out the bowl. We were telling friends of ours about this great little place we found and decided to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday dinner there on a Saturday night in the middle of January. If I was impressed by the pistachio crème brûlée, everything we ordered was equally delicious and beautifully presented. They definitely do not skimp on quality and you leave there quite satisfied. I'd say the worst part of the evening was trying to narrow down the choices, we sat there watching as the waiters delivered plates to other tables for inspiration, everything smelled and looked amazing and the people around us were really enjoying each dish. We actually struck up conversations with total strangers to find out if they recommended what they were eating. Sadly, I had to narrow it down to just one appetizer, one main dish, and my beloved crème brûlée. The crabcake appetizer was scrumptious with surprising flavors on the side. My lamb shank was fall off the bone tender and the accompanying risotto was really tastefully done. The three other people I was with all ordered different dishes so we can taste test everything, and even the pickiest among us, Meat and Potatoes Bob, cleaned his entire plate. Unfortunately, the rest of our birthdays are in August so we are brainstorming to find an excuse to come back before. I think if we went there more often, I would be extremely spoiled and not want to eat anywhere else. So we're going to keep Dolce Fantasia as our special celebratory home and visit Chef John and his remarkably professional staff at the next possible excuse.... we missed everybody's half birthday so we'll have to wait for someone to share good news I know I'm going to be very sorry for writing this review, it's going to make it harder to get a reservation, but Chef John deserves every delicious word.

Went to Asbury location for the 2nd time and was just as good as I remembered. Food and service on point. Gluten free option for pasta was delicious. Will be back.

So many great menu items we didn't know what to order first! The Fig Carpaccio was amazing! Great appetizer! The main courses were delicious and a bit out of the ordinary - no stock red sauce here! Deserts are gluten free, the pistachio creme brule was yummy! We plan on going back.