text: https://nyti.ms/1XW6cWI
  December 4, 1977, Page 446Buy Reprints
  THIS restaurant, sitting on a rounded corner a bit south of the Bloomfield Avenue‐Broad Street axis of the Bloomfield business district, is one of those establishments that occasionally flirts with becoming a better-than-good place to eat, then lapses into carelessness.
  Some of the dishes that we tried in several visits there were quite good indeed, but others were often unpalatable. In addition, on one occasion, two pieces of unwashed silverware were placed in setting, and it often appears that irufficient numbers of waiters and busboys are on duty.
  And that is too bad because a few of the preparations tried showed evidence
  of promise. One of these is the restaurant's hot antipasto, a generous platter of eggplant and riccotta, stuffed mushroom caps, scampi, baked clams oreganata, hearts of artichoke, stuffed peppers and mozzarella in carrozza. Except for the scampi, which were dried and chewy, the rest of the platter was quite appetizing, especially the mozzarella.
  The mozzarella, placed between two thin slices of bread and, after dipping in crumbs, deep fried, was particularly appealing. But the enjoyment it engendered on one occasion was offset by the poor quality of the cold appetizers placed on the table before dinner: celery whose tassels were brown and untrimmed, carrot stripe that had obviously lay about for some time unrefrigerated and thus had dried out.
  The bread at The Aw Seven Hills is good and crusty, although not served warm, and the wine list is the customary list of minor shippers that are neither bad nor outstanding. A meal should cost about $15 a person.
  On one recent visit, the hot antipasto was ordered, along with a zuppa di clams with white clam sauce, an order of clams casino and another of clams oreganata.
  The antipasto—mentioned before, and tried on a, subsequent visit again—was quite good, as were the clams casino, which were tiny, nicely scrubbed cherrystones topped with bacon and pimento and lightly broiled.
  The clams oreganata were equally good, although the bread‐crumb topping was a bit too thick and oily for our taste. But, as tender and tiny as were the clams in these two dishes, they were tough and sandy in the zuppa; this was too bad because the soup itself was quite tasty.
  A plate of spaghetti and meatballs was disappointingly bland. The sauce was thin and unspicy, and the meatballs were a mixture of ground veal and beef, which ordinarily is a happy combination, that failed to satisfy.
  The beef bracciola, however, was quite wonderful. The beef was pounded thinly, as it is supposed to be, curled around a mixture of cheese, parsley, oregano, and garlic, and then cooked in a tomato sauce until the tomatoes and basil permeated the meat. Served with boiled escarole, it was a wonderful treat. Tried on a second visit, it was equally good.
  A steak Fiorentina, steak Florentine if you will, which should have been a thin, butterflied piece of beef lightly grilled on both sides and served immediately, was simply a strip sirloin that was broiled nicely and served with a sprig of parsley dangling over it. It was not bad steak, but it simply wasn't steak Florentine.
  Nor was the striped bass meuniere striped bass meuniere. What was brought to our table was a piece of bass broiled (slightly dried out on top) and sprinkled with paprika.
  Veal Francaise also was not satisfactory, the meat tenderized into mushiness and the breading an oily topping that added nothing to its flavor.
  But escarole, ordered the first time with the bracciola, then later as a side order, was sauteed nicely with oil and garlic and was quite good.
  On Sundays, the New Seven Hills offers a hot and cold buffet that, like its a la carte menu, has proved uneven. But it is a bargain at $6.95 ($4.95 for children), and includes such fine things as mussels in tomato sauce and a variety of seafood salads. There also are fresh sausage and peppers, scalloped veal, scampi and other varieties of shrimp, most of fairly good, some of it quite good.
  For those who happen to like a restaurant for one exceptional dish, the buffet is the thing for you. Sample what is on the tables and in the chafing dishes, find what you like and enjoy. Avoid the desserts, which are uninspired.
  We found the mussels and the sausages and peppers excellent, particularly with cold beer, and that is no mean discovery these days. ■
  *The New Seven Hills
  88 Washington Street, Bloomfield. (201) 743‐5331.
  Atmosphere: Small dining room and separate bar, dominated by browns and golds, tassels and murals of someone's idea of ancient Rome. Dress is casual.
  Recommended dishes: Beef bracciola and portions of the hot antipasto, particularly the mozzarella in carrozza.
  Price range: From the $3 range for appetizers steak Fiorentina or filet mignon for 58.75. Credit cards: All major cards.